Please tell me that my child will eventually eat some variety!

[Housemum]

I have 3 DDs, but the 3rd is a fussy eater. No idea why, DH and I have wracked our brains but can think of nothing we have done differently. Weaning was a mix of home cooked and commercial baby food, as were the other two (DD1 probably had the most convenience food, gradually got more used to cooking by DDs 2 and 3). She has never had a huge appetite but she now eats very little and hardly any variety.

Typical day:

Breakfast - the good meal! Cereal, possibly toast as well, fruit juice.

Mid morning - piece of fruit

lunch - if lucky she may eat a quarter of a sandwich. Used to eat ham sandwiches no problem, now would prefer chocolate spread or nothing.

Afternoon - may eat a piece of fruit. Crisps if she can find them.

Dinner - only really likes sausages or roast. Just the meat - doesn't like veg/potatoes (might eat chips) If it's anything else she might take one bite or will eat nothing.

We all eat together, there are no separate kids' meals unless we have a rare night out, so it's not as if she doesn't see us all tucking in.

Have you had a picky eater like this and how/when did they change?

[ppeatfruit]

Yes it will change my DD1 was very fussy at 1 to 2 and we just 'went along with it' she started eating normally at about 4 or 5 and now has to be on a slimming diet!

[ppeatfruit]

I will add that she's 30 now! It's just wanting to show their independence IMO not a problem esp. if you ignore it.

[Cakesandale]

I agree, it's their way of trying to exert control. My dd used to pick bits out and say they were 'horrid' and it was all to wind me up. She is 7 now and much better, but still likes to give me a critique of each mouthful.

The key is not to offer alternatives, and not to look bothered whether they eat or not.

To be honest, looking at your dd's typical day's intake, there is something from each major food group and so it is not as bad as you may think, even if the quantities in themselves are a bit meagre.

[Housemum]

Thanks - bizarrely she doesn't mind vitamin syrup so if I remember i give her some of that. I've also given her the formula that comes in cartons (the toddler milk) as a bit of an iron boost occasionally.

Luckily she's not whiney about mealtimes, I guess because I haven't made a fuss, so she will at least come and sit at the table even if it is only to refuse the food. Oh, well, I live in hope that curiosity will get the better of her some day... Anyone else have any picky eater tales to share?

[ppeatfruit]

When my DD1 'the used to be fussy eater' was 9 she made a special fruity face for DS1 who was 2 and not into fruit then but he loved it and ate it!

[runtus]

My DD is a nightmare with food. Ate like a horse whilst weaning (twice as much as my DS) but now would happily live on 1 peperami and 1 dairylea dunker a day.

I have tried (and failed) with every tactic to get her to eat. I threatened to and then ate her advent calendar chocolate yesterday.......she just shrugged her shoulders and walked off. The child has a will of iron and no amount of badgering, naughty chair, sending to her room, bribing or blackmail has any affect. I have done the much lauded "give no alternative" on a number of occasions but the only result is that she starves herself to the point of not eating ANYTHING. And I really do mean nothing - she ate nothing for 3 days the last time and she was so weak she couldn't get out of bed..

All I can do is ignoer it and hope it comes good in the end. Hasn't worked for the last year and a half but I have nothing left in my repertoire to try!

[5GoldenFimbos]

My ds is 7 and a poor eater whereas I have a 12 year old dd who eats me out of house and home. Both brought up exactly the same way with regard to food. Ds lives on mainly plain pasta, cheese, carrots, white bread, rice, water and milk. Although he is better at breakfast and will eat weetabix.