Do i have the fussiest eating child??

[wurlywurly]

Ds1 used to eat everything, but now his limit is fish (normally fish fingers) sausages, sausages rolls(you can shout at me later), hamburgers, pasta and potatoes. No proper meat or chicken - he gags on it. Will only eat carrots, no green veg at all, but will have a go at most fruit.

you know it may sound bad to you but my children both went through a phase like that (I emphasize the word phase). In an ideal world they would et a spectrum of fruit and vegeatble and only organic prime cuts of meat but we don't.

The diet should be balanced with carbs, protein and fat. You sem to be achieving this. I amnot going to shout at you about the sausage rolls - I don't do them - you do but you must be okay with that.

Don't worry too much.

have you seen how they make fish fingers on big cook little cook? Seems like veryhealthy food to me.

no must have missed that one.

How old is your ds wurlywurly? His diet is remarkably similar to my ds1 but ds1 will now at least try new things once in a while - for example he recently tried bacon and likes it - and because he likes eggs too I managed to persuade him that he might like Quiche Lorraine - which he did! We also bought some breaded cod fillets at the supermarket the other day and he is going to try them tomorrow - hopefully they won't taste too unlike fishfingers! Oh and my ds only eats (raw) carrots and apples in terms of fruit & veg....

I am consoled by the fact that I was also a fusy eater as a child and now eat most things!

Oh and it doesn't sem to have done me any harm - I am rarely ill...

wurlywurly, ds (he is 4 and a half) went through a very similar phase of refusing meat and fish. One night we had a terrible row, and I'm still feeling ashamed about it. It was just a phase though. He seems to be back to his usual tastes now.

KTP he is nearly 8, we do get him to try new things

Not a bad diet compared to lots I know. Keep offering a green vegetable (Peas? Broccoli eaten with the fingers being a tree eating dinosaur? Stick beans dipped in ketchup?) And if you've got time you can ease your conscience by making your own sausage rolls. They are really easy and you can use good wholesome ingredients. And if you don't make an issue out of it, he'll be through this phase and on to the next one before you know it!

Not a bad diet compared to lots I know. Keep offering a green vegetable (Peas? Broccoli eaten with the fingers being a tree eating dinosaur? Stick beans dipped in ketchup?) And if you've got time you can ease your conscience by making your own sausage rolls. They are really easy and you can use good wholesome ingredients. And if you don't make an issue out of it, he'll be through this phase and on to the next one before you know it!

hide vegetable in pesto sauce?

get very thin bits of chicken fillet
fry it gently in butter/olive oil

fo a really short time( not so it goes chewy)

ds1 fell for it

( ds1 also has issue wiht chewing)

what abotu mince?

no he gags on mince and chicken.

He will eat dry pasta, did give it to him with sauce before and he couldnt eat it.

Its almost as if the colour drains from his face. Did tell him i was gonna send him on farm of fussy eaters on uk living and he freaked out.

if its a competition you want my ds wins

Its a pita.

Console yourself with thought there is a worse one out there

Sorry have nothing useful to add.

I hate not being able to just go out for a meal, without checking that they do something that he eats. It really is a pain. He did decide to try chicken nuggets in McDonlads the other week and ate them all, but whether he decides he wants to have them again is another matter. We have even tried bribing him to try things.

that drives me up the wall as well.
If we want to go out anywhere I have to make sure I have food for ds packed, and some places won't let you eat your own food. Plus he gets funnier when he has to eat when out.

I have resorted either to fast food (he will occasionally eat fries) if desperate or some crisps, and console myself that he never has them otherwise and its only once every few months.

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Ds eats fruit, some veg, toast, yoghurt, raisins, rice cakes and occasionally cheese - that is it.
And then occasionally chocolate, crisps, fries.

HE also eats very little. 1 or two tiny meals a day (for him some carrots = a meal)

HE did try a boiled egg recently. HAsn't repeated it yet though.

We bribe with stickers - food doesn't work as he's not that bothered about it.

my friends dd has to have strawberries peeled so no seeds! thats the fussiest i've came across...

DS1 was a nightmare and it really affected my relationship with him - nothing but shreddies, apples, cheese and yoghurts for literally over a year. I used to listen to people agonising about whether to allow their children chicken dippers etc, and think how much I would give if he would even consent to one being on his plate. He got markedly better once DS2 was born, which I entirely attribute to the fact that once he no longer had an anxious audience, the fun of defiance disappeared. However, it was a long road, and the only thing I found that worked was to give him what he WOULD eat day after day with no comment, and when he finally got bored he would ask to try what I was eating, which I would pretend that I didn't want to give him. He also got a lot better when he started preschool. I hope this helps. Hang in there - it is v v frustrating!!!

And as the mother of a dd who until she was about 4 appeared to live on fresh air, and if she was particularly hungry would pause to take a deep breath as she rushed past some food, I think it's importand to remember -

a. They need much less food than we think they do
b. They are probably eating much more food than we think they are
c. If they are growing and full of energy, they are getting enough food from somewhere(even if it's by osmosis!)
d. They are genetically and evolutionarily (is that a word?) to survive - if they get hugry enough they will eat.
And finally, and controversially, to quote my mother "It is a mother's job to provide 3 healthy, appetizing and well balanced meals a day. It is not a mother's job to make anyone eat them.

ww, my dd1 is exactly the same, and she's eight

Just carrots here, too, and not only that, they have to be the 'chanterey' (SP) ones from M&S.

God snipersmum, compared to my dd1 that seems quite a healthy diet. I'd be quite happy with that.

katelyle, she does 'eat', but all the wrong stuff. When I give her proper food it's meltdown until I relent and give her crap (pain au chocolate, yoghourt - but only the muller one with chocolate digestives in the corner) etc etc. And a meltdown in an eight yo is not fun - cue 'I hate you. I'm going to kill you'.

I'm sure you've tried this before but my ds (3) always responds well if I tell him he is having the same as someone he really looks up to ie: John (most popular boy in class) Uncle X (really cool relative) or Spiderman etc

Also, ds would given the choice only have the food he likes on his plate - so a raost dinner would be mash and brocolli, but I insist he has the same as everyone else on his plate but only has to eat the bits he likes.

Also, I serve ds incredibally small portions probably no more than the size of my palm. So a roast dinner would be tablespoon of mash, one brocolli floret, 3 carrot slices and a couple of very small chunks of meat. It does look very inadequate as a meal but it is less daunting for him and he can always ask for more. This btw works very well.

Earlgrey, this is really easy to say - but at 8 I think I would put my foot down and take the meltdown. She's old enough to know about healthy food and she's old enough to cope with being hungry for a while if she doen't eat what's on offer. How about giving her fair warning "As from Monday I will put your tea on the table. If you don't eat it, then there's nothing else until the next meal, apart from fruit" Make sure she understands why it's so important to eat well, then just do it. But make sure there's plenty of wine in (for you, not her!) And whatever you do, don't get into a debate about it. "There's tea. Oh. don't you want it? Ok, help yourself to fruit if you're hungry later. I'm off to do the washing/have a bath/read the paper/play with[]go on Mumsnet" Try not to let her take control of the situation, and once you start, stick to it!
Good luck!