picky eaters, help

[pumpkinmom2]

How do you get picky eaters to eat new things? My son and my cousin's son just will not eat properly. My son will actualy say I don't want a snack later, I will eat breakfast in the morning. He has gone to bed numerous times with out eating dinner or a snack.

Any tips you have would be helpful.:

[harrietsmama]

Well, all I can say is I was insanely picky and had no appetite as a child due to allergy meds. I was a head taller than everyone and the doctor just said 'she'll eat when she's hungry' My g'ma tried every torture you can think of to get me to eat, and I didn't. Until I was hungry ate ate 3 plates of whatever in one sitting. My son is also like this. I decided to feed him what he wants and good vitamins. He is growing fine, the doctor is satisified and we don't fight. I *hated* food until I was about ten. I figure if I don't torture him too much he will come around eventually. I did a lot of research on vitamins and taste testing. We get the Rhino Vites crunchy ones. They are whole food and extracts with no yucky stuff or sugar. They are pretty colors on their own and taste good. My kids like to suck them rather than chew them though.

[DaughterOfKali]

My son has sensory issues (and is on the autism spectrum.) He's had eating issues for years. I've only just got my health insurance to agree to pay for Feeding Therapy.

We introduce one or two new foods per week. It will be offered just once a day.
First, we start by having my son lick the new food. This usually is all ds will be willing to do for a couple of weeks.
Then, we have ds put teeth marks in the new food. This does not mean he has to bite off a piece. He just needs to put teeth marks in it. This is as far as we have gotten so far.

Next step will be to bite off a piece and chew (he can spit it out in the "All Done Bowl" if he doesn't want to swallow it.)

Last step will be to chew and swallow.

The whole process can take weeks/months just for one particular new food.

Ds has a very strong reaction to new foods in his mouth and will easily vomit (so we have to have a bowl/trash can nearby just in case.)