Pregnancy & Parenting

My four year old has a fear of "real" food. All he eats is tyson chicken nuggets, oatmeal, pizza and cereal. He throws a fit if I just put the real food on his plate. When I make him just try a tiny little peice, he puts it in his mouth and then gags until he throws up. I don't want to make food an issue but I can't take this anymore. I am tired of cooking for them, and then for us. What do I do? Any advice would be appreciated.

I am a mother of 2 and a daycare provider for 8 - 4 and  under...

This sounds stupid, but give them little bits of something new.  Something that youu  are eating... then tell him NOT to eat it. In a silly voice.. tell him it is yours, and he "better not eat it all"....

I have YET to have this NOT work... .

Putting veggies in his food and hiding them is not getting him to eat real foods.

If he does not know they are there, then it is not really solving your problem !

i also started giving him 3 options for dinner, usually 3 things i know he loves and is good for him. (say peas carrots and apples) he picks one and i say how about *apples* and (whatever i want him to eat). He invariabley says ok, and wont complain about it on his plate and will most of the time eat it. I also try to keep things in similar shapes when i can. Alot of times even foods he likes if it isnt in the right shape he doesnt recognize it. But i can cut things he hasnt tried into the shape of something he loves and he might try it.

He also LOVES spaghetti squash! He thinks its spaghetti and will eat a ton of it! I tried to tell him its squash, but he insists its not lol.