Now he doesn’t want to eat anything healthy: only cookies, candy or chips. I feel frustrated because I know that’s not good for him, but every time I try to give him something nutritious, he throws a tantrum or leaves it on his plate. I feel like I need to reorient his diet now, but I don’t even know where to start without it becoming a daily battle.
Ugh same!! My kid is the same right now. The holidays really threw off their eating habits and it’s like every meal is a negotiation now lol. I can’t even get them to look at a carrot, and don’t get me started on fruits! It’s exhausting. How do you even start without making it worse?
Omg, I feel you on the tantrums part! My kid is so picky too, it’s insane. I’ve tried to explain to them how important it is to eat well, but they just seem to care more about the sweets than any explanation I give. How do you even get them to understand? Did anyone else try those “food charts” or something similar to make eating healthy fun? I’m so lost on how to make this work.
My daughter was the same last year, I couldn’t get her to eat anything healthy after the holiday treats. We tried to introduce healthier snacks slowly, like mixing fruits into smoothies or making homemade granola bars with oats and some chocolate chips. The trick is to not make it a big deal, just put the food in front of them and let them choose. It’ll take time, but it gets easier. Hang in there!
It’s such a tough spot to be in. The sugar highs are real, and then they crash and act like they’re starving but only want junk. I’ve found that giving them a “no, junk day” every couple of days worked better than trying to fight it every meal. But yeah, the tantrums are brutal. I try to stay calm, but omg it’s hard not to get frustrated! Anyone else ever try those “sugar detoxes” with their kids? Did it help?
This is a struggle a lot of us face after the holidays. We’ve been through it too, and it feels like it’s non, stop sugar battles. Here’s what worked for me: I started by giving my kid healthier versions of the junk they loved. For example, instead of chips, I gave them air-popped popcorn or roasted veggies with a dip. But it had to be fun for them. You can even let them be part of the process, like picking veggies for a salad or helping make fruit popsicles. It takes patience, and a few days of constant offering, but little by little, they start to go for the healthier options. You just have to hold your ground, even when it feels like a battle you’re losing!
Yup, we went through this around the same age! My son was all about sweets and no veggies, and like you, every time I put something healthy in front of him, it was a tantrum. What worked for us was starting small, like just putting a few healthy items on his plate alongside the junk. If he didn’t eat the veggies or fruit right away, that was fine, but I kept offering it, just on a smaller scale at first. I also started using incentives, like letting him choose what fruit or veggie to try or offering a little treat after a meal with healthy food. It took a while, but we made progress!
This is definitely a huge struggle. My kid used to love veggies, and then suddenly just turned against them. It’s so frustrating to put time into a meal and have them not even touch it. We’re still trying to figure it out. Sometimes it feels like I’m fighting a losing battle, especially when they throw a fit over something as simple as broccoli. 
Does anyone else feel like their kids are becoming more stubborn as they get older? It’s like every little thing becomes a fight.
This post really hits home for me. My daughter went through the exact same phase. It felt like I was fighting a battle every day just to get her to eat something decent. What worked best for us was not drawing attention to it too much and just putting a variety of healthy options on the table. I also made small changes like letting her pick out a new fruit to try every week, and gradually phasing out the constant supply of junk. It was slow, but eventually, she got the hang of it. But man, the tantrums were no joke!
Okay, so here’s the deal: You don’t have to make it a huge battle! Try involving your kid in the meal prep. Let them pick out one or two healthy things at the grocery store. Then when you make the meal, let them help. My daughter was way more excited about trying new foods when she got involved in the process. If they’re involved in making something like a veggie pizza or smoothie, they’re more likely to eat it. Also, a little trick that worked for us: I’d do a “one bite rule” where they had to try at least one bite of something new. If they hated it, fine, but that one bite opened the door for more tries later.
Okay, so I’ve been through this with both of my kids (now 14 and 12). The key here is persistence without making it a power struggle. After the holidays, my kids were in sugar overload too, but I set clear boundaries about when junk food was available. We started meal prepping together on Sundays, and they’d choose what snacks they wanted for the week. It’s really important to have the healthy options available at all times, so there’s no excuse to go straight to the cookies. And I made sure the healthy options were just as fun as the sweets. If I could survive their snack wars, you can too! Just keep offering options and don’t back down! It will get easier!