Let’s consider what might be going on:

• the child’s sensory system is still developing. The feel of a lump or the look of a different colour on the egg may be enough to make your child think twice.
• the child wants to stay with what’s ‘normal’. If they’ve always had fruit or cucumber peeled or the ends of beans cut off or smooth yoghurt, they might need warming up to eat this unfamiliar part.
• the child is finding it extra work. Chewing through crusts for little developing jaws can be hard work.

What can you do to work through these stages?

• for the little ones (pre 12mths), give achievable lumps. Instead of store-bought yoghurt with fruit, why not add cooked fruit, fruit purée, dessicated coconut or say some banana bread bits to plain yogurt. These create more even texture until they are ready for bigger lumps.
• most children can and will work around peel and crusts from an early age.  But be prepared for them to avoid the skin or crusts.  There is no need to draw any attention to it though.  You might simply ask if they’ve had enough and remove it. Sometimes just breaking the crusts up into more manageable pieces will have your child finishing all their bread.
• keep persisting.  As with introducing any new food, if you persist, you ‘should’ win. (Short of further sensory processing issues or difficulty chewing).
• be prepared for regression.  Once a child works out ‘no’, they might put up some protests.  This is NOT the time to go with their requests.  Keep persisting, with no pressure.
• model eating it all yourself.  You might show them how you bite into a whole apple with the peel or crunch the rest of the cucumber skin.
• start slowly.  You might present sweet potato with just some of it’s skin on.  Or peel stripes down the cucumber.  You could cut just one end off each bean.

Always remember, no matter what, there is no pressure to eat and thus no drawing attention to these parts of food.  Eventually your child will be ready to eat it all…and they won’t realise the game you’ve just played with them!

🙂  Heidi
Please share – how did you get your little one to eat all of these ‘bits’?

Hello friend!

I am Heidi Hosking.  I am the creator of The Healthy Caterpillar.

About my skills and knowledge

I am a Speech Pathologist and Health Coach (IIN).

More recently, I have completed Level 1 Touch for Health Kinesiology.

As a Speech Pathologist, I have worked with sensitive children for over 10 years.  From children in Aboriginal communities in the Cape York of Australia, to children with disabilities with amazing potential, to children who are very bright and sensitive.  I have been trained by the best of the best internationally in fussy and very picky eating (including the ‘SOS approach’, if that means anything to you!).

As a certified Health Coach, I educate parents how diet, chemicals and food sensitivities affect our children’s ‘true’ potential and instead contribute to the common, but not normal, childhood health issues (sleep, skin, behavioural and digestive issues and low immunity…and more!).

Please note : I refer to appropriate health professionals where needed for further nutritional advice and testing, as needed.

I have used this extensive experience as a Speech Pathologist (the fussy eater side) and Health Coach (the diet side) to help countless families:

• Move their children along my fussy eater roadmap
• Move from less than 10 foods to decent variety
• Improve and/or eradicate their child’s health issues
• Identify food sensitivities
• Convert children to diets that make their children strong
• Eliminate sugar and food additives
• Achieve peaceful mealtimes

As a mum of two sensitive new age boys, I have been through the exhaustion, anxiety and stress myself.  I was also given two children that have made me seek the answers to unlock their ‘true’ health and potential.  I’ve dealt with:

• the sleepless child
• the eczema/skin lesions/steroid creams/antibiotics
• the ‘ADHD/Asperger’s’ one
• the fussy eaters
• the mega meltdowns
• the constant sickness (and no sick leave from work)
• the doubters
• the fatigue
• the conflict trying to work out as parents, what on earth to do, with no one to guide us
• the feeling that we were the only ones

[Take a look at Hayden’s story to see how far we’ve come!]

I have made lunchboxes for both boys on diets from fructose-free to grainfree to Paleo and the Failsafe elimination diet.  I have used my Fussy Eater Roadmap to encourage them from fussy eaters to being healthy, adventurous eaters.

About me, behind the scenes (in case you’re wondering!)

I live on the Sunshine Coast, Australia, with my husband and two boys.

• I love to be in nature
• I’m drawn to toucans and rainbow lorikeets
• I like to think of myself as a world explorer
• I was an exchange student for a year in Brazil
• I love to have fun and would play board games and party games all day if I could
• I love to teach, help and support others
• Children light me up!

About my mission

My mission is to inspire parents to take a stand for their childrens’ health by :

• understanding the link between diet/environment and current and future health
• supporting parents to create healthy, adventurous eaters
• guiding parents to make changes to their belief systems around food and raising children, that align with their sensitive new age children
• encouraging parents to use their intuition.  No one knows better…
• modeling my path of learning….to creating vibrant children! 

I am hearing the many parents out there, wanting to enjoy their bright and sensitive ones.  But instead are feeling confused, overwhelmed and exhausted at trying to deal with today’s childhood health issues, even from newborn status let alone fussy eaters and their sensitivities.

With my unique experience, I have helped countless families to move towards healthy, adventurous eaters and create vibrant children for themselves.  I want to help your family too!

I hope to inspire you to help your child achieve their potential through health and well-being too.  Make sure you sign up for Caterpillar Mail (and snaffle your free e-kit ‘Get off the Sickness Cycle : 11 steps to build your child’s immunity’) so you can stay in my exciting loop!

I’m so glad you’ve connected!
Heidi x