4yo and food

[lostmumtribe]

I am struggling with food and my almost 4yo DD.
Normally kids dont want to eat fruit or veg but we are the opposite! She hasn't touched meat in well over 2 years and i am getting worried about protein and omega 3.
I cant even get her to eat a sandwich and she starts full time school in September 😭

I just can't convince her to have normal food. We have normal plates and sectioned plates. We don't get cross, bribe or what not (we have in the past but we gave up a year ago). We all eat at the same time at the table and i will pop something 'new' on her plate with her food but she won't even try it.

Her weight for height is fine and has multivitamins.

She eats:
Cheese
Strawberry, melon, apple, pear, banana, orange, blueberry, grapes.
Carrots (cooked or raw)
Red and yellow peppers
Toast (but not bread)
Bread sticks
Waffles
Crackers with butter
Cheerios
Shreddies
Milk (full fat)
Butter (not marge)
Peanut butter
Occasionaly french fries

Junk food:
*This is limited and never replaces the above food

Quavers, Wotsits, Pombears
Chocolate
Cake
Icecream, ice lolly
Sugar free biscuits

Her brother is 6 and is not great either.
I have tried all cuts of meat and vegetables😭
He eats everything above but also:
Fishfingers
Chicken fingers 🤮
Skinless sausages
Onion rings
Ketchup / HP
Sandwiches
Ham

So not exactly brilliant either but he is willing to try new food i put out but never likes it so a work in progress.

They are both active, happy, schools fine, never lethargic etc

I am just getting so worried about the food they eat and the affect it will have. I would appreciate any tips or suggestions.

Cheese is a very good course of protein, I could certainly live on it.

I’d actually forget the meat and see if I could get her to eat some more vegetarian food - how is she with beans? Lentils?

That sounds stressful but I imagine she’s doing fine.

Might be worth looking at some vegan protein sources. We add peanut butter and chia/flax seeds to oats if she will eat that?

Peas are a great source of protein, and most children seem to eat them.

We try and be neutral with food, he gets his dessert at the same time as his dinner. It seems to encourage him not to see dessert as “treat food”.

We don’t praise him if he eats a new food, or push him to try new food. We just ignore him when he’s eating. If he refuses to eat we don’t make a big deal, he gets toast, it rarely happens!

If she will eat yogurt that’s a great source of protein.

Also getting them involved in cooking and preparing food, that seems to help encourage them to try it.

I also give him a pot of seasoning (sounds daft I know) it’s usually nutritional yeast and he sprinkles that on his food. Makes him feel more in control I think, he loves it.

The list of things she will eat is pretty much word for word what my brother would eat until he was about 16. Just also add cheese pizza. He just used to take those things in his lunchbox. My parents stopped making a fuss when he was still very small. He's now an adult at university cooking for himself and eating many more foods (pasta sauces, curry etc). All you can do is just model the behaviour and try without creating conflict. Imagine someone trying to get you to eat something you have no interest in, it would get tedious and actually put you off!

If they're happy and growing dont stress about it!

Can she take sandwiches to school?

Cereal and milk for breakfast (buy the enhance stuff?)
Lunch:
Cheese
Some fruit and veg she likes
Bread sticks or crackers
Small carton of milk / water

That's a solid start. Then more cheese for dinner. Have you tried lentils, nuts, seeds, etc? Would she eat a vegetable bake?

You're doing everything right, so try not to stress too much.

Involving them with preparing and baking/cooking food is a good start in getting them interested.

Sounds awful but even better if it’s not you that they are cooking with, as they usually try more things with other people’s such as a grandmother.

Mine were fussy eaters but they would bake and cook with grandma and eat things they would never eat at home!

Not sure if they pick up on a mothers anxiety but spending time in the kitchen with their grandma really helped them pick up an interest in food.

My daughter is an adult now and we look back and laugh at the time when she was approximately 6 and she hardly ate anything and had a special hatred for fish but had gone to tea with a school chum and told me upon her return that she had eaten a delicious fish finger sandwich!

Does she like eggs OP? They're a great source of protein. Even if not keen on eggs as such, she may like pancakes or quiche or omelette or muffins?
Dairy is a good source of protein too, but best balanced with other sources including eggs but also nuts, peas, lentils, beans, tofu, hummus, grains etc.
Could you try some vegetarian family meals?
I wouldn't worry about her not eating meat. My DC have been raised veggie, both a bit fussy and both strong and healthy at ages 9 and 11.
Packed lunches don't need to involve sandwiches – my DS isn't keen on sandwiches but takes things like pasta/couscous salad, breadsticks and hummus, crackers and cheese etc. Look at her food over a day or week, not meal by meal.
BI

I thought about eggs too. They are tasty and versatile.

My dd won't eat sandwiches her pack lunch is cheese cubes, cucumber, tomatoes and bread sticks. Usually with a yogurt and small cake bar.
She will also have homemade cheese scones I also make savory muffins with carrots and cheese.

She has also been vegetarian since 4 this is due to sensory issues she says meat is slimy and she doesn't like the texture , it makes her gag.
If I do a roast she has veggie sausage . She has bean burger too . She will also eat salmon and white fish so has those instead of meat.

School have good vegetarian options for main meals too, although she doesn't like quorn as the texture is too like meat.

I've learnt to go with it and not stress, like your DC she eats lots of fruit and veg. She is now 8 and seems fit and healthy.

Can you serve dips with crudités and breadsticks? Hummus, cream cheese, guacamole or even nut butters would be good.
If she will eat toast how about a toasted sandwich?
Eggy bread
Haloumi and veg skewers
Falafel

You might find she eats differently at school when surrounded by friends, I’d be tempted to try her on school dinners and just see how she goes. Otherwise cheese and crackers are fine in a lunch box.

Lots of children are brought up as veggie and don't suffer from lack of protein. As others have said, keep a variety of other protein sources available such as beans, lentils, tofu. Keep them involved in cooking, model the behaviour you want and they will get there.

I have a 4yr old fussy eater starting reception and feel like yours eats much better than mine from your description. Mine has however surprised me by eating well when we have attended recent Easter hol camps so I am just going to leave her to it and hope for the best!