Is your allergic child a very very fussy eater ? How do you deal with it ? I am going slowly mad

[travellingwilbury]

My 5 yr old has been described as an allergic child . Most severe is the nuts and the eggs . We found this out a couple of days before his first birthday . He grabbed at a peanut butter sandwich and had an awful reaction . I think it has scared him silly about trying new foods and so he has a few things he will eat but does seem genuinely scared about having anything new .

I can understand it but it is driving me nuts. We are a very foodie family and it is so depressing to see him eat bloody fish fingers all the time .

Any advice ? Please ?

no advice but avidly watching to see if i can pick up any tips.
DD is nearly 11. wheat free diet. only eats GF muffins. GF crackers (one specific sort). GF cake (plain or chocolate). chicken and chips. Drives me mental. has always been picky and gets worse every week.

It is good to know he is not the only one anyway , not much good for you though.

He will eat fruit and cereal and a few things but trying to get him to have a hot meal that isn't fish fingers and waffles is driving me nuts . I also have a nearly 3 yr old who is copying him and won't have anything his older brother won't eat . He has no allergies so no excuse .

My ds is also fussy but I now think I would worry even more if he was experimental with food. Before I knew he was allergic, I tried to get him to try new healthy food which he reacted to . I wonder if the body knows and it is a self-preservation thing.

My son has massive intolerances ( wheat, milk, egg, yeast, blah blah ) and also has ASD which makes him incredibly incredibly fussy. He is 12 now and I have managed to make some progress by completely dialling down the pressure and increasingthe incentives.
If he takes a bite of a new food he gets a start and if he reaches x number of stars he can go to the shop and choose a toy.
The fact that he only has to have a bite helps and the fact that I don't nag about it helps too.
I tend to concentrate on a couple of foods at a time only so that I can spot any intolerance reactions quickly.
What we have found is that after having, for example a bite of carrot every day for a week he gets over his reluctance and with a lot of praise will eat a whole one. That is then a quick step to a new food eaten regularly.
I think my attitude changing has helped. Lots of smiling encourgaement and a focus on the end game - just putting one carrot on his plate every day for a month led to him now orderting carrots in cafes when we are out.

Oh and vitamin supplements especially EFAs until the dite has expanded substantially

My DD 3yrs (gluten-free) is the same.

The only thing that does seem to possibly help is giving her meals regardless of whether she is going to eat them for dinner, and a more 'reliable' meal for tea. The idea is she gets offered her dinners, time to ponder on it, watch others enjoy it etc all with no pressure (also means minimum praise from us + no attention paid to food on plate) to eat except for a tiny bit of hunger. Eventually she will try parts of her meal and sometimes like it! Thats the theory - seems to be working a little, hopefully with time..... fingers crossed, very tightly. Her diet is very gradually expanding ATM from GF crackerbread (one specific sort) and cheese.

Really did hope it would get better with age though.

My (now 13 yo) DD was a fussy eater when she was younger. I remember having to peel baked beans and garden peas for her! And then she'd only eat one or twoalong with masses of couscous. She would try different things in restaurants and at friends' houses but nothing new at home so that needed a bit of sneaky planning with other Mums. She has stayed a strict vegetarian and is also diabetic but is now willing to try new things. I give her a budget in the supermarket and she chooses her own food which greatly helps reduce the stress. Although I wish she would drink less Diet Coke. I have various allergies and acupuncture has helped me no end, particularly with my eczema.