My daughter only eats pizza. AMA

[IThinkILikeThisLittleLight]

She has ARFID

Posting to give some insight into what life with ARFID is like

What toppings?

Even for breakfast?

Pepperoni

No, pizza is the only hot meal she has.

She eats pain au chocolates, chocolate crepes and chocolate waffles.

She will very, very occasionally have a chicken nugget happy meal but that is the full extent of her foods.

How old is she? When did it start?

So she has pepperoni pizza every night? Is she the right size for her age?

Does she take a multi vitamin to keep her healthy?

She is 16

When she was very small (weaning and toddler) qshe had a varied diet but the things she would happily eat just decreased over time.

She would heave and gag at normal foods. She wouldn't try new things.

In Playgroup, so 3 yrs old, they got her a carrot cake for her birthday and she cried because she didn't want to even blow the candles out on it because it 'smelled funny'

Yes she does. A gummy vitamin

She's had blood tests and was slightly lacking in one vitamin so was given an extra vitamin supplement for it, I think it was vitamin A. But that was about a year ago.

That's not dissimilar from my DS's diet. Although he does have a couple of other things he will tolerate (spaghetti hoops, one flavour of supernoodles, plain pasta with grated cheese).

Does the pizza have to be a set brand? We usually only have 1 / 2 brands of pizza that are acceptable. It also needs to be in 6 slices for reasons.

Margarita pizza here, with cream cheese bagels, cheese toasties and Special K. Specific brands only.

It’s a nightmare. Not even potatoes, rice or pasta. No fruit or vegetables of any kind. No meat, fish or pulses.

It started with first solids for us - how about you, @IThinkILikeThisLittleLight ?

Is she able to articulate anything to you about her eating? Insight from her point of view as well as yours would be really interesting, thank you.

In Playgroup, so 3 yrs old, they got her a carrot cake for her birthday and she cried because she didn't want to even blow the candles out on it because it 'smelled funny'

To be fair I think I'd cry if someone got me a carrot cake as my birthday cake 😬😂

I have an arfid child that only eats certain types of pepperoni pizza too.

Its is the most frustrating thing to deal with.

She is 'healthy' BMI wise but in the lower end.

She does, but she has it in different forms.

She does have frozen pizzas in but she also has homemade pizzas. Pitta bread pizza. Tortilla wrap pizza. Puff pastry pizza.

Basically a bread base with tomato puree, a small amount of cheese (she doesn't like a lot) and peperoni

That’s rough for her and you. Will she go out for pizza?

Does she have her cholesterol monitored?

She says normal food makes her feel sick. She can't stand the smell of things. The texture. The look.

She absolutely abhorres condiments.

If ketchup was on her plate she wouldn't eat anything.

🤣🤣 Truth!

Think they were trying to be healthy
I think most of the class were horrified

Can't you make super fortified tomato puree?

Don't her friends make comments?

I experienced years of this with my son who has multiple DX. Is your Dd on the spectrum because what you’ve described can be typical of many of those who are.

My son survived on pepperoni pizza and toast for years till he started taking very heavy duty medications for worsening mental health and his food intake improved.

No, unfortunately not.

She likes homemade pizza.
Good fellas frozen pepperoni
Dr Oetkers frozen pepperoni

She used to eat Papa John's pepperoni but it was very hit and miss, depending on the day so we've given up on that, it's very expensive too.

She got the most INSANE 'foreign taste' detector tou can imagine
If she even thinks there's something different with it she will not touch it.

And the thing with ARFID is, you want them to keep their safe food. If you start tampering with it and being tricky they lose confidence in that food so may cut it out completely.

Her friends don't say anything because they're her friends and they are very understanding.

She will not eat at anyone else's house though.

And she will not eat at school. Not a thing

She has her ASD assessment next month.

Think they were trying to be healthy think most of the class were horrified

Who gets a 3 year old carrot cake honestly!

Seriously though, that must be really tough, no questions but I'm sure you're doing an amazing job.