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5 Carbohydrate options for fussy eaters

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5 Carbohydrate options for fussy eaters

Before I start, I’m going to tackle the big elephant in the room. Yes, I know most parents of fussy eaters do not want more carb options for their child. They want to know how to get the greenery or the dinner foods eaten!

But I’ll ask a question. If your child does not eat broccoli or peas or beans, what happens when you serve these? Do you get a big fat NO?

The chances are yes, they will say no. Partly because it is green and scary and well, a vegetable. But also, because it is a NEW food.

What is the biggest problem for most parents with a picky eater? It is trying new foods. So, what is easier, a slightly different pasta or the broccoli?

If it is a new pasta, often that is a good place to start. It starts that change process, moving a child from a hyper focus on one thing to the ability to accept something else.

When you accept something else your brain notices that you did that, and it was okay. It teaches you that you can step out of your narrow comfort zone and still be safe and accept a new food.

Learning to eat widely and well is a process not a leap. You may be able to go from spiral pasta to penne pasta but going from spirals to broccoli is like knowing how to count to ten in Italian so being handed a novel to read.

Although you do want to go from crackers to broccoli, it is often not realistic and when you try to do so you frustrate and demoralise yourself and can even make it harder for your child.

If your child goes from spiral pasta to penne, it is a win. Yeah, you can feel good, you are making progress, you have taken that first step which begins the change from what your child can manage now to what they will be able to eat in the future.

That is why seeking out new carbs may just be the best path to success – but feel free to debate this with me 😉.

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FYI, as I am sure you know, foods are not actually divided into neat little categories. For example, there are plenty of carbohydrates in apples or corn and protein in bread. However, here I will focus on the foods – often beige – that spring to mind when we talk about carbs.

Carbohydrate options for fussy eaters

1. Bread – It is one
of the standard choices for many picky eaters. But, even within the category ‘bread’ there are many different options. If you have a super selective eater, then looking for the change that is the smallest thing you can think of is a good idea.

If your child is more confident around foods, then a bigger change may be okay. Perhaps it is moving from bread to toast or to rolls.

Or maybe it is a different sort of bread. What else may be a hit? Crumpets, croissants or fruit bread, for example.

2. Flour – I put in a big sweeping category like this to cover all the baked goods that can be a win for fussy eaters:

– Pancakes/pikelets – these are often accepted by picky eaters. I love them as made with eggs and milk they are also a great protein source.

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Although you often think breakfast and sweet toppings like maple syrup for pancakes, they can also be filled or topped with savoury foods like cheese or ham making a great lunch or dinner option.

– Muffins – again, although our mind may spring to breakfast and chocolate, these can be a good option for lunches, or even dinners. Perhaps starting with a slam-dunk favourite like chocolate works, but there are many other variations.

– Cakes – I do not think of these as only a party food. When working with a picky eater who has a very limited diet, all options are viable. A piece of home-made banana cake, for example, probably has more nutrients than a jam sandwich!

– Pastry – pastry can be a good ‘next step’ for children who eat toast or crackers. It can be plain or more complex like a pinwheel or mousetrap. It is also a great way to step gently into integrated foods via pies.

3. Crackers – another fussy eating favourite! As there are so many different varieties, it is often easy to choose a slightly new flavour, texture, or type.

Introducing a new cracker is great, but it also gives you a new platform to work from. If your child is now okay with seaweed flavoured rice crackers, for example, can you serve them tiny pieces of a seaweed snack to try?

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Crackers can also be a great way to scaffold a move to a new food. Are you able to add a tiny amount of something new to the cracker, or at least serve with it to start building that familiarity or comfort?

4. Pasta – The term pasta, covers a range of quite different options. Sometimes moving from a favourite to a new choice can be super challenging. If this is the case, stepping back and slowly working on familiarising your child with the new food really helps. This is often a process that takes time and patience. 

A new shape or colour may be a good place to start. Or perhaps it is adding a topping. I find though, that dipping, rather than smothering works best. Can your child dip their spiral into some grated cheese? Or even a little butter or salt. A small step is usually a good step 😊

5. Potatoes – Potatoes are so versatile and the difference between end products when prepared differently may be huge. Mash to chippies!

If a child can eat one of the frozen/oven bake varieties, there are often other choices that are very similar. Again, accepting a slightly different version can be a challenge so it may be a process, rather than something that happens immediately.

If store-bought chips
are accepted, a logical progression is looking to introduce a home-made version. Or, if they are okay with chips, can you move to wedges, for example.

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Fried potatoes may be an option for children who like chips, especially if they are cut small and so are crispier. Ditto, fried to small roast potatoes can be a small step.

Mash and jackets are less readily accepted by many fussy eaters, but a great bridge may be potato skins. You can cook these until super crispy and even fill with a favourite like cheese or bacon to scaffold the move.

If the only potato eaten is a chippie, you can make some astonishing good home-made versions. Check out the microwave recipes! Offering a new type of chippie is still beginning that process of change.

If you think of learning to eat confidently as a process, it enables you to step back a little and look at all the tiny steps that support that progress.

If you read this and still feel overwhelmed, or that your child will never accept anything new, perhaps it is time to look for additional support. If you would like to have a chat, I can be contacted directly judith@theconfidenteater.com or via The Confident Eater website.

Let’s get your child started on some new carbohydrate options!

Judith, MA Cantab (Cambridge University), MSc Psychology (first-class honours), is working on a PhD, an AOTA accredited picky eating advisor and internationally certified nutritional therapist. She works with 100+ families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table.

She is also mum to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.

Learn more about Judith here: https://theconfidenteater.com/about/

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