Another trick you can do it put her portions on an adult-sized plate. She might enjoy eating off a Big Girl Plate, and the portion might seem smaller by comparison. Also, when they’re younger, it’s the “Eat one more bite” method, followed by “Oops, just one more” and “Can you eat just one more?” That gets a few more nutrients into them.
One thing I don’t do is insist my children eat food I know they loathe. My mother forced me to eat broccoli and cauliflower (I can only eat them raw now, cooked, never) and I would be near vomiting by the time I was done.
Once they hit a certain age, if they don’t like beans (my son) then I don’t make him eat them.
my kids do the food amnesia thing as well. My seven year old recently declared that she didn’t like spagetti sauce. The sauce she had been eating for six of her seven years of life. (the first year being spent drinking formula and eating mashed squash products.) This is not allowed. I must have at least one meal that all my children will eat or I will go stark staring mad.
We actually have a rule at my home: No one is allowed to stop liking food. You can not like food the first time you eat it, but once you declare it edible, it is edible forever and ever, amen.
This rule was created for a reason. They don’t follow it though. I’m halfway to crazy. I’m hoping to still have shred of sanity left by the time the last one graduates from high school. I don’t have a lot of hope, just the shred that keeps me cooking the next meal.
The food rule I grew up with, and that I applied to my children, was: If you’re served a food by someone else, you only have to take one bit. If you serve yourself, though? You have to eat it all. It definitely helps avoid situations where kids are forced to choke down large quantities of things they hate.
For all you parents who think your children may grow out of it, though? Just so you know: When Young Tiger was in high school, he had a bad habit of leaving dishes sitting around in his room with food remnants festering in them. I could always tell by counting the spoons, since that seemed to be the only implement he’d use regularly. So I made a new rule: No eating in your room.
However, shortly thereafter, dishes and silverware again started disappearing. So I decided a search of his room for them was in order. Nope, nothing in plain sight. Where could they be?
So I started randomly opening things. And what did I find? He’d taken about eight bowls and plates glasses and assorted accompanying silverware and stuffed them into one of his dresser drawers. Mind you, he was at least 16 years old at the time!
To this day he still turns pale when you mention it to him. I think it’ll be another ten years before he can point and laugh at himself about it the way the rest of the family does. 