My daughter just about 5 has become a terrible eater. She used to eat pretty much everything and now it's come down to Grilled Cheese, Chicken, Hot Dog (which i don't even like to give her but of course I do), Pizza, Pancakes, Sausage, Raw Carrots and Green Beans, Peanut Butter Toast or Sandwich, Pineapple (sometimes),Banana (sometimes) Yogurt (sometimes). Crackers, It's driving me crazy! Some of the stuff she likes she doesn't even want at times which is probably because that's all she eats most of the time. I will require her to try other things but that doesn't seem to help either. She is on alot of meds so I need her to have food in her stomach. Her meds are the same as they have always been so it shouldn't be that something she's taking is changing her tastes.... Any Ideas?
It will pass. My daughter went through the same thing. As long as she's eating, try not to worry. I have the rule in my house that my kids have to at least try everything. If they don't like it then fine, they don't have to eat it but they must taste everything at least once. Good luck! :)
My experience is to make them try a few bites of everything and to make sure what they are actually going to eat is as healthy as it can be. Ex. make the grilled cheese with whole wheat bread and real cheese (not velveeta), Pancakes can be whole wheat with a little honey or fruit on top, Pizza can be thin crust and try to sneak in veggies on it under the cheese. Kids go thru food phases sometimes especially if its a time when she is not growing she might not need to eat very much.
That would be me as a child, although I was not on medication. My parents wouldn't let me get up from the table until I ate my dinner...or at least ate as much as they made me. I would sit there for hours. I laugh about it now. I'm still a little picky, but as I get older my taste buds have changed quite a bit. My variety has widened. I don't know if this helps at all, but just know she's not alone. :-)
Good Luck!
Hi P.,
I have a 9yo that is overly picky as well, so I can relate to the frustration of getting your child to eat well. You know, your child may be picky, but the foods she's eating are relatively healthy (my son won't ingest a veggie to save his soul!!). Try not to put too much emphasis on what she isn't eating...and just roll with it. As long as she is healthy, growing, active and able to excell at things...I wouldn't worry to much. Your stress over what she eats isnt' going to help or change anything. Get her on a good multi-vite and let her go. I include an Ensure in my kids lunch everyday....an added peace of mind for me and one of the few things he actully likes! You can continue to offer her new foods...but let her know the choice is hers. Don't ever stop offering(but never push)...as one day she may just surprise you and try something new. Very possible this could be a control issue....so by putting her "in control" of what she chooses to eat could certainly work in your favor. In the meantime....try to relax a little...and good luck!
Do not indulge this habit! You need to require her to eat what the family has on the table, NO EXCEPTIONS. This will only get worse and she knows she can manipulate you because you're worried about her taking her medicine. Nip it in the bud. My family was famous for setting timers for us to finish our food at the table. If it went off and we weren't done we got spanked and then ate it. I don't think you have to be that extreme, but she needs to eat what's on the table and you need to insist that she does it so she can have her medication. You're the Mommy and you need to parent her so she has healthy eating habits as an adult.
People in poor countries don't have this problem with their kids, they're happy to get food period. We indulge this stuff because we have more then we need and lots of variety. There is nothing wrong with favorite foods, but people need to eat large varieties of foods to be healthy.
Good luck, I know this will be tough, but you need to deal with it now before its worse! Best wishes!
Hi P.---I agree with the other moms who say to just keep trying. It can take up to 10 or more tries before a food becomes accepted. A big part of what is going on is that she is learning to exert control over her surroundings, and putting food into her mouth is one of the few things she actually has control over. Try not to make a fuss, as they pick up on that and use it against us. I don't know how they learn that but they are so smart.
You do have to make sure that what you do offer her is of the highest quality nutritionally. Hot dogs offer NO nutrition whatsoever. They are just fat and calories and nitrates are a known cause of colon cancer. Please, if you must serve hot dogs, spend a little extra $ and get her organic and/or nitrate free varieties. Trader Joes and Whole Foods carry several varieties and they really aren't that expensive.
I am taking a distance Wellness class and I have lots of info I can share with you. Too much to share here, but I have recipes, grocery lists, etc. I get to work with Dr. William Sears, a Harvard trained pediatrician and can share a great DVD about how to have a healthy, happy family. FYI, his son, Dr. Jim, is on the Doctors TV show in the mornings. They do have advice on their website for picky eaters, www.askdrsears.com. It is possible to reshape her tastes.
If you are concerned about her nutrient intake, and I would be if she is on serveral medicines, I recommend a whole food supplement called Juice Plus+. Dr. Sears does also. It is 17 different fruits, veggies and grains, juiced and then dehydrated and put into capsules, chewables and gummies. It is great and would be a HUGE benefit to your entire family. What sold me is that research shows it capable of repairing and protecting DNA. It's going to reduce my risk of colon cancer. Taking care of our DNA is anti-aging at it's best.
I'd be happy to help in any way that I can. Give me a call. I look forward to it. In health, D.
###-###-#### www.dianeshelathed.com
That's quite a few foods for a child this age - especially one who's picky & strong-willed! She's smart and that's part of the problem. I'd stop arguing over food. Give her a vitamin if you're concerned. Let her be more in control of her food choices or this is going to be a very long, drawn out battle. A lot of kids do this stuff. Some only eat a couple of foods over and over. Don't worry. Relax and enjoy your smart daughter. My worst one is a doctor now and has 5 kids of her own and is on Weight Watchers to control her weight! You're making more work for yourself than you need to. Lighten up - that may sound flippant but I've been there, and that's my advice!
God bless!!
Sounds pretty normal, but a pain! I agree with making those things healthy. If you can't let her tough it out with serving her what everyone else is eating, have 1 alternative always available. My mom always had PB&J if someone didn't like what she served, but we had to make it ourselves, even at 5. She could easily be indulging herself in the attention since she has to have food for meds, and knows you're concerned. As much as you can give her the responsibility for her own health the better. All my kids got very narrow tastes at around that age. I'd say, "Well, you're still pretty young. People start to like other foods when they get more grown up". Since all 3 wanted nothing more than to be grown up, it planted the seed. Now they all even like onions! Never thought I'd see it. They're 10, 12 and 14.
No worries! All little ones go through picky stages. Sounds like you are offering good things, though I would get some organic hot dogs without all the bad things in them. As long as what you are offering is good for her and she eats it, what's the trouble? It all sounds like "kid food" to me. I used to sneak V-8 into spaghetti, make milkshakes with bananas and eggs in them, a cup of frozen peas is a great non-messy snack that is fun, peanut butter on celery with raisins.."ants on a stick", muffins with all "good" ingredients could be disguised as a "cupcake". Relax...if you make too big of a deal about it, it could turn into and control issue. She'll be fine!
I so hear you Patrica! My 5yo has always been a picky eater, as a baby. Mine has a texture thing and won't try anything with a visual texture like rice. So all her foods need to be smooth. She won't eat veggies at all, she actually gags and vomits, and you can tell by watching her it's not on purpose. So all she'll eating for dinner right now is chicken and apple sauce.
I make a smoothie with
1/2 organic spinach
2 c water blend smooth
slowly add
1 c frozen blueberries
8 frozen organic strawberries
1 banana
add more water if needed. The berries make it a purple color instead of green :) And I get my family to take in more fruit & veg this way.
Good luck! A. H
P.,
It just sounds like she's going through a picky stage and I think all kids go through that. I have a child who will only eat salads and candy (kind of an oxymoron). But he had moved on from another stage, so I think it is quite normal!!
I'm not sure about phases at this age, as my children are so much younger at 3 years of age; but I have to say, it's great to hear that she will eat such a variety! There's a lot of protein in there and veggies... I know that it means you're making her peanut butter toast every day, but at least she eats it. My girls also are very picky. I try to provide a variety every day (even though they don't eat it, they see it and smell it and see me eat it). I try to give 1 favorite with every meal so I'm guaranteed they'll eat something, and then offer 2-3 other choices.
