Picky Picky Eater

After years of working with parents of picky eaters and telling them that it is ok if their child is a picky eater, I am having to eat my own words! Ben is a very very picky eater. He likes what he likes and wants nothing to do with anything else. I am having to follow my own advice when it comes to picky eaters! I have gone to some of my dietitian friends for advice on what to do because I didn't trust myself. I have a greater empathy for the parents that I work with. He has texture issues that I think make him so picky. He is starting to try some new foods but if it at all has a strange texture he will not touch it.

I thought I would run down a list of foods that Ben will eat:

• Chicken nuggets - He LOVES them and would eat them 24/7 if we would let him. He only likes Tyson chicken nuggets at home.
• Hot dogs (most of the time - he will be picky about them and he doesn't like turkey dogs)
• Taco meat - this is the only red meat he will eat. It must have taco seasoning. This is his absolute favorite meal. He could make himself sick off of tacos! And he likes chips and salsa to go along with it.
• Peanut butter & Jelly - He takes after me and loves it!
• Cheese & things made with cheese (grilled cheese, cheese quesildilla, etc.)
• Pizza - who doesn't like pizza?
• Crackers, bread, rolls, chips, etc. - He is a cracker man
• Fruit - he does love fruit so I give him fruit all the time!
• Vegetables - NO!!!!! He won't touch them! Except french fries which I don't even count as a vegetable although USDA does.
• Sweets - he will eat any sweet we put in front of him!

That is pretty much it. Not very much. It drives me crazy. Oh well what can we do. He eats what he likes!

Here are some old pictures of Ben eating his favorite meal of tacos! I love these pictures. It is probably because mealtime at our house can be such a battle. There is lots of crying and screaming (and not just Ben). In these pictures he is so happy eating which we don't see very often!