Conquering the skinny picky

If you’re a food blogger who likes to cook new recipes, you’ve probably had moments of self-doubt. Maybe you made a recipe, and even though the ingredients were all there, nothing seemed right. Maybe the dish turned out okay, but it was just a little on the bland side. Or maybe the recipe just flat out sucked.

Back in the early days of the blogging world, the only way to get your work seen was by linking to it on your blog. This is the case not only for sites like mine, but also for any site that might be someone’s niche. But you don’t have to give up that you care about the niche at all. I help people lose weight by specializing in the skinny picky. I have developed recipes, meal plans, and shopping guides that help people with special dietary needs like the skinny picky lose weight.

I am a single mom with a five and four year old. I have pretty much exhausted all my options to eating a healthy diet, in my house. Most of the healthy choices I make in my house are pre-made and bought in the grocery store. Since I don’t have time to make my own meals, my kids are now picking what I eat. I am tired of picking up food, paying for it, and then having the “chicken fingers” for dinner. I thought I would try to make a healthy meal that the kids could help me make, and they would rather eat something that they made than chicken fingers.. Read more about low-carb foods and let us know what you think.

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When Sister Sylvie and I educate patients how to open their minds to new culinary possibilities with low-carb diets in my ketotherapy clinic, we often have to push them to change their attention from all the things they can’t eat to all the new options they didn’t even realize they possessed.

The majority of patients ultimately discover how tasty low-carb meals can be. Despite this, many of them are having problems. They’re also grownups.

When it comes to food, though, youngsters may take the term “wrestling” to a whole new level. You know what I’m talking about if you’re the parent of a fussy eater. You know what I’m talking about if you’re the parent of a fussy eater who grew up in the pre-LCHF age. Perhaps you’re shaking your head and feeling discouraged right now.

I’m a general practitioner, but I also have my own family, which includes an active three-year-old, a non-sleeping one-year-old, and a spouse who has just entered the hazardous zone of high-calorie food (but that’s for another blog entry!).

I began a low-carb diet while nursing my kid. It was never a problem since he was raised on a low-carb diet. He like scrambled eggs with 35% cream and old cheddar, butter on everything, simple 10% yogurt, and other foods. If given the opportunity, this infant will eat everything, even sand and pebbles. Simple.

On the other hand, my kid has always been a fussy eater. We were always concerned about her diet since she was usually so tiny. Despite our best efforts, her diet gradually and silently shifted to sweetened yogurt, plain chicken, pasta, and anything sweet, despite our best intentions and many attempts at nutritious, whole meals.

It wasn’t ideal, to say the least, but I didn’t have the energy to battle with her at every meal with a difficult second pregnancy, a baby who refused to sleep, and returning to work too soon. We considered it a win if she ate anything.

Making the switch to a low-carb diet….

Do you imply you’re down on your luck?

Andreas, the Diet Doctor, once informed me that keeping a low-carb diet simple with kids is as simple as giving them unprocessed, nutritious, natural food. That is all there is to it.

That is excellent advice.

My kid likes a creamy omelet over sand and stones, so it’s ideal. But he clearly doesn’t know my three-year-old kid, who would sooner eat air than low-carb.

So I recently embarked on a mission to get my daughter on a low-calorie diet (at least at home, where I have control). Finally, I’ve been following a low-carb diet for over a year, and my husband joined that after about six months (and let me tell you, he didn’t quit without a fight!). We are all low-carb except for my picky daughter.

Many parents often ask me how to feed their children a low-carb diet at my low-carb clinic.

A rigorous low-carb diet is no longer required for children. Healthy, unprocessed meals should be prioritized, and fruits and vegetables may serve as the primary supply of carbs. It is not essential to consume fruit on a daily basis. Not to mention the fact that they lack necessary carbs and their brains do not need exogenous glucose to operate correctly.

How can you defeat picky eaters and convert them into happy, low-calorie eaters in practice?

I decided to consult with wiser women, some of whom are also physicians and are likely to know what they give their fussy children: sweetened yogurt, chicken, and pasta. Here’s a rundown of everything they have to offer:

  • To make it sweeter, buy full-fat yogurt and add unsweetened applesauce. Reduce the quantity of applesauce gradually until there is none left. Also, avoid purchasing yogurt that has been sweetened. You can’t serve it if you don’t have one at home.
  • Everything from veggies to meat goes well with mayonnaise.
  • Put the cheese on something you don’t like and let it melt.
  • Spread cream cheese over cucumber sticks and apple slices with peanut butter or almond butter.
  • As a snack, include cheese and almonds.

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Instead of cereal, make low-carb pancakes, crepes, or waffles for breakfast. Instead of maple syrup, heat butter, add maple essence, and pour it over the pancakes (we live in Canada, after all). If required, top with whipped cream.

  • Make pancakes with mashed banana and two scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil and topped with peanut butter or almond butter.
  • If at all feasible, bake low-carb cookies with the kids.
  • If supper didn’t work out, serve scrambled eggs with additional butter as a night snack.
  • From the perspective of a kid, dark chocolate is sometimes preferable than no chocolate at all. So have some chocolate on hand in the event that you need it (and treat yourself if today was one of those days).
  • Bacon is usually well-liked by kids. This is one method to get more fat in your diet.
  • Tacos with cheese are often on the winning list.

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Even with challenging partners, Fathead’s pizza is generally a success. Broccoli puree may be added to the sauce.

  • Marinara sauce is good at hiding pureed veggies.
  • Serve with paleo or other keto-friendly bread. What matters is the humor.
  • Toss the cooked veggies with lots of melted butter. There’s also salt.
  • Before supper is done, set out a dish of low-carb veggie sticks for the kids. It’s more probable that they’ll consume them.
  • Make a cheese fondue with gently cooked veggies that may be dipped into it.
  • In a food processor, combine Greek yogurt and frozen fruit, such as banana or mango. Sugar isn’t required in this recipe.

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Make ice cream using fruit and low-fat yogurt.

  • Make a drinkable yogurt using kefir and berries, as well as a little bit of maple syrup or swerve.
  • A wonderful dessert is whipped cream with berries.
  • Low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, low-carb protein powder, vanilla extract, chocolate powder, and a little reduced sugar are used to make a restaurant-style milkshake. Whipped cream and a few pieces of 90 percent dark chocolate may simply be added on top. Serve it in a beautiful glass with a straw and leave nothing to chance. In our home, the PawPatrol jar produces the most amazing milkshake right now.
  • 1 cup strawberries, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, a splash of lemon juice, and a little maple syrup or honey make chia seed jam (if your kids are over a year old). Refrigerate for at least one night. If your children object to the texture, you may simply puree the seeds after they have turned to jelly with a food processor.

Councils of the Whole

  • Remove this garbage off the premises! You can’t consume it if it isn’t there. As a parent, you are included in this.
  • Make a deliberate effort to refrain from indulging in sweets (but encouraging yourself with a glass of red wine after a crazy day is fine).
  • If they ask for anything particular (which you don’t have since you’ve cleaned up, right? ), you may give it to them. We don’t have that, but you can substitute this or that and come up with new ideas.
  • Put new foods in front of something you know they’ll eat, something they’ll be able to consume, and something they’ll want to try. Continue to make proposals.
  • Take your children to the local farmer’s market, where platters of fresh veggies such as tomatoes and cucumbers are available for customers to sample before purchasing. Your kids may be persuaded to try the veggies.
  • Allow your older children to see the film This Sugar. But don’t use food as a bribe.
  • Use excellent books as inspiration, such as Tim Noakes’ Superfoods for Super Kids, Jonno Proudfoot’s Jonno Proudfoot’s Jonno Proudfoot’s Jonno Proudfoot’s Jonno Proudfoot’s Jonno Proudfoot’s Jonno

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Remember, you won’t always win, but you’ll almost certainly be able to cut your sugar consumption in half when compared to other kids your age. This is a win in and of itself in the near run. But, even if you disbelieve it now, you will eventually teach children ideas that will not be forgotten as they get older. That’s what I tell myself every day, at least.

I’d love to hear about your favorite picky-eating methods, tools, and strategies. Please share them in the comments section!

– Evelyne Bourdua-Roi, Ph.D.

This week I started trying to incorporate more fruit in my diet, to see if it will help me eat less. I’ve always been a grain, fruit, and veggie kinda girl, so the idea of adding in some extra veggies and fruit is making me think hard about how much I eat. I’ve also been going through a lot of clothes lately, so I’m trying to add in some exercise into my routine. It’s been tough…. Read more about can you gain weight in one day and let us know what you think.

Related Tags

This article broadly covered the following related topics:

  • picky eater test
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  • low-carb foods
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Una is a food website blogger motivated by her love of cooking and her passion for exploring the connection between food and culture. With an enthusiasm for creating recipes that are simple, seasonal, and international, she has been able to connect with people around the world through her website. Una's recipes are inspired by her travels across Mexico, Portugal, India, Thailand, Australia and China. In each of these countries she has experienced local dishes while learning about the culture as well as gaining insight into how food can be used as a bridge between different cultures. Her recipes are often creative combinations of traditional ingredients from various different cuisines blended together to create something new.