Anyone elses child eat very little at home but loads elsewhere?

[OnlyEatsOutsideTheHome]

DC is 9.

We can go to a local Italian and DC will eat a 7in pizza or a kids bowl of pasta plus icecream happily.

If I order from that very same restaurant to be eaten at home, DC will nibble a piece of pasta or the crust of a pizza then declare themselves full.

If I cook, they refuse to eat it at home, but if I box it up and take it to a park for a picnic, they love it and eat the lot.

If I make a sandwich they refuse it but if I make the very same sandwich using the same bread, ham and butter for a packed lunch for school or holiday club it gets eaten.

It’s really strange.

They’re losing weight so I’m not concerned but find it so odd.

We basically eat out of the house every night. They will not eat at ExHs either unless they go out to eat.

There is SN at play here to and it’s just me and DC at home.

If I just stop going out/making packed lunches DC will literally stop eating and then just loses weight. We tried for a week and then I panicked because their clothes became to big on them, so I started it again.

They eat a good variety, love vegetables and most fruit, eat all types of meat and fish except beef and the only other things they dislike are feta cheese and spicy food, otherwise they eat everything so no-one (seen GP, Paed Dietitian and they have a podiatrist due to piedros) is concerned.

Anyone had anything like this? And how I can stop it?

*not losing weight that should be

I'm sort of the opposite. I hate pack lunches. I'd rather not eat anything than have sandwiches from a box.

I can go a very long time not eating anything, and I lose any feeling of hunger quite easily, then I struggle to eat.

Would they eat with a packed box in the garden?

@MargaretThursday We don't have a garden so never tried.

Could you try putting in in a box and giving it to them as a packed lunch to eat when they want?

Or if you just say "help yourself to snacks in the fridge" do they come and get them?

One of my issues is feeling pressure to eat, especially eat everything. As soon as I feel I have to do that, then I lose all appetite and struggle to eat anything. I wonder whether at home there's more they want to get on with, but also they feel under pressure to eat.