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Idea for meals for 4 year old

23 replies

Buzlightyear1 · 17/04/2021 18:19

So my son is 4 years old , he’s not underweight but it’s on the lower side if he loses a 1ib he would be under weight. He has never been a big eater he would rather run around and play. Recently though he’s completely gone off most food , he used to love chicken but won’t touch and meat. He loves raw veg and that is all he will eat at the moment. He does drink milk and eat a small amount of cheese. He hates any sauces or cooked veg. I really don’t no what to make him to eat anymore. I don’t feel like I can just say eat it as he won’t then he would not care and I guess I should be great full he eats veg at all. Has anyone got any idea of some meals I could make ?

OP posts:
AtleastitsnotMonday · 17/04/2021 18:54

Would he eat any dips with his raw veg? Hummus, guacamole, cream cheese, sour cream and chive? Would sneak a few extra calories. What does he eat for breakfast? How is he with carbs? Can you mention a few more things that he does have? Eggs? Fish?

OppsUpsSide · 17/04/2021 18:57

Pasta, jacket potatoes, soups, toast, porridge, cereals..?

Fivemoreminutes1 · 17/04/2021 19:14

Use exciting names for foods e.g. we call chicken in sauce 'sticky chicken' or soup 'surprise soup' or green beans 'squeaky beans' (can you hear them?) and ham up the name ... Playing with food doesn't have to be a bad thing. We used to pretend we're dinosaurs eating trees when we eat broccoli! Or try arranging vegetables into silly faces, filling an ice-cream cone with chopped fruit, or making a vegetable kebab.
We've explained about vitamins and minerals and how they help your body grow and stay healthy. My DD will now eat mushrooms because she is desperate to be a big girl. And DS used to flex his muscles when he'd eaten a lot of veg!
If you know another child who’s an adventurous eater, invite them round for a picnic – watching them eat different food might just encourage your DS to join in. If not, get teddy to join in – one for teddy – one for you.

Hidden veg macaroni cheese www.myfussyeater.com/one-pot-mac-cheese-with-hidden-veg/

Cheesy cauliflower garlic bread www.slimmingeats.com/blog/syn-free-cheesy-cauliflower-garlic-bread

Sweetcorn fritters www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/sweetcorn-fritters/

Tuna balls with pasta www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tuna-balls-pea-sweetcorn-pasta

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Buzlightyear1 · 17/04/2021 19:19

For breakfast he normally goes for fruit sometimes I can get him to eat some toast . He can’t eat egg as he is sick with it the dr said he has a intolerance to egg. Potato he will eat chips and jackets . For some reason I had completely forgot jacket potato so that helps thank you. And cereals and porridge are good . The dips are also a good idea he loves garlic so maybe I can have hummus and veg he would love that. Thank you. I no it seams silly but it’s like my brain has just stopped 🤦‍♀️

OP posts:
OppsUpsSide · 17/04/2021 19:26

My DD is an under eater and just on the cusp of under/healthy weight. I fill her with whatever I can now to be honest!

Buzlightyear1 · 17/04/2021 19:50

Thank you so much. That’s the thing isn’t it I don’t mind what he eats now as I just want to put weight on him. I explained about vitamins and protein etc so he’s very proud that he eats his veg he just hates the cooked texture. I have no problem giving him raw veg. I just want to get a little more weight on him. Thank you so much for the idea I will definitely be trying them. He hates mess on him so that doesn’t help I only just got him feeding himself I don’t mind mess myself I encourage him to get dirty and he hates me for it🤣 thank you so much .

OP posts:
AtleastitsnotMonday · 18/04/2021 08:49

If you. An get any toast in him will he eat peanut butter, cheese on toast or even a cheese toastie. I’m wondering if it may be a texture thing? If you get pita bread, cut in to fingers, place on a baking tray, brush or spray with oil, then bake, they go really crispy and perfect for dipping. If he’s a garlic fan, garlic mayo or melted garlic butter would be great dips and calories.

AtleastitsnotMonday · 18/04/2021 08:49

If you can

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 18/04/2021 08:56

DD has always preferred meals of 'picky bits' rather than a proper meal, so we put together things like:

  • cheese cubes
  • cherry tomatoes
  • cucumber
  • bread sticks
  • mini wraps with cream cheese/ peanut butter/ butter/ jam and sliced into wedges
  • hummus/ guacamole
  • fruit salad, making sure banana is included as more filling

French toast with warmed berries is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, as is eggy bread.

Cheese quesadillas also get eaten quickly.

SlothWithACloth · 18/04/2021 08:58

Does he eat pasta or rice?
Dd didn’t like sauces at that age but would eat plain rice or pasta on the side. I’d add some butter to it.
Blended soups? Then you can add anything.

BlueLobelia · 18/04/2021 09:00

I have a 12 year old who has extreme food issues.

I use alot of fortified foods to get calories into him. So I use complan and blend into ice cream milkshakes. Then I know that he is getting the bases covered, and whatever he eats is a bonus.

LesLavandes · 18/04/2021 09:05

Sausages rolled up in a butter wrap.

Chicken drumsticks

Tuna Noodle Doodle - tin of tuna, tin of condensed soup, tin of sweet corn. Heat and add some milk. add into cooked noodles. Put into baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Bake in oven. All children love this?

NannyR · 18/04/2021 09:06

You could add in things to the foods he's happy to eat to increase his calories of you are concerned about his weight. A spoonful of ground almonds added to porridge isn't noticeable, maybe some double cream stirred in too, and some extra olive oil mixed into the hummus.

Cowbells · 18/04/2021 09:12

good idea on hummous dip. If he likes it, you could also make an avocado dip - blitz it in the food processor with some garlic paste and tahini and water or lemon juice.

I used to make DS2 (v underweight as a young child due to refusal to eat) a very healthy cake - instead of wheat flour I used ground almonds and sometimes a bit of soy flour. Lots of butter, honey and brown ugar and then any flavouring he liked at the time. I used loads of eggs but you couldn't do that. You could make banana and almond flour cookies with butter and sugar and flavouring, then drizzle them with melted chocolate. (the banana acts as the binder, like egg would.) He might eat those.

Our dietician's advice was - as long as he is eating fresh stuff and you add vitamins to his drinks, and as long as you can get protein into him somehow, then don't worry too much if the bulk of calories come from less 'healthy' foods. It's more important that he gets enough calories than that every calorie is from a healthy source.

Have you tried nut butters? I used to make tiny postage stamp sized sandwiches with wholemeal bread, cream cheese and nut butter. It meant that even if he only ate a tiny amount, there were lots of calories in each bite.

Home made ice cream is good too. Put whipped double cream, vanilla essence, a bit of icing sugar and some frozen black cherries into the blender and blitz until they are a thick puree, then put them back in the freezer until they firm up to the consistency of ice cream. A small scoop of that would add lots of calories. Don't over feed the rich stuff as that might put him off it for good, but a single scoop of full fat cream berry ice cream and one nut and banana cookie is actually pretty nutritious, apart from the sugar.

Buzlightyear1 · 18/04/2021 10:01

Brilliant thank you so much these are great idea and will definitely be using them. I really appreciate this.

OP posts:
Buzlightyear1 · 18/04/2021 10:22

I just wanted to say those small sandwiches are brilliant idea. He is eating them for breakfast. I made a few different flavour sandwiches really small and called them spy sandwiches. He thinks it’s great. Thank you he may not eat them all but like you said it’s more in each bite . Thank w

OP posts:
AdaColeman · 18/04/2021 10:52

Don't forget that you can make a dip out of any beans, tinned butter beans or haricot beans for example. That gives you the opportunity to add plenty of olive oil to up the calories for him.
Have you tried a homemade cream cheese dip with added cream or full fat yoghurt, he might like that.

Also you could use gold top milk for his porridge, or stir in a knob of butter.

Buzlightyear1 · 18/04/2021 12:58

I haven’t made bean dips so will definitely do that. Thank you . I use gold top milk as he loves the taste of it . So he has that with most things. Thank you. My brain had a complete block and I just couldn’t think. I’m so grateful for this I’m doing a online shop for next week so it’s great as I’m adding bits on that I wouldn’t normally get. It’s so helpful

OP posts:
BlueLobelia · 18/04/2021 13:13

Oh that is good advice! I recall, before DS got wise to it I used to smear sandwiches with very well mashed butter beans instead of butter.

Plus I used to make 'chocolate pancakes' by mixing tablespoons of ground almonds into the flour with cocoa. Even when topped with honey or nutella I felt soothed by the lovely fats from the ground almonds.

Cowbells · 18/04/2021 14:56

Even when topped with honey or nutella I felt soothed by the lovely fats from the ground almonds.
@BlueLobelia - I know that feeling.

Cowbells · 18/04/2021 14:57

OP - really glad the sandwiches are going down well. 'Spy' sandwiches is a brilliant idea.

CarolinaWeeper · 18/04/2021 16:38

My DC love that onion and garlic dip you can buy.....you could do a big platter of the chopped raw veg he likes to eat and encourage him trying them with some different dips. My two like "pink sauce" (tomato ketchup mixed with mayo.)

It's great he eats the raw veg at least and gold top milk will get the calories in. Would he eat full fat yoghurt with his fruit for breakfast?

My DC when they're going through fuzzy phases will still eat pasta so I fry garlic in butter and mix that through the pasta and serve with peas and sweetcorn.

MrsRockAndRoll · 21/04/2021 20:02

Does he have a lunchbox? If not buy him one and in the excitement he may try new things

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