Need Help Trying to Get My 7 Yo to Eat More Foods

Hi A.,
You can go to www.nickjr.com and under recipes they have a section for picky eaters. Hope this helps.

C.

Your son is old enough to help plan, shop for and prepare meals. When children are included like this, they are more likely to try new things, as it becomes something that is not forced on them, but something they choose. Some children are especially afraid of not liking something, it's good to lessen the stress around trying new things by making it fun and not criticizing the child for not liking it the first time. I often tell the children I work with/my children that you have to try something at least 7 times before your brain actually makes a decision about whether it likes it or not.

I, too, would be very careful about too much processed food. Pizza is ok as long as the dough is fresh and there are vegetables (not the sauce) included somewhere in the meal, whether it's piled on the pizza or served as a salad (fruit or veggie) on the side. Try different dressings, too. But processed chicken nuggets,sausage and hot dogs should be eaten only rarely (like once a month at most). Best to make your own nuggets at home, but avoid the others except as a treat. You can make healthy french fries by slicing your own potatoes and baking them, add salt and non-stick spray. You can make most processed food on your own in your kitchen, and with less fat and cholesterol, less salt and with far better nutritional value. A good cream sauce goes a long way--add peas or tuna or sliced meat and serve over toast. Soup for breakfast! Eggs and toast with fruit for dinner! Like I said, make it fun.

Kids with ADD/ADHD often have sensory issues that make it difficult to tolerate certain textures, especially with the mouth. One book I found helpful is called Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, it covers many of these issues and offers great advice about how to deal with them. It's an easy read, too, easy to reference when you want to look something up later. Good luck.

*edited to fix the name of the book and add author.

ADHD can have alot to do with it, my son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5(he is now 13) and they put him on stimulants. If your son is on meds and any of them are stimulants, that could be why he doesn't eat alot. Stimulants cause their appetites to lessen and can make them get thin and be picky eaters. Stimulants do more harm than good with children with ADHD or any other mental or behavioral dissorder. I refuse to let them give my son stimulants(he does take other meds,just not stims.) & have not let them for years. Thank God we found a good doctor & found out that he acctualy does not have ADHD he was mis-diagnosed, just like thousands of other children in the world. Anyway, you may want to look into that. Ever since I stopped allowing my son to be on stimulants he has a much better eating habits and has gained weight, he is also sleeping better & isn't as irritated anymore. Otherwise if that isn't what the problem just try to prepare the meats & foods he won't eat in other ways and don't tell him what it is. Try to get him to taste it first, it works with my 5yr old. She will usually taste it if it smells and looks good & usually ends up liking it. She was very picky too, but now she will eat just about anything. Hope this helps & if you have any other questions about ADHD & dealing with it and Doctors let me know and feel free to ask anything. Also you may want to make sure that it is healthy foods, try not to give so much processed foods(He eats hot dogs, sausage(like breakfast sausage links), chicken nuggets, most any kind of pasta, pizza, breaded pork chops) because that can shy rocket his cholesterol, trust me I have been there with my son. He ate the same types of things and his cholesterol level was 235 at age 11/12, it has dropped 100 points since I don't allow that type of food anymore. People don't realize that kids that young can have high levels like that, but they can & it's dangerous. My son's doctor would rather him just eat peanut butter and eggs for protien rather than processed meats. Hope this helps, please don't think I am criticizing, I just have been there and know what you are going through and I want to help.

hello.... we've used a marble jar at dinner time with my kids. everytime they try something new they get a marble in the jar and once it filled they get a small prize. it really works with two of my kids but not the third. so its not full proof but maybe it will work with your son. good luck.

B.

my kids are picky eaters too and i usually tell them that if they don't eat what is put in front of them then they don't eat. Eventually they will get hungery enough that they will eat it or you could say you don't know if you like it if you don't try it. That is always what my mom said when i was growing up.

My daughter is not 7, but 15 months.....she was too a picky eater, and sometimes still is.....i have found that if I make something, and she doesnt eat it, she gets nothing else!Period!
I know that sounds harsh, but I am not starting a neew trend with her.I make her an assortment of foods, and I can tell you that if she doesnt eat it all, but she knows she gets nothing else!I always make up our meals every sunday for the week.Write it down, and prepare it.Example is being...

Brkfst: oatmeal and banana...or
Slice of toast with soy nut butter and yogurt or
Pancakes with apples in them, and jelly

Lunch: Meatballs, carrots, avacado dip , pasta..or
Soynut butter and jelly sandwich with pirate booty spinach and kale puffs and a slice of cheese.
Or, chicken chow mein(marinated chkn strips with veg, and chinese noodles....sugar snap peas, and low sodium soy sauce)
or Tuna melts

Dinner:Chicken corn fritters....or mini baked potatoes with cranberry and turkey and stuffing inside, top with cheese..
or...Instead of french fries, I love to make zucchini french fries.

There are so many books out there to lead you. It is very important with a child who suffers from ADHD to make his food lively and the presentation exciting.Spreads with crackers, and funny shape sandwiches.Whatever our childs eating habits, he will enjoy going to the grocery store with you, and love being in the kitchen helping you with cooking activities.
Wraps, pita pockets with tuna, salads, shakes, muffins, tacos, soups, sloppy joes, and mean i could go on and on.....just let him help you decide what he wants, but do not let him make the decision(cause we al know he will pick pizza, chkn nuggets and things that he loves).....I wouldnt buy them for a while....

Lunch:

I sometimes have problems with my 4 year olds to eat vegtables as well. but if he likes pasta just go buy lots of different pastas and sauces(ragu makes a lot of different ones and the cheezy ones work best for me) and just make different pasta meals and add a can of mixed vetables in it and most of the time I can get my sons to eat them that way. adhd can be a big problem with eating but best thing you can do is let him eat what he likes and see if you can find creative ways to help him learn new things. If i put new things on their plates our rule is you have to try one bite before you say you dont like it. and we also eat it as well to show them that mommy likes it how about you try it. sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt but it is worth a shot

Hi A.,
Truthfully, there's not much you can do. Just keep trying to get him to taste different foods, stay away from soda and juice with added sweenters. Eventually, little by little his menu will broaden as he gets older. You can't make him eat what he wont eat, so stop fretting about it.
My 23 year old daughter was the pickest eater I'd ever seen, but she survived. She's stil picky, but her menu has broadened with age and she's healthy.
I know it's hard, but there's really not much you can do except try to give him the healthist foods he will eat. Load him up with those fruits he likes. Remember the good Lord knew kids would be difficult eaters, and yes, he provided for that too.

I am a picky eater too. I know when I was pushed to eat things I know I don't like it makes it worse. I would encourage new foods but let him eats what you know he likes to.

Ahhhh, I am glad my kid isn't the only one on the pizza, hot dog and chicken nugget diet. Thankfully he is getting over that, and has expanded his menu quite a bit over the last year or so.

Honestly, my mom can get him to eat anything,...its wierd, when he goes to her house or one of his aunts, he will eat just about anything, as long as they or there kids are eating the same things. I tried making him eggs for breakfast a million times and he just wouldn't eat them, lo and behold, we stayed at my sisters overnight and the next day for breakfast he ate all his eggs for her. Maybe you could try someone else introducing food to him, at day care or your mom, or friend whatever. I think my son refused to eat alot of food cuz he would rather of had one of his favorites, and he knew I would give in, but when there is someone else giving it to them they are more inclined to try it.

Hope u have luck!

Good luck with this. Have you tried making sweet potatoes (lots of vitamins) or acorn squash or other types of high-vitamin types of foods? What about having him help with some small part of the preparation?