I’m feeling increasingly uneasy about my 10 year old daughter’s eating and wanted to get some perspective. She Is my eldest, so I haven’t been here before. She has always been slim, but in recent months is looking skinny. I know girls at this age can look this way because of growth spurts, so didn’t want to read too much into this initially. She has always been reasonably fussy, but enjoyed the foods that she liked. However, in recent months she has been cutting down on foods she will eat. So no longer likes cheese, pasta, bread, cake or biscuits. She will eat salads, carrots, humus, breadsticks, fruit, rice etc. She has never much liked meat and refuses this, but will eat a little fish. All healthy stuff but anything remotely more substantial she refuses. Can I write down a typical day:
Breakfast: About four slices of banana And honey - she refuses anything more saying She’s not hungry.
Lunch (school): 4 mini breadsticks (the really tiny ones), one small carrot, cucumber and radish bits, humus (but she has about a thumb sized piece), apple, one square of dark chocolate.
Dinner: brown rice with roasted broccoli and various other veg, a quarter of a piece of pan fried salmon.
Supper: a bowl of tinned oranges, small chocolate trifle, a bowl of rice crispiest with full fat milk.
Drinks are all water.
She always says she’s not hungry but recently has been a bit more tearful and tired. She exercises a fair amount but more family walks that high energy sports.
I just don’t know, I’m trying to gently suggest x looks nice and not directly engage with food issue. Although the past week when she’s been tearful I’ve said, I think you must be hungry why don’t you have x. I’m always met with no. She’s always watching cookery programmes and likes talking about recipes, so I’ve tried to get her inteest8ng in making her own things, which worked for a bit but she’s lost interest in that now.
I’d be so grateful for any views as to whether I should be concerned or how long to go with the gently approach.
So grateful.