Chrissy Teigen always strikes me as the type of person who’s on a never ending quest to be that cool, hot girl who could also be your friend. Y’all know the type. She watches the same Bravo reality TV shows as you do, but while talking about an episode, slips in that she only wears $10,000 shoes. Anyway, Chrissy’s extreme online presence tends to get her into trouble and as a result, she has a habit of sticking her foot in her mouth. This month’s “Chrissy Controversy” (copyright: me) involves her second child, five-year-old Miles.
While promoting her new Freeform show, Chrissy & Dave Dine Out, Chrissy shared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that while her eldest daughter Luna is a great eater, Miles, on the other hand, has never eaten a vegetable. Honestly, on the Chrissy scale of One to Oblivious, it was a pretty tame, throwaway answer to Jimmy’s question about whether or not her kids were good eaters. Kimmel and her co-host Dave Chang chimed in to say that their kids do not like eating their veggies either. In the ensuing online brouhaha that followed, Chrissy first made sure we know that she doesn’t read the comments, thankyouverymuch and then tried to explain that Miles’ vegetable situation was more nuanced than she originally made it out to be.
f you weren’t aware, Chrissy recently revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that her 5-year-old son Miles “still not had a vegetable”
She responded to the ensuing media storm while promoting her new Freeform show Chrissy & Dave Dine Out at the Sundance Film Festival.
“I saw People magazine had posted it and the headline was just ‘Chrissy Teigen’s son has never had a vegetable’ and then I saw there were 700 comments under it and I was like, ‘I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to do this to myself. Put it down,’” she told Deadline on Sunday (January 21).
“Everyone thinks they have an answer for everything, but there’s just so much nuance to this situation,” she added. “It’s a struggle with him, but it’s also not such a struggle because he really is such a good kid.”
Chrissy elaborated further, stating that Miles doesn’t enjoy change, and this characteristic is typical of many kids.
“Obviously there are lots of details, it’s not just that he hasn’t eaten a vegetable. Anyone who has kids knows that that’s their only way of really having power,” she said. “I was just saying in the car on the way here, it’s not just vegetables. I can be begging him to try a root beer float and he will not try it. He doesn’t do new things very well. He’s very hard-headed, stuck in his ways with food. It’s chicken tendies every night, pizza, and spaghetti, but we’re talking candy, it’s everything!”
I totally get that kids are fussy and stuck in their ways when it comes to trying new foods. I have elementary school-aged kids, of course I relate to this. I also totally get kids using food as a way to have power. That struggle is real. My younger son is the same age as Miles and he doesn’t like pizza or chicken nuggets, so on nights when we are trying to do something quick and easy, we still end up making him his own separate meal. Why? Because the alternative is him waking us up at 5:30 a.m., complaining that he’s hungry. I’ve also read posts on Mom-related Facebook groups from desperate mothers who couldn’t get their kid to eat anything that wasn’t a chicken nugget. So yeah, Miles’ food habits are totally normal. I guess my question is, though, why weren’t vegetables a part of his diet already? It’s wild that they were never introduced in some form already. I get my kids to eat veggies by air frying them with the Kinder’s salt/pepper/garlic blend. Seriously, that seasoning has been a godsend when it comes to getting them to eat.
Chrissy cooks a LOT. So I have no doubt that she is sneaking veggies into his food without his knowledge. I took what she said to mean that he will not willingly eat veggies if they are placed in front of him. I don’t have kids but I have so many friends whose kids won’t eat veggies either. And so they do things like mix them secretly into things. And I know there are tons of kiddie snacks that are “secretly vegetable” on the market as well. I get why people dislike Chrissy but I feel like this is just a silly thing to bash her over. Especially since it’s such a common issue with kids that a lot of parents struggle with.
Also- I know grown a$$ adults who still refuse to eat veggies. Leave this child alone.
Yes! I was like that as a kid too, but eventually as I got older I figured it out. Until then my grandma did her best to sneak veggies into my food (and Flinstone vitamins a treat! I swear to this day I still feel like they’re candy ha ha) so that I got something at least.
Yeah, that was my take on things too. Like, maybe Miles won’t eat carrot sticks, but will have spaghetti and tomato sauce (with the veggies blended in).
My brother didn’t want to eat veggies when we were kids, and has live to tell the tale and we’re in our 50s and still gives a side eye to vegetables.There are other ways to get those vitamins and Karens and sanctimonious parents need to just take a seat.
He’s 5?? I think he’s going to be okay. There are so many reasons for how kids eat – it can be a sensory issue, a texture issue, a taste issue.
My one son loves steamed brocooli but thats kind of it for vegetables. My other one asks why we dont have more vegetables and will just eat them straight out of the fridge. His favorite food is cauliflower soup. Overall mine are both pretty good eaters but i think thats just luck.
sometimes kids are just kids and just want chicken nuggets. Maybe that’s all he’ll eat as he grows up, and maybe his taste buds will change.
My kids… the only veggies they had were ketchup and mcdonalds fries. Kids are like that. No shade for chrissy. Im sure they had tons of opportunities to eat vegetables, but just said nah
I’m almost 60yrs old and I hate most fruit. I’ll eat any and all vegetables though. It is what it is, leave her and the child alone when it comes to this.
I assume “never eaten a vegetable” is hyperbole. I had kids who were great eaters until around 5/6. Suddenly food they ate for years was a no go. I have one who refuses to eat mashed potatoes and gravy. That’s not even a veggie!
And I’m seeing the pendulum swing back for my older kids/teens. We have quite a few sensory issues with food and I’m surprised by how common that is. Little Miles will be fine and this brouhaha is ridiculous—and I love to find fault with Chrissy Teigen.
Meh he’s 5 he’ll be fine. I had 2 picky eaters my oldest with ADHD hates certain textured foods. My youngest has AUDHD and many many food allergies some are anaphylactic and my husband and I both have many food allergies as well. They are mostly to veggies and fruits so it makes eating very difficult. We are fine my son’s are both healthy no issues there at all.
My grandson is “neuro-spicy” (nonverbal and autistic) and only eats chicken nuggets and potato chips. I sat through many food therapy sessions with him trying to “chain” new foods. It didn’t work. So we adjusted.
But what I hate, really seriously hate, is when people judge my daughter because my grandson won’t eat what they think is appropriate.
agreed. thank you. (clapping hands).
People need to learn to mind their own beeswax: You do you, and we’ll all do us.
Thank you!!! My six year old is autistic and his “food groups” are chicken nuggets, hamburger, pretzels, veggie straws,fries, applesauce, milk, and bananas. We often present him with new things but he likes his routines and has a lot of texture aversions. His therapists and pediatrician aren’t fussed and he seems healthy. I hate it when people side-eye us, as we really do try to expand his list of acceptable foods and work hard to create positive experiences at mealtimes.
My advice to people with picky eaters is to not change the way you cook. If you start only feeding them “kid food” that’s all they’ll end up expecting and eating all the time. My daughter went through some phases like she didn’t like onions, so I just told her to push them to the side until the day she just stopped doing that. She had a lot of sensory issues too mostly about texture where lots of raw veggies were fine but the cooked versions were not.
I think keep proposing them the healthy stuff and show them that you enjoy them too. At 12 my daughter eats everything and is even a great budding cook herself.
I understand though that that’s not always possible
As an anxious mom of a picky toddler, no judgement here. I do offer veggies every meal. That’s what the pediatrician told me to do whether she decides to eat them or not. We went through a horrible, horrible 7 week phase where she refused to eat anything at all at home (she ate at daycare). Little kids are so weird with their eating habits. It’s so hard. Period. If you have an adventurous or even a normal eater, I envy you.
I know people don’t like Chrissy, but many kids are exactly like this about vegetables/other foods that they “should” eat. One of mine was (and still is, at 26!) super picky and any hint that something is healthy is an instant turn off. 🤷🏻♀️ FWIW all three of her siblings are great eaters.
I had a friend who’s son went through a phase where he only wanted to eat ketchup. Kids are weird.