My son does not eat alot. Everytime we eat no matter what it is he says he doesnt like it. Sometimes he gets sick from not eating. I have to keep orange juice aroung or his sugar level gets low. I asked the doctor if we should give him pediasure she doesnt seem 2 think he needs it.
Added he is tall but he is under weight for his height. His sugar level appear to be low in the morning he has all the signs thats when i have him drink orange juice and he feels better. He is also not snacking alot.
T.,
I have a shake for kids that is excellent and it provides and the vitamins and minerals they need to be healthy. Maybe try this so atleast you know he is getting what he needs to be healthy and he thinks it is not healthy.
www.dadazzleinnutrition.com
Pediasure is not that tasty. I know you are worried! I would be! Try boost with protein. When I had chemo I drank that and it had all of the things I needed. It is really good ~ does not have the protein drink taste to it. It is plenty of calories and can be taken on the go especially if you are out and you know he will not eat!
Good luck! I am not normally a picky eater, but with all of the chemicals, I was and boost really was ALL I would stomache! Oh yeah one other thing! Have you ever had jamba juice? I am not sure where you live, but there is one close to Hulen Mall! They make smoothies and can add all sorts of good stuff in them for your son. My 2 year old LOVES them and I can get her vitamins in there while I am at it!
Hi T., Is he on ADD medication or anything like that? I know from experience that can cause the kids to not have an appetite. My son is not a big eater I make sure his meals really count and I give him Ensure with protein with breakfast. (the generic protein drinks are nasty) I also make sure we are eating on a schedule. What I noticed happening is he would ask for food and be hungry and by the time the meal was finished cooking he said he wasnt hungry anymore. His appetite would go away. I do understand this because it happens to me when I go to long in between meals. So I make sure we eat as close to the same time everyday as possible he has gained 2 pounds with all of this which isnt alot in comparison but for him it is. I would also have him make a list of what he likes in healthy foods and just feed him that while having a "new side" for him to try. I think I might also press my pediatrician to look into it somemore with his sugar levels....good luck!!
I love the smoothie idea, you can even make them at home for him. Try the website www.foodnetwork.com or cooking.com., even google smoothie recipes to see what comes up. I think I would ask the doctor what tests can be run to see if something else is going on and even check www.webmd.com for a second opinion. :-)
Just a thought... I finally took my 3yo to the doc for reflux and she started him on Prevacid. He is definitely eating better since starting it- has gained at least 2 lbs in 3 weeks. I've heard that people can have reflux disease without the vomiting or anything that usually goes along with it. I know I have had it and it just feels like something is trying to come up out of my stomach, but I don't hurl or anything- I just don't want to eat. You may take him to a GI doctor to have him checked out. Figured I'd just put that out there. He may not recognize the feeling of reflux and not realize why he doesn't want to eat.
I have a son who just turned 8yrs last week. He is finicky enough that he has been on iv nutrition in the past. We found occupational and feeding therapies to be very effective. I recommend looking into information on sensory diets and asking your pediatrician for a referral to a qualified OT and Feeding specialists - these are quite different from dietitian; you know what to feed not how to get him to eat! One quick tip we learned is to show our son the food before it is served and discuss how it looks, what it feels like - yes let him play with it- smells like etc. He probably wont embrace the food immediately, but with time this practice does work. Our son will at least try anything without a sauce now and eat most things without getting sick and eats well enough that he hasn't been sick from lack of intake in over six months.
This may not be the case for you, but I will share what I have learned. My almost 4 year old likes "snacks". If she has too much between meals, she won't eat lunch or dinner. I have learned not to give her any snacks within 2-3 hours of dinner, if I want her to eat with us. And I try to make the snacks healthy.
Because of her small appetites and the fact that she can be picky, it's difficult to get all the food groups of a balanced diet in her every day. So I try to give her a balanced diet of foods over the course of a week.
And as an additional tip: my son is almost 1 and not eating baby-food anymore, so I have been using the leftover puree in other foods (my husband can't even tell!) carrots in mac & cheese, mixed green veggie puree and sweet potatoes in sloppy joe
I hope you get the advice you need.
You don't mention if he is growing normally and height/weight are proportionate and on target for his age. Do you actually know his blood sugar is low, or just think that it is??
Kids go through growth spurts and in times of "stable growth" where they are not growing much, their metabolic demands are less, and it seems like they don't eat at all at times.
Is he eating foods you are not aware of?? Frequent snacking?? I would do a food log for a week - most kids eat a balanced diet over the course of a week not a day.
If he is growing, not underweight, and his blood sugar is stable - it will pass.
IF he is physically ill and has blood sugar issues, your doctor is being irresponsible by telling you he doesn't need at least a supplement like pediasure (which is nasty) - He may have more going on.
I like the idea of having him help plan menus and cook.
As long as he is not underweight, etc I would not worry about it. My 5 yr old daughter has been "not eating" most of her toddler years but has finally liking chicken nuggets of all things...at least she is eating meat now. Our physician said that she is at a good weight and height for her age so we should not pressure her into eating.
On that note, I just purchased "The Sneaky Chef" book so that I can get those veggies into my kids without the fighting or waste of food. My daughter loves mac n cheese so I can use carrots, squash, etc in a puree to mix in with the sauce. You may want to look into that book as well. I mean the book shows you how to make brownies with spinach and blueberries in them!! It cost about $18.00 and is a lot cheaper than Jerry Seinfield's wife's book which "copied" the concept of the "Sneaky Chef". Seinfield's in about $25.00.
Good luck and don't worry.
J. S.
Hi T.,
I have a 2yo who is a very choosy eater. She smells everything before she tries it. If it doesn't smell appealing she will refuse to eat and requests something she likes. Well at first, I was a short order cook, but I had to stop and I'm glad I did.
Over the last past few weeks, she has been helping me cook. She stands on her step stool and gets food out of the fridge and other little things I know she can do on her own. She loves preparing meals with me and she now eats more especially if she helped. This has really boost her eating!
Maybe your son can help you cook and also ask him what he would like to eat. That way he will take ownership in choosing his meals as long as they are healthy options. I think cooking together or as a family will get that appetite on the right track!
Good luck
