Picky Eaters

Our kids are picky eaters. They like what they like and they want it over and over again (peanut butter no jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese, bagel with cream cheese, buttered pasta, waffles, cereal). A formidable hurdle, it can be, a child’s unwillingness to step outside their self imposed eating restrictions.

The boy had declared at one point that that he is a vegetarian. That’s a decision I can live with once he’s older and making his own meals. It’s just not fair for Wife Klem to have to make several meals every time the family eats. It was on this point we recently battled.


I came with a three pronged offensive:

(1) “If you’re going to be a vegetarian you’ll have to eat tofu.” Served tofu for a meal. Didn’t like it, not surprisingly, but he still did not willingly expand into eating meat.

(2) As his seventh birthday approached I advised him, “When you turn seven you’ll be eating hot dogs once per week.” This worked out surprisingly well with the advance notification. He grumbles a little when he is served hot dogs, but he eats it now! Wife Klem and I will think of another food to implement into his eating roster for his eight birthday.

(3) Predator versus prey: The boy really likes dinosaurs. He’s quite knowledgeable, in fact, in this area. The boy and I talked about the difference between predators (meat eaters - Tyrannosaurus Rex and Raptors) and prey (plant eaters - Apatosaurus and Parasaurolophus). We discussed how predators have their eyes in the front of their head for better vision to see the prey. Plant eaters have their eyes on the sides of their head for better peripheral vision to make it easier to spot predators. We then discussed the same for mammals (lions and tigers versus deer and antelope).

“Are your eyes in the front of your head or the side,” I asked him.
“In front,” the boy conceded.
“That’s right. So are you a predator or prey,” I followed up.
“Predator.”
“So are you a meat eater or plant eater,” me.
“Meat eater,” he admitted.

Certainly omnivore is more precise for humans, but the point had been successfully argued. Unfortunately, this has not improved the desirability rating for meat entrees in the eyes of the kids. The boy is the key here. We’re confident his baby sister will fall in line with big brother should he eat meat.


The struggling reminds me of when I was a little guy. Eating was an inconvenience, I’d rather be playing or watching a ball game on tv.

Growing up we had Sunday meals with our maternal Italian grandparents. We were not big eaters, my siblings and I. Our grandmother would often tell my mom with some level of distress, “Make them eat something,” after only a light consumption leaving mountains of food on the serving platters.

Picky eating. So it has come full circle.
-klem