There are some truths about parenting that are just universal. One of those truths is that, no matter how much of a foodie a parent might be, almost every kid goes through some kind of picky eating phase. While that phase can be mercifully short and easy to navigate with some kids, other children are trickier (or just more stubborn). These kids require smart parents to try all manner of tips, tricks, and hacks to make sure their precious little one doesn’t try to live on a diet of dino nuggets and air.
Those of us who have dealt with picky eaters know that we’ll try just about anything, including turning to celeb foodies for advice. While we might not go as far as Hilary Duff, who recently revealed that she serves her picky 10-year-old caviar with potato chips as a snack, we’re open to some of these other amazing tips from some of our favorite celebs.
Honestly, even if they don’t work, we’ll still take some comfort from knowing that even the rich and famous still want to bang their heads against the wall when it comes to feeding their kids. Stars — sometimes they’re just like us after all! Read on for 15 practical and smart ideas, none of which require us to buy caviar.
David Burtka Gets Salty
David Burtka, a chef and the husband of Neil Patrick Harris, advocates for preventing pickiness by introducing kids to flavorful food early on. He suggests not only making homemade baby food for fresh flavors, but also not being afraid to add some salt. “You want your kids to be eating bold flavors as they’re growing up. You want to develop their palates because if you’re giving them bland food, all they’re going to want later in life is bland food,” he told Us Magazine in 2020. “At six months, kids can have a little bit of salt. People don’t know that salt brings out flavor. That’s super important to train your kids to eat better.”
Chrissy Teigen's Menu
We may think that everything Chrissy Teigen makes looks amazing, but it sounds like her daughter Luna went through one of those phases when it took a lot of extra work to get her to eat. (How do toddlers seem to live on air and the occasional Cheerio?). Her solution? Making a picture menu of all Luna’s favorite options.
Sarah Michelle Gellar's Kids Help Out
Sarah Michelle Gellar is all about including her kids in the process of choosing and cooking the food their family eats, which can help kids get more comfortable with a variety of foods. She told the Today show, “I’m not a restaurant. I believe in including my kids in the process. We went to the farmer’s market and they get to pick vegetables they eat over the weekend. I give them a list at the supermarket and ask them to get something. We have a rule in our house. You have to try something 10 times and two times more before you decide whether or not you like it.”
James Van Der Beek's Buffet Tip
Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek has a brood of six children, so the odds were good that he’d have some experience with a picky eater or two. He shared his tips for feeding kids with EatingWell magazine:
“About three kids ago, we stopped plating for each of the kids. We just put it on the table and we let them decide what they want, how much of it, and so it’s kind of on them to not go hungry. It’s how we survive. Some of them are pickier than others. But really, we’re big on just having to try things. Just try, you don’t have to eat all of it, but just try it. And if anybody is really picky, that’s the one I’ll single out to help make the next thing, because if a kid helps you make the meal, they’re way more likely to try it and to give it a chance.”
Jennifer Garner Encourages Grazing
Jennifer Garner loves food and feeding kids so much that she even started a baby food company. In 2011, she shared in an interview with Today’s Parent her super simple solution for getting kids to eat some veggies. “The other thing that I’ve been so into is keeping fresh vegetables out on the counter, cut up, while I cook. Because you know how everyone’s so hungry before dinner, so I like just having it out, no pressure. Eventually, the sugar snap peas and carrots and bell peppers … they go.”
Hilaria Baldwin Embraces the Grab & Go
Hilaria Baldwin has seven children and plenty of experience with picky eating. Although she also tries the method of exposing kids to new foods many times to get them used to it, she’s also revealed that she’s not above using a healthy chocolate chip and peanut butter meal bar as a way to get some quick calories into her kids on busy days.
Amy Poehler Lets Go
We really appreciate the insights about the root causes of picky eating that Amy Poehler pointed out in 2013. “Kids have such little control, and what they put into their bodies, what they eat, is a really good way for them to exercise control,” she explained. “So sometimes you have to just let them do their thing and trust that they’re going to be OK, and if they go to bed hungry they’re going to be OK.”
Matt Damon Starts Them Young
Matt Damon, who shares four daughters with wife Luciana, believes that the key to getting kids to eat veggies is to start them early and lean into their favorite choices. He told People that his girls are all big fans of broccoli and that the goal is “all about getting enough healthy food in front of them every three hours.”
Jennifer Lopez Hates Fruit, But Keeps It in the House
Part of helping to keep kids from getting too picky is also making sure that our pickiness doesn’t rub off on them. According to Jennifer Lopez’s personal chef, the singer/actress/dancer “is not a big fruit person” but “the kids love their fresh berries” so she keeps the fridge stocked with fruits of all kind.
Gwyneth Paltrow Strives for Balance
It would be easy to imagine that a single Oreo has never crossed Gwyneth Paltrow’s lips but, as she shared in an interview with Yahoo Beauty, she has a soft spot for the tasty cookies. While she generally sticks to a veggie- and whole foods-based diet for herself and her family, she recognizes that kids eat sugar. “That’s how it goes. So we have organic snacks and we have Oreos too,” she said. She’s also shared that she lets her kids have more freedom to eat things like Cheetos or cotton candy when they are in public so they find some balance.
Heidi Klum Isn't Above Bribery
Listen, we’ve all resorted to bribery at some point, including model mom Heidi Klum. In 2013, she made a resolution to drink more fresh juice and tried to get her kids on board as well. As she explained, “Some of my kids don’t love it, so I decided I would pay them a dollar if they finish their drink. All of the money goes into their piggy banks, and they have collected a bunch of money since January 1. What’s good for them is good for me too.”
Tom Colicchio Grows the Greens
Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio has three sons who he’s raised to love veggies like cherry tomatoes, which he claims they “eat like it’s popcorn.” Part of his success is having a robust backyard garden and a willingness to let kids find the veggies that work for them. In a 2009 interview with the New York Times, he revealed that one of his sons even has the same food aversions as he does.
“But at the same time, there are some flavors kids just don’t like,” he said. “For him, he’ll eat peas, but he doesn’t like broccoli. Green was always an issue. For a while he wouldn’t eat anything with chopped parsley. He still doesn’t eat raw tomatoes. But there are also things he loves that he probably wouldn’t if he hadn’t been exposed to them. For instance, he loves caviar.”
Sheryl Crow Gets Sneaky
Sheryl Crow is the mother of two sons (Wyatt, age 15, and Levi, age 12) who she’s raised largely out of the limelight in Nashville. She’s shared some details about their earlier years, however, including that she wasn’t above both bribery and some sneaky veggie hiding in dishes such as mac and cheese.
Jessica Seinfeld Wrote the Book on Sneaky Veggies
Jessica Seinfeld (wife of Jerry and a cookbook author) literally wrote a whole book about how to sneak healthy stuff into kids’ food to make sure picky eaters get in their veggies. Her book Deceptively Delicious was a New York Times bestseller in 2007 and is filled with ideas for kid-friendly meals with hidden veggies.
Giada De Laurentiis Adds Oil
Giada De Laurentiis, TV chef, and mom to 14-year-old-daughter Jade, shared a recipe for a yummy sheet pan dinner on an episode of the Rachael Ray Show that she claims even non-veggie fans will enjoy. The trick? Remembering to add some fat via olive oil and not being shy about adding some Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
