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Original poster

Bit worried

36 replies

Astrid34 · 09/01/2023 18:53

Hi everyone. Just looking for a bit of advice or tips. My daughter is 6 years old and seems to be eating an awful lot. I’ve tried forever to try and get her to eat fruit and veg…she will stretch to peas in a pod and apples and strawberries but trying to get her to eat a healthy diet is proving very difficult. School says that she eats all her dinner which is great, it’s a tiny school she goes to and the dinners are fantastic

its just i noticed that I bought some clothes today in a size up and very tight across her tummy

it doesn’t help I’m an appalling cook. Would it be a good idea to maybe buy a recipe book ?. I would never ever make it an issue, I have dealt with an eating disorder way before she was born, went to therapy and have a good relationship with food now

please no hate,I’m just a worried mum who could do with advice on how as a parent I can help try to better the food!

OP posts:
OnlyFoolsnMothers · 09/01/2023 22:10

if she regularly asks for seconds then I wouldn’t have made another sandwich straight away. I would say have some water and give it 30mins and see if still hungry/ distract her.
Also my 5 year old has become ridiculously fussy- I know the things she used to eat though and has never eaten. Those she used to eat still appear on her plate and I expect her to try or there’s no other food.
Hows her activity levels?

TattieBogle12 · 09/01/2023 22:17

My five year old is an absolute boredom eater. She will graze and graze all day long (then not eating any meals) unless she is directed into something specific.

peachgreen · 09/01/2023 22:19

This is what works for me and my DD who is almost 5.

  • I focus on getting protein and good fats into her during her meals which keeps her fuller for longer.
  • I talk to her a lot about the different things food does, not with any kind of value judgement but she knows the protein helps her get stronger and smarter, colourful fruit and veg has vitamins to help her stay well, dairy has good fat and calcium to keep her hair shiny and her bones and teeth healthy, carbohydrates give her a short burst of energy etc and we talk about what she needs in that moment when she’s making a choice about what to eat.
  • If she’s hungry between mealtimes she gets a glass of water and then she can come back in 20 minutes if she’s still hungry for a snack. I’d say it’s about 50/50, maybe even slightly more in favour of her not coming back!
  • Snacks are and always have been fruit, raw veg, crackers and cheese, plain yoghurt with fruit, or unsalted nuts. Nothing else is ever offered, without exception. Even sweets are eaten as part of a meal. As mentioned, we talk about what she thinks she needs some of when she’s deciding.
  • We cook together a lot and talk about the ingredients, taste and smell them etc. This is actually easier for me as I’m a single mum too and it saves me having to juggle cooking and entertaining her! It also helps me try new recipes.

Hope some of that is helpful!

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6 year olds Families General food General parenting
TattieBogle12 · 09/01/2023 22:33

peachgreen · 09/01/2023 22:19

This is what works for me and my DD who is almost 5.

  • I focus on getting protein and good fats into her during her meals which keeps her fuller for longer.
  • I talk to her a lot about the different things food does, not with any kind of value judgement but she knows the protein helps her get stronger and smarter, colourful fruit and veg has vitamins to help her stay well, dairy has good fat and calcium to keep her hair shiny and her bones and teeth healthy, carbohydrates give her a short burst of energy etc and we talk about what she needs in that moment when she’s making a choice about what to eat.
  • If she’s hungry between mealtimes she gets a glass of water and then she can come back in 20 minutes if she’s still hungry for a snack. I’d say it’s about 50/50, maybe even slightly more in favour of her not coming back!
  • Snacks are and always have been fruit, raw veg, crackers and cheese, plain yoghurt with fruit, or unsalted nuts. Nothing else is ever offered, without exception. Even sweets are eaten as part of a meal. As mentioned, we talk about what she thinks she needs some of when she’s deciding.
  • We cook together a lot and talk about the ingredients, taste and smell them etc. This is actually easier for me as I’m a single mum too and it saves me having to juggle cooking and entertaining her! It also helps me try new recipes.

Hope some of that is helpful!

Mums like you astound me.

Everything is rushed in my house. In from school/work, chuck something in oven, clubs/bath/bed. Engaging my five year old in cooking usually results in her sucking tomato purée out of the tube while I pick up the mince she has dropped on the floor.

Where do you find the time and energy?

peachgreen · 09/01/2023 22:37

TattieBogle12 · 09/01/2023 22:33

Mums like you astound me.

Everything is rushed in my house. In from school/work, chuck something in oven, clubs/bath/bed. Engaging my five year old in cooking usually results in her sucking tomato purée out of the tube while I pick up the mince she has dropped on the floor.

Where do you find the time and energy?

Show quote history

Ha! I only have one child, I work from home and have a flexible boss, I have a cleaner once a week, and – most importantly – DD is an incredibly obedient child who pretty much does what she’s told when she’s told and makes my life a zillion times easier. This is entirely by sheer luck, I take no credit whatsoever. She has her own challenges – her dad died suddenly when she was 2 so she has pretty bad separation anxiety and can be very emotional! But in general she’s an easy child. Also I have had eating problems my entire life right up until about 2 years ago, which I guess is why it’s a priority for me to get it right with her and why it’s something I focus on.

peachgreen · 09/01/2023 22:38

Also there are loads of things I’m shit at. She’s almost 5 and she hasn’t had swimming lessons yet.

TattieBogle12 · 09/01/2023 22:51

peachgreen · 09/01/2023 22:37

Ha! I only have one child, I work from home and have a flexible boss, I have a cleaner once a week, and – most importantly – DD is an incredibly obedient child who pretty much does what she’s told when she’s told and makes my life a zillion times easier. This is entirely by sheer luck, I take no credit whatsoever. She has her own challenges – her dad died suddenly when she was 2 so she has pretty bad separation anxiety and can be very emotional! But in general she’s an easy child. Also I have had eating problems my entire life right up until about 2 years ago, which I guess is why it’s a priority for me to get it right with her and why it’s something I focus on.

Show quote history

Ah she sounds lovely. As do you. She’s lucky to have such a mum.

Also there’s nothing wrong with not having swimming lessons at 5 🙈

peachgreen · 09/01/2023 23:03

Bless you @TattieBogle12 , thank you. She is a wee gem, but more by luck than judgement…!

Bunce1 · 09/01/2023 23:07

A cook book is a great idea-

I do love Jamie Oliver- maybe go to Waterstones together and have a browse? There are loads out there. Can’t go wrong with a delia smith one- charity shop will be good. Also there is a great tray bake book- cannot remember the name of it though! Unhelpful.

ReallyShouldBeDoingSomethingElse · 10/01/2023 09:47

Something that could be a quick easy win is to make sure there's no dextrose in her diet. Dextrose really triggers overeating for me. If I buy a box of cereal with Dextrose in it I can nearly get through the whole box.

Other than this I have a good diet and a good approach to eating but Dextrose seems to have a chemical effect on me.

Check any cereals, puddings, sweets for Dextrose (there are plenty of sweet options without it so your DD might not even notice this change).

Other than that I agree with @peachgreen 's approach. DD knows why every meal needs protein and which foods contain it, and that we're more likely to get grumpy/tired/sad if we've not had protein. She genuinely loves veg, probably because I do and knows about the different vitamins and what they do. Generally I buy all our food online but once a fortnight we'll go to our local farmshop and DD will be allowed to choose the veg for Sunday lunch which she loves doing (and they all look much more appealing than the plastic-wrapped stuff in Tesco).

I'm slightly more relaxed about sweets as we had them restricted as kids ourselves and we just found devious ways to eat them without DM knowing! My DD has a sweets bag she can have something from whenever she wants, but because she's grown up seeing every type of food as equal value she doesn't go mad for them and only has sweets/chocolate a couple of times a week and never in huge quantities.

BettyBoopy · 10/01/2023 10:13

My daughter is exactly like this. Same age too but in 7-8 clothes. She's very active but constantly hungry. Some things I'm trying... more protein with meals to make her feel full, ensure she's not thirsty as this can be mistaken for hunger, not have crisps or biscuits in the house (she will ask for them constantly!) so they can be a treat when we visit Nanny or whatever, notice her hungry times and make sure you have filling but healthy food available. I take an apple and a baby bel when I pick her up from school. One thing I'm struggling with is that she takes food from her siblings plates if she finishes eating before them! Sometimes I think she just likes eating!!!

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