Picky-eaters-club-4

Mazzy likes to eat bananas whole, with it peeled about halfway down before it is handed to her. Then, once she has eaten to the peeled place, she says she is finished. I tell her to peel the rest. I even offer to peel it for her. But nope, she is not interested.

Harlow likes to be offered a whole banana with the peel as well, but then she will break off the top half to eat. It has to happen just like that. I can’t break it off for her. In fact, I’ve tried to give her the bottom half of Mazzy’s banana (always up for grabs) but she rejects it. Even if I turn it over and pretend it’s the top.

Picky-eaters-club-8

I think I mentioned Harlow’s frozen waffle obsession one or ten times. But did you know she needs to have her waffle cut up into four even quadrants? And she wants syrup. Not on the same plate as the waffle though. Syrup must be served in its own separate bowl.

Mazzy loves bagels but will only eat plain bagels. If there is even one seed or piece of onion on it, she won’t go near it. Even if I scrape it all off with a knife, the bagel is still deemed unacceptable for consumption.

Picky-eaters-club-9

Harlow likes cherry tomatoes and grapes but refuses to eat either of them cut in half.

Mazzy likes french fries but won’t touch baked or mashed potatoes.

Don’t you dare try to section Harlow’s orange.

Picky-eaters-club6

Mazzy won’t tolerate watermelon seeds. I tell her it’s perfectly fine to eat the white ones. I even demonstrate. But she just pushes her plate over so I can pick the white seeds out with my fingernails. As if that is somehow more appetizing.

Harlow will only eat corn if it’s on the cob.

Mazzy will only eat corn if it’s off the cob.

Harlow likes scrambled eggs but only if she cooks them with me and I let her mix the egg. If I try to present her with scrambled eggs without the opportunity to cook them first, it is a no-go.

Mazzy is very specific about how her milk is prepared.

Picky-eaters-club5

Mazzy doesn’t like any specks of green on her pasta. “The green specks make it tastier!” I say. Mazzy doesn’t buy it. I must try my best to wipe them off with a napkin.

Harlow would prefer all her food come from my plate. Even if we are eating exactly the same thing.

Picky-eaters-club

Mazzy thinks she likes strawberry ice cream, even though she has tried and hated strawberry ice cream several times before. Her brain can’t seem to accept the fact that she has rejected something pink, so every few weeks, she asks for it again. “You don’t like strawberry ice cream” I say. “I do, Mom, I do!!!” “Okay, here you go.” “BLECH!!!!”

Both Mazzy and Harlow only eat pasta with butter, no tomato sauce, even though I remind them they like tomato sauce on pizza.

Pizza is the only thing Mazzy will eat with cheese, by the way. She won’t touch grilled cheese. She won’t touch mac and cheese. She won’t touch plain cheese. How pizza got a pass, I do not know.

Picky-eaters-club2

Harlow won’t eat cheese either, although she loves asking for American Cheese so she can tear the plastic off. Then she gives it back to me.

I think you get the idea. My kids are picky eaters. Not only that— they have weird hang-ups and specific food preferences that make absolutely no sense.

Picky-eaters-club-10

I’d love to hear about your kids’ weird food hang-ups too. In fact, this month I am working with Ella’s Kitchen® to start my very own Picky Eater’s Club.

Do you think your kids should be inducted?

Post a picture of your child on the Mommy Shorts Facebook page (or on instagram hashtagging #pickyeatersclub and tagging @mommyshorts) with your child’s first name and their specific food hang-up in the caption. I’ll make them into graphics and post the funniest ones in follow-up posts.

Plus, over the next month, three members of the Picky Eaters Club will be selected randomly to win $100 worth of products from Ella’s Kitchen, including their new nutritional drink line, sold exclusively at Target in partnership with their “made to matter” program. See the full rules here.

Ella’s Kitchen® has been a longtime favorite baby brand of mine, since they came on the scene when Mazzy was first born. I love how they use only real ingredients with no additives, fortification or any other added chemicals. Plus, those pouches were pretty revolutionary back then!

In addition to their wide array of pouches, Ella’s Kitchen® has expanded to finger foods, toddler meals and now nutritional supplement drinks— Organic Coconut Water Electrolyte* Drinks and Coconut + Milk Nutritional Shakes. They are both perfect ways for picky eaters to get some of the nutrients they’ve been missing out on when they reject all those healthy veggies.

Photo (8)

Ella’s Kitchen® Organic Coconut water Electrolyte* Drinks (in Pear Berry and Banana Ginger) are rehydration drinks made with organic coconut water, fruits and veggies with naturally occurring electrolytes to help replenish lost nutrients.

Ella’s Kitchen Organic Coconut + Milk Nutritional Shakes (in Broccoli Plum and Banana Apricot) are a daily nutritional shake made with organic Grade A milk, fruit, veggies and coconut water to help little ones grow bigger and stronger. I know smoothies have been the saving grace of our household, since Harlow refused to drink milk after we took away her bottle at age one.

For more information on Ella’s Kitchen, click here. To purchase Ella’s Kitchen at Target, click here.

Okay, let’s see pictures of those picky eaters!

Mazzy and Harlow don’t want to be the only ones in the club.

———————————-

This post was sponsored by Ella’s Kitchen but all picky eating problems are my own.