I Was The Picky Eater At Holiday Meals. Here’s My Best Advice For You.
Inside: Worried your kid will only eat a roll at special holiday meals? You shouldn’t be. Here’s why.
When I was a kid at Thanksgiving, I didn’t eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, or even pie.
I ate a roll, maybe a few bites of turkey, and of course, my grandma’s famous Jell-O. (She mixed two flavors together. The resulting color wasn’t always great, but the taste was!)
As a registered dietitian and former extremely picky eater, I’m here to tell you this: If your kid only eats a roll at Thanksgiving, that’s okay.
It doesn’t mean you’ve failed as a parent.
It doesn’t mean your kid will only be eating a roll at Thanksgiving when they’re 25. As an adult, I now eat most Thanksgiving foods.
(Okay, green bean casserole still gives me the heebie-jeebies. But my plate is a whole lot more diverse than it used to be!)
I’ve come a long way!
The holidays can already feel like a time when your kids and your parenting are on display for everyone to observe (and maybe judge).
But when you have very picky eaters, the thought of big holiday meals may make you squirm: Your kids refusing to eat the special foods your mother-in-law spent all day making, the disapproving looks from well-meaning relatives, your cousin’s perfect kids who seem to eat everything.
