If you have a 9 year old - what do they like to eat?

[birdsarecute45]

I am running out of ideas.

Simple, relatively healthy ideas gratefully received.

(He is also currently eager for me to mention to all of MN that he is a big fan of Minecraft).

Which is it? "Just asking for ideas" or "tearing my hair out" ?

I have an 8 year old autistic DS who won't eat anything in a sauce! It's very limiting.
Most meals I give him a 'starter' of carrot sticks, cucumber and peppers. Then I don't worry if he has a meal with very limited nutritional value.

All to familiar with plain pasta, although he does put cheese on it now if I give him it in a separate dish.

It's both ragged. Asking for ideas because I'm tearing my hair out? is that okay with you?

Because I'd like to think my child is eating well and that I am feeding him well.

And I spend time thinking about him and caring about his nutrition, health and development.

Ideas and suggestions very welcome.

Plain pasta with cheese separate not a bad idea..... so far nothing can touch each other so I have thought about those toddler food trays where everything is separated.

At 9 they eat the same food as you! (At one mine ate the same food too, can't be doing with multiple meals)

Cheese and ham toasties.
Mac cheese
V plain pizzas
Egg noodles with grilled chicken and sweet corn/grated carrot on the side
Fish fingers in a wrap
Tuna pasta bake
Sausages and mash.
Corn on the corn.
Quorn mince bolognese

At 9 they eat the same food as you! (At one mine ate the same food too, can't be doing with multiple meals)

Good for you. My son is extremely limited in terms of food, and I don’t want to eat cheese and tomato pasta or similar every day.

Ps my eldest is asd, don't make a rod for your back, they are as fussy as you allow them to be, we had concessions eg stew had to be "dry" so kitchen roll was handy but by 9 it was 95% identical to me with just substituting most veg for frozen peas, carrots and sweet corn mix.

I'm asking my nine year old minecraft monster as we speak:
Steak
Haggis
Chilli con carne
Tacos
Spaghetti bolognaise and carbonara

Haggis. !

It's a sensory thing as well, hence the vomiting.

My 'rule' so far has been that he does not have to either eat it or like it but he does have to taste it. The cucumber thing took weeks of him licking it before he took a bite for example. Several months ago i got him to eat a tiny bit of banana which he then promptly voimited up again also. Then rather oddly he by choice chose and ate an entire banana a few weeks ago (only the once mind you).

So I live in hope.

My DS has just turned 10, he is also ASD with SPD.

Dinners include plain pasta and a side helping of cheese...do not ever put the cheese on the pasta, carrot sticks (never cooked carrot) and sweet corn. He has just started eating chicken sausages and chicken goujons. He likes broccoli and green beans and apples. Added to the sweet corn and carrots that's a good 5 a day!
He also likes plain rice, grilled chicken and that's about it.

Breakfast is the same daily.
Lunch is the same daily.

Everything and I mean everything has to be served with ketchup.

He will snack on pop corn or apples.

He's Consultant is happy with his restrictive diet as he's growing along his centile and has enough energy for 8 hours hard coached sport a week.

Every so often I try and add in something new. We try and eat out once a week to expose him to more, but he seems happy with his intake.

That sounds very very familiar !

Carrots can never ever be cooked.

I am taking him to the GP again in the new year. Previously they said he is within the range of healthy, but he s now so terribly skinny. I tried mixing complan with chocolate milk (fail). he does have vitamins which he thinks are haribos.

He has just had nutella on toast as a snack which I am pleased about!

I usually just resort to what I know works. I am taking notes and think some ideas will be possible.... bagels etc. All good ideas!!!

Thanks

Dd is 9 and would live in plain spaghetti with cheese if I let her.

Other favourites
Haggis
Mince pie
Baked potato with tuna / cheese / cottage cheese
Fish fingers

She doesn't like much in the way of potatoes - just roast potatoes and waffles.

Lunch wise she eats a lot of eggs, smoked sausage, wraps etc

Breakfast is a struggle but pancakes / bagels / variety pack cereal / soda scone etc etc with a smoothie

Would he try houmous and breadsticks? My dd has always been quite fussy but that's something she loves.

Have you tried gnocchi? It can even be roasted if you are trying to up calories.
Are nuts acceptable in any way? Peanut butter packs a punch.
Toad in the hole?
Fishcakes
Also chicken skewers, I think the stick is a good distraction!

Hummus is a good way to increase the calories in carrots sticks...
What about de-constructed versions of your meals? E.g chicken curry is rice, cooked chicken, curry sauce but none of them touching on plate.
Scrambled eggs on toast or omelette at breakfast to get protein in early?
One of mine likes creamy sauces the other only likes dry foods 🤦🏻

Thinking back (it was a long time ago), mine used to eat very well and most types of food except for custard, anything with a cheese sauce and sprouts. We all had a good dinner in the evening, meat, potatoes and veg or spag or something with rice, occasionally sausages or fish.