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5 yr old dd fussy eater and getting fussier!

11 replies

jendaisy · 21/02/2010 21:59

My dd is a vegetarian like me, although I have always had an open mind to her eating meat and offered it to her occasionally since she was a baby - she has never wanted to eat it though.

Tje problem is, she doesn't really eat vegetables either. When she was a baby she would eat pretty much all vegetables when they were steamed and mushed up, but as she got to be a toddler she got fussier and fussier and that trend seems to be continuing.

For instance, when she was about 2, she would eat baked potatoes with tuna and sweetcorn, or baked beans and cheese, then she went off the tuna, then the baked beans, then the cheese, until when she was about 4 she would only eat plain baked potato with butter, now she is 5.5 and she won't eat potatoes at all!

This has happened with loads of stuff, I tell myself she will get better with time but it seems to be going the other way. Now when it comes to hot meals she will only eat fish fingers and chips, or macoroni tossed in butter with garlic bread and tomatoes - or pizza but only if it's from Pizza Hut. She will not entertain the idea of eating any other meals which is bloody frustrating. She won't eat any cooked veg at all - but will eat carrots and green beans raw. She eats a lot of fruit which is one good thing.

Her already limited diet is getting more and more limited and I cannot get her to try new foods for love nor money, it's like she is actually petrified at the idea, and if I do persuade her to have a tiny nibble she just pulls a face without even waiting to see what it tastes like and says she doesn't like it. I have always been quite chilled out with her over it as I don't want to turn mealtimes into a battle but I am beginning to worry that she is going to end up seriously unhealthy if she does not have a more varied diet.

Sorry for the long ramble. Help!

OP posts:
CoteDAzur · 21/02/2010 22:05

We started with "Carrots make eyes shiny like princess eyes" and seeing she started eating carrots, went on to "chicken makes your legs strong", "eggs make your hands strong", "green vegetables make your hair grow like princess hair" etc.

Now DD actually likes and eats green vegetables and eggs.

navyeyelasH · 21/02/2010 22:12

sorry this probably wont help but...

If you were 5 what would you rather eat? Pizza hut of jacket potato with tuna?

I'm 26 and would still opt for a pizza hut ever time!

jendaisy · 21/02/2010 22:19

Ah yes - she does actually eat eggs, I forgot to mention that! But only boiled - which is better than not eating them at all.

Yeah I would go for Pizza Hut too, the point is though she will happily scoff a cheese and tomato pizza in there, and then want another one, but if I cook a cheese and tomato pizza at home she doesn't want to know! Yet another thing she has stopped eating over time...it's like if the food isn't in exactly the right format she won't eat it. Near Xmas I met up for lunch with my mum in Prezzo and ordered dd a cheese and tom pizza there and the little bugger wouldn't even try it because they are very different to Pizza Hut pizzas....it's infuriating!

OP posts:
navyeyelasH · 21/02/2010 22:34

jendaisy, have you tried cooking food for her and then not offering her anything else until the next meal?

I know it's a textbook answer but I work with children and find parents are always reluctant to do this. (I'm not a parent so maybe I will be eating my words at some point!).

If I were looking after her I would cook something that I know she likes and something that is new. Start off rewarding for trying new foods then change to rewarding for eating new foods.

I always say to children they have an "energy meter" on their tummy that my special eyes (contact lenses) help me see. Food makes the energy meter full up which means they will have lots of energy so will be a fast runner, a high jumper, etc etc. If the food doesn't go in and the energy meter is too low then they tired and sometimes a bit poorly which means they wont be able to jump as high etc.

Other things I've tried (with varying success), playing with food items, so pasta pictures, rainbow rice etc. Getting the child to help with preparing the meal/pick the shopping etc.

It doesn't have to be a battle. You offer the food she doesn't want it fine, don't get stressed or worried she isn't going to wither away.

navyeyelasH · 21/02/2010 22:36

Also arranging food in funny shapes etc.

jendaisy · 21/02/2010 22:54

Thanks for that answer - I have tried a lot of those things - e.g. getting her to cook with me. A few weeks go we made choc chip cookies (not healthy I know but I thought it would be a start to getting her involved in cooking food then eating it). Then when they were ready she would go near them, because they didn't look exactly like bloody Maryland cookies! I mean what child turns down freshly baked cookies?! (they were very nice btw!).

I've tried the nicey nicey approach and now going for scaring the bejeezus out of her by telling her she will be very unhealthy when she is older if she doesn't start eating some different foods, especially as she is a vegetarian. But not eating cooked vegetables is a major problem - try finding veggie recipes for kids that don't involve cooked vegetables! She won't eat 'fake meat' things like veggie sausages or burgers either....

OP posts:
navyeyelasH · 21/02/2010 22:59

TBH Jen I find nothing really works other than not giving them a choice when they are quite stubborn about not trying new things!

It really doesn't have to be a battle though I think that is what most parents are worried about?

sanfairyann · 21/02/2010 23:04

ds1 is a pita about food and recently is trying the whole 'shop bought is better' line, so turns his nose up at home made pizzas/cakes etc. I ignore it (or take the piss if in a bad mood) - he just doesn't get an alternative. he's usually found near the fruit bowl some time later.

we do school dinners - let school fight the battle, they're much more likely to get them to eat new things

we don't have lots of biscuits/cakes in the house for snacks

he isn't allowed to fill up on juice either

and no more than 1 piece of bread per meal - or else that's all he has

he loves home made soup which I can stuff full of veggies and then blend - it's a lifesaver

exexpat · 21/02/2010 23:04

Peer pressure or hero worship helps. Does she have any older friends/cousins she looks up to? As long as they are unfussy eaters, get them round for a meal or go somewhere to eat together and point out that they are eating all sorts of stuff. Or it might be even better if you weren't there. My two have eaten all sorts of things for the first time when at friends' houses, and sometimes carry on eating them when I give them the same thing.

Also, have you read some of the fussy eating books with her? Eg the Charlie and Lola one about I will not ever never eat a tomato? There are also a couple of books about a boy called Oliver, one with fruit and one with vegetables, that I found quite useful with my two vegetarian fussy eaters.

seeker · 21/02/2010 23:14

You know, the two things I wish I had known when I started this parent hood lark was a) if they are happly and energetic and healthy they are getting all the nutrition they need from somewhere and b) it doesn't actually matter.

My dd was a picky eater and I worried myself sick. She is now a beautiful, physically perfect 14 year old who eill eat anything except tomatoes. And hoe I worries about her eating!

I didn't worry at all about my ds, now 9 - and he eats most things - apart from fruit, which her considers rank poison.
Offer good appetizing food. If it's eaten, fine. If it's not also fine. Don't mix emotion and mealtimes - that way madness lies.

ilovespinach · 22/02/2010 10:37

My ds1 is like this. I feel a lot better since I have started to think about what he WILL eat and not focus on all the things he won't....

So your DD will eat eggs, raw carrots, fish, cheese, fruit etc.....

Think kids can pick up on all of the stress and that makes it worse.

Since I started to do this, ds1 has decided himself that he wants to try a few new things...

Guess what I am saying is relax...you can't make her eat anything so as long as some of the things she eats are good try not to worry...

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