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Original poster

Going out of my mind!! 7 Year old who eats nothing but rubbish!!

130 replies

Coathanger · 05/09/2006 22:22

OK, I am at the end of my teather now. My 7 year old DS is stick thin (although average height) and falls ill at the drop of a hat, and all I can put it down to is his crappy diet. But I have tried all I know to get him to eat healthier.

His diet literally consists of:

Breakfast - Coco pops or toast
Lunch - bread roll with only butter (hates all sandwich fillings), crisps and a banana or apple
Dinner - rotation of beans on toast, chicken nuggets, burger, or fish fingers, all with smiley faces or chips.

The only veg he will eat is carrots, buy he will eat fruit if he's in the mood (apples, satsumas, grapes, bananas)

I make homemade burgers with carrot hidden, but other than than he eats nothing else I can smuggle veg into. He doesn't eat any "saucy" foods to make with hidden things and he will not try anything.

He does eat sweets occasionally but he doesn't fill himself up on crap during the day. He literally has 3 meals and if he comes home from school hungry he has fruit.

Has anyone got kids similar? How do you get on? HAs anyone got any tips? I've tried bribary, threatening, ignoring, a new tastes diary. I just want him to eat the same as the rest of the family.

By the way I have 2 other sons who will eat and try pretty much everything. So what did I do wrong this time?

OP posts:
Original poster
Coathanger · 05/09/2006 23:27

Trevor Eve it an older man thing me and VVVQV have.............hehee!

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:28

Trev is all MINE Thats who....

Original poster
Coathanger · 05/09/2006 23:28

Anyway, we seem to have digressed somewhat!

Was planning spag bol for dinner tomorrow...is that too much to start DS1 off on? Home made, no crappy additives, and fresh pasta....What do you think?

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:28

Him and Sean.....

VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:29

Yes, sorry

Is he okay with messy food?

Original poster
Coathanger · 05/09/2006 23:31

Not sure VVVQV. he doesn't eat anything but dry food at the mo. I wondered if I let him hep me cook it he might try.

OP posts:
Pinkchampagne · 05/09/2006 23:34

Oh I know Trevor Eve! When I was at college doing my NNEB, one of the jobs that popped up on our notice board, was to be his nanny!! I didn't apply though!

Pinkchampagne · 05/09/2006 23:36

Will he not eat chicken breasts & things like that, CH?

VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:38

I'd be his nanny.....

Im thinking something drier might be better to start this challenge with...Spag bol - v messy.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:39

Maybe getting him to play with a bowl of cooked, cooled spaghetti - just for fun, might be a good start?

Original poster
Coathanger · 05/09/2006 23:42

PC - No won't eat chicken unless it is drenched in breadcrumbs

VVVQV - you might be right....Will try something else first.....and I would be his nanny

Just gone to packed lunches and replaced crisps. Now has buttered roll, banana, apple, a few grapes, apple juice and (oh I know you are all gonna curse me!) a penguin but figured I don't wan't to come across as all bad. I don't wan to be a meanie mummy who just takes all good things away. My issue, afterall, isn't that he eats too many sweets and such like, but that he eats poor meals.

How does that sound?

OP posts:
robinpud · 05/09/2006 23:44

This is a tricky subject and never goes away. I think 7 is old enough to take some responsibility for basic nutrition such as eating 5 portions of fruit and veg a day and to begin to understand that what we eat now profoundly affects our health in the future.
It sounds like he is picky and has learned to manipulate situations to his advantage. If you stop offering the alternatives then you may have some painful moments but given time he should begin to understand that you intend to stick to this and from that point you may find it easier to introduce new foods.
My chidlren can be very picky about new foods but never decline a new sweet....
Good luck!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:45

How about you save the penguin for when he comes home if he has eaten enough of the "good" stuff in his lunchbox? At least that way he is likely to eat some of the good stuff, and not just the penguin?

robinpud · 05/09/2006 23:46

Why does he need a penguin?

UrsulatheSeaWitch · 05/09/2006 23:47

Haven't read other posts but from OP, this doesn't sound like such a bad diet to me, coathanger.

My DS2 started out a great eater but from c 2-10 he lived on pizza, bread and air - was also stick thin - was a really crap eater, despite what the rest of the family ate.

He is 13 now and still loves pizza but also eats a lot of good stuff - is v picky about veg, broccoli OK, carrots have to be in garlic butter and will force down a smidgen of green beans or peas - likes bananas, apples and grapes, loves pasta bakes (cooks his own), casseroles, meat & veg pies and Sunday roasts.

From what you said originally I wouldn't worry, frankly.

HTH

Original poster
Coathanger · 05/09/2006 23:47

Ahhh, VVVQV you are so clever I am off to take said penguin out of his pack up

Ok, I have just noticed the time and must go to bed.

Thank you all so much for all your tips and advice. I have taken them all on board and will get back to you on the progress.

I might start a new thread.......CH's DS1 food progress diary ....

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 05/09/2006 23:50

Not such a bad idea CH

Night

x

Original poster
Coathanger · 06/09/2006 09:25

Well, packed DS1 off to school with his modified lunch - got everything crossed that he eats, but not gonna make a fuss if he doesn't. Not sure what to do for dinner yet. Veg, obviously - considering roast chicken......

OP posts:
Mojomummy · 06/09/2006 09:53

Log thread, so have just skimmed - have you thought it might be attention seeking ? If you have 2 other DS & then eat well, he is making himself 'special' by refusing & you are allowing this by giving him the food you mentioned.

I suggest, feeding everyone the same & if he doesn't eat it, then that's in, no fuss, no bother...see how long he holds out : - )

Mojomummy · 06/09/2006 09:53

log = long !

oxocube · 06/09/2006 13:27

Haven't read all this thread but do want to say that its really easy to feel smug about kids' healthy eating - my 3 kids are all really good eaters, eat almost anything, lots of fruit etc and for a long time I felt like Moondog, thinking 'well if parents are prepared to feed their kids this crap, then what do they expect'. BUT I have now come across so many people whose kids have similar food issues, almost always where the parents are really good role models, cook loads of healthy, interesting food, all sit down to eat together, then one of their kids decided they won't eatany veg or any meat or fish etc etc

Have no answers but it must be bloody hard.

jumblesale · 06/09/2006 13:59

Chuck the coco pops
And stop beating yourself up. The kids next door to me went to the shop with their mum a few weeks ago and had (each):
Cheese and onion baguette
Bag of crisps
Sweets
Bar of chocolate

Then ice cream from the freezer at home.
All before half past eleven in the morning . Now THAT'S bad.

My DS doesn't eat much. If you saw what I put on his plate you'd think he was half-starved. Mind you, next door neighbours probably think he is. Their 8 yr old has boobs.

jumblesale · 06/09/2006 14:03

Sorry forgot to say, beans on toast is a very nutritious meal. Especially if he has a glass of orange juice with it (vitamin C helps iron absorption).

USAUKMum · 06/09/2006 14:09

My DD was similarly fussy. But over the course of the last YEAR we have mananged to cut out all of the processed stuff. The way I did it -- helped along by her little brother who was just going onto finger food at the time. Was to give her what she would eat, then a bit of what we were having. Saying she didn't have to eat it all, but she had to try it. Then after a few weeks of this, I would say now in X number of months I'm not going to make special meals anymore, but we'll go along trying things until then. Didn't force the issue, just insisted that she have a bite of everything new.

Working on the theory that they have to tast things 20 times before they get used to it. And now she eats the same meal as everyone else.

But it was a long hard slog. Good luck to you.

crunchie · 06/09/2006 14:16

I read that observer pieve and I agree it is fussy kids

I have also found cooking with my kids works well. I have been offering cauliflower cheese (or suggesting it) for the past week. My kids keep sayng yuk don't like that. So I though DD2 and I would make it!! They ate LOADS

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