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Original poster

Just want an opinion about feeding your los.....

63 replies

UCM · 19/05/2007 19:59

Recently on holiday with IL's, SIL & me were talking about what my DS eats and what her granddaughter eats and I told her that I wouldn't give my DS some of the stuff that was being given to her daughter. Well, they stayed for 2 days before our holiday and noticed that DS doesn't really eat alot. Doing the shop at the beginning of the holiday, she suggested several foods full of additives. I joked and said 'do you know JUST how many E nos in that stuff' and she just sort of laughed. When we got to the Pot noodle aisle, she asked if DS ate them. I said 'fark off no ' and she said 'well if you gave him a bit more crap he might start eating'. I am by no means a food snob. He eats sausage rolls and on ocasion McDonalds, crisps biscuits etc. But I am now wondering whether I am doing it all wrong as I make healthy dinners from scratch and don't give him processed food. He is very thin, will forgo dinner or lunch if he doesn't want it and I am seeing a paed on the 7th June.... Well??

OP posts:
Original poster
UCM · 19/05/2007 20:00

Given by her daughter, that should have read.

OP posts:
franca70 · 19/05/2007 20:10

I think you are doing the right thing UCM, I can't see how pot noodles could be more nutricious than your homemade dinners.

lulumama · 19/05/2007 20:20

so eating a pot noodle will somehow make him want to eat more?? if he only eats a little, better it is nutritious with some crap on the side, rather than all crap, no?

lulumama · 19/05/2007 20:20

so eating a pot noodle will somehow make him want to eat more?? if he only eats a little, better it is nutritious with some crap on the side, rather than all crap, no?

Wallace · 19/05/2007 20:22

Well, unless you are a very bad cook.....

Original poster
UCM · 19/05/2007 20:23

Thank you both for your answers. I know that if I give in and give him non home made stuff with chips, that is all he will want every night and he is hardly going to get healthier on those. TBH I would give some burger & chips meals, but only if he ate some healthy ones as well IYKWIM.

OP posts:
Original poster
UCM · 19/05/2007 20:23

LOL Wallace. Nah, I have been told I am a fairly good one.

OP posts:
Muminfife · 19/05/2007 20:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

docket · 19/05/2007 20:26

Doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong to me UCM. Not sure why giving him a pot noodle is going to make him eat more?!

TheArmadillo · 19/05/2007 20:27

could you do healthier versions of the junk? Like homemade burgers and homemade oven chips or wedges? Do you think that would encourage him to eat them?

Sympathies for having a child who doesn't particularly like eating. I know with ds I have sometimes thought that amybe if I gave him crap then maybe he would eat. But the answer (at least for mine) is no. MAybe he would eat for the first day and then the problems would still be there. Junk food would just make his health worse as he still wouldn't be eating very much but on top he wouldn't be getting much from the food either.

Hope your paed appointment goes well.

bozza · 19/05/2007 20:28

UCM, your concerns and the impending paed appt are giving you a wobble. At least if you get referred to a dietitian you will be able to hold your head up about what he is being offered. I think your SIL's comment was a bit of an over defensive reponse to your rather rude reply to her tbh.

moondog · 19/05/2007 20:28

UCM, have you written this in a bid to get me out cracking my whip and hurling insults??

Huh? Huh???

Sweet mother of Christ,what do you really think???

moondog · 19/05/2007 20:29

How many kids in the Western world do yuo really think are dengerously underweight???

C'mahn, get a grip

(and cancel paed. appt.)

Hilllary · 19/05/2007 20:30

You are doing fine, the body has to work twice as hard with empty calories - foods which have no goodness in, the body needs a set amount of nutrients per day as we all know, by her giving her dd 'crap' food her dd's body is just getting bigger without the nutreient benefit, whereas you are giving your dc full goodness in his meals meaning he is more healthy than her dd as his body has no empty callories in it, his weight and build is true.

Does this make sense or am I rambling on again?

squidgeymiller · 19/05/2007 20:30

I'm with you UCM. I make all DD's food unless we're out during the day, when she can have whatever we have (she's just turned 1), whether it be pizza hut, proper restaurant foor or macdonalds. She's also quite petite and doesn't always eat very much, however, she's very healthy and happy. I just put it down to the fact that processed foods are full of e-numbers and less actual fresh nutrients, so won't fill em up as much, and they'll need to eat more.

On another note, I don't really care what other people say - how can processed junk full of preservatives and additives be better for a growing baby than real food?

will stop now otherwise will turn into a real rant, and I don't want to go there!!

TheArmadillo · 19/05/2007 20:31

Just thought as well - with ds I often get so worried and fed up of his eating that I try to think of anything that could be a short cut to him eating better. SOmething I could have done differently. HAve I been too strict on what he eats etc. But its not - itsall to do wtih how I'm feeling rather than what is rational (IYSWIM)

FrannyandZooey · 19/05/2007 20:31

Sounds like she was maybe feeling a bit got at and needed to strike back by picking on a weak spot

doesn't sound like a very constructive conversation on either side tbh, probably a subject doomed to end in tears

your way of doing things is the much the same as mine so obviously we are right I think healthy family dinners cooked from scratch should be the starting point for any diet and will not do any harm. Sorry to hear your worries about ds's eating and hope the paed apptment is helpful

PinkTulips · 19/05/2007 20:32

my mom says this to me... she actually accused me of child abuse a few months ago because i wouldn't offer dd cake instead of the dinner she hadn't touched

you're doing the right thing, dd's eating has picked up loads since we changed her diet and she's started feeling well again but she still eat tiny potions (ie, only a bite or 2) but we fill her up with continous healthy snacks. she seems to thrive on this way of eating so we stick with it

Original poster
UCM · 19/05/2007 20:33

Hi MD, wondered when you would turn up . The paed appt is because ds fainted/collapsed recently. Coupled with the fact that he sleeps an awful lot for a 3.6 year old, 7-7 plus 2/3 hour naps....GP said give him healthy food after his bloods came back a bit anaemic. So it's all meat & veg at the mo. But he hates it and will literally starve himself. I think I am just feeling guilty that when he asks for crap I refuse as then he would eat something IYKWIM. I know it's right, I just needed reassurance that what I am doing is right.

OP posts:
PinkTulips · 19/05/2007 20:36

could he take a miltivitamin? i get animal parade ones in the health shop and dd loves them, she needs the extra iron and vits as she won't touch meat or veg no matter how it's disguised or hidden

Original poster
UCM · 19/05/2007 20:41

Well PT I did ask the GP this but he said he would rather not because of his age. I love my GP so didn't question it. I guess I will just have to wait until June 7th. If anyone has any good questions I can ask, I would love to know them, I have a few of my own and will be writing them down as I know once I get my turn, I will forget to ask stuff that I thought was important.

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franca70 · 19/05/2007 20:42

What does he like UCM?

TheArmadillo · 19/05/2007 20:42

low iron levels can cause a lack of appetite so a multivitamin might help. I used abidec with ds (but he was a bit younger).

moondog · 19/05/2007 20:43

Oh fair enough.
Why does it have to be meat & veg?
My kids seem to survive primarily on jam and cheese sandwiches whch i have no objection to.

Wallace · 19/05/2007 20:45

is that jam and cheese together, md?

ucm - you don't feed him "human food" do you?