🥦 PickyPlanItPlan my week →

My kid only eats crackers. Now what?

If crackers is one of your child's few safe foods, that's a great place to start. Kids who love crackers usually like a dry, salty crunch that's the same every single time. This food chain keeps those qualities and changes just one thing at each step, so every new food feels like a close cousin of something they already trust.

The crackers food chain

  1. ✓
    Start: Their usual crackers
    The safe food, served exactly how they like it.
  2. 1
    Step 1: Same crackers, new shape or brand
    A small change in look while the crunch stays the same.
  3. 2
    Step 2: Whole-grain crackers
    A slightly nuttier flavor and heartier crunch.
  4. 3
    Step 3: Crackers with a thin smear of cream cheese
    One mild, creamy topping on a familiar base.
  5. 4
    Step 4: Cracker stacks with cheese and cucumber
    Build-your-own stacks with a new crunchy vegetable.
💡 Tip: Make building part of the fun. Kids who assemble their own stacks are more likely to try what's on top.

How to use this chain

  • Serve the next step alongside their usual crackers, never instead of it.
  • Start with a single bite-sized piece. Seeing it on the plate is progress too.
  • Stay on a step for as long as it takes. It's common to need 8 to 15 tries.
  • Skip the pressure and the bribes. Let them touch, smell or lick the new food without having to eat it.
  • Once a step is easy, it becomes a new safe food you can chain from.

Plan a whole week around crackers

PickyPlanIt builds a free 7-day family meal plan around your kids' safe foods, with personalized food chains, stealth-nutrition tips and plating notes.

Build my free plan →

More food chains and free picky-eater meal plans: pickyplanit.com/food-chains

More food chains

chicken nuggets · plain pasta · mac and cheese · cheese pizza · grilled cheese · french fries · pancakes · yogurt · apple slices · hot dogs · fish sticks

PickyPlanIt offers general information for everyday picky eating, not medical advice. If your child has a very limited diet, gags or vomits when eating, or isn't growing as expected, talk to your pediatrician about a feeding evaluation.