Do you think girls are better eaters and less picky than boys?

[ssd]

I know this is really sexist and I have 2 boys and no girls to compare with. It's just that I childmind and all the little girls eat everything put down to them and the boys fuss unless its chicken nuggets.

Most of my friends have girls and they seem to eat lots of fruit, veg, healthy stuff, but I find my 2 moan if it's not chips/chicken nuggets/ pizza eg. crap I hardly give them.

It's a constant fight with boys, are girls any better?

[MrsSpoon]

I've got two boys and one is a fantastic eater (will try anything, likes olives, mushrooms, brocolli, things you don't expect a child to like) and the other, the youngest, is a not too bad an eater but definately more cautious/suspicious than my older boy when it comes to food.

[colditz]

Sorry SSD but my experience is exactly the opposite!

All the little boys I know stuff food like it's going out of fashion, and the little girls whine, pick, and pretend their potatoes are ponies and Barbie princesses!

I think it's just the kids I know, TBH.

[Feistybird]

My own DDs are good eaters (but like Mrs Spoon, the second one is more cautious) however my DN is the best eater I know.

[Miaou]

Mine too colditz - I have two girls who will eat what they are given because they are not given any choice , but if left to their own devices they would have enormous long lists of what they would/wouldn't eat. All their female friends are the same too - very picky eaters. Ds, however, although he is only 7 months, already eats better than both dds - I never realised weaning could be fun and pleasure until I had him!!!

Just for the sake of balance - the worst eater I ever came across was a boy - however I put the blame for his eating habits squarely at the feet of his parents

[colditz]

God yes, those parents who say "Oh he doesn't like porridge for breakfast so we give him chocolate mousses instead"

Then in the very next breath moan that his behavior is shocking every morning!

[wannaBe1974]

yep same here - my DS eats fruit, vegetables, actually asks for vegetables for dinner. I, on the other hand, ate very little when I was a child, and apparently went through a stage of eating nothing but dried shreddies. I blame my mother, lol

[tortoiseshell]

On a sample of 2, my ds has a crap diet, my dd eats brilliantly. Not a big enough survey to draw any conclusions though!

[gibberish]

My girls are the same as miaou's. Doesn't matter what I cook, it is guaranteed one of them won't like it. They don't get given anything else though. Fortunately they eat very well and enjoy loads of fruit and veg.

[Hallgerda]

My three boys are all good eaters. Very few of their friends are, however.

[xxxviii]

Boys are much more open to different foods & less fussy than girls, ime.

[fisil]

at mealtimes ds2 shovels everything down his throat like it's the last meal he'll ever get. Ds2 pushes food around his plate and moans about what he doesn't like. Both brought up the same - never any alternatives offered, only get pudding if you make an effort with first course.

[fisil]

erm, it's ds1 who pushes the food around!

[NannyL]

i think fussy eaters are evenly split between girls and boys...

i think the parents attitude is more likely to determine who is fussy and who is not!

Tho i do accept some people on here who treat their childnre the same have one fussy and one not!

I think children who know they can eat the food given to them or go hungry (and genuinely then get NOTHING else are much more likely to be good eaters!)

[tallulah]

I had 3 fussy eaters (DD, DS1 and DS3) and one (DS2) who would eat anything. It wasn't anything we did- they were just like that.

My niece has always been really fussy (but her parents pander to her... )

[Hulababy]

No idea if there is a link. My DD (nearly 4) eats really wella nd always has. We heavn't done anything particularly special to make this the case, just fed her. And she ate..and ate....

[BettySpaghetti]

DS would eat from the second he gets up until the second he goes to bed given half a chance. Not at all fussy ( if it stays still long enough he'll eat it )

DD is a slow eater who gets easily distracted and will mess about with her food much to our annoyance.

However both of them will generally try most things and like a wide range of foods. They also both love fruit and veg. so we should count ourselves lucky I suppose!

[ghosty]

DS - fab eater, always ready to try new things, loves his veg ..
DD - hopeless ... would live on sausages if I let her.

[paolosgirl]

Not in this house! DS will eat anything as long as it's not breathing (and even then...), and DD sits and picks and everything, and then announces that she doesn't like X now .

[GDG]

Don't think so - I know a couple of mums at school have talked about their daughters who are nightmare eaters. My boys are quite fussy but do eat a good amount of food. Struggled with ds1 from about 2-4 but he's much better since he started school actually.