Picky eating or something else ?

[HollyJenni]

My daughter is 7 years old.
She started finger foods at the age of 4-6 months and ate most foods we gave her.
once she started school and nursery, we noticed food becoming a bit more of a problem and of course at the time, my OH was working long hours so she ate dinner alone and myself and him ate later once she was in bed.
I have always thought she would grow out of the fussiness but I feel like she might have done by now.
In the week, she will eat the usual, nuggets, chips, corn on the cob, noodles, pasta, egg on toast etc and at weekends we are trying to get her to eat similar to us. She has packed lunched at school and doesn’t eat it all.
I’ve tried putting it on the table so she can help herself and involving her in the cooking etc.
im at my wits end as im really worried about her lack of variation in her diet etc.
she doesn’t drink fizzy drinks, only water and occasional orange juice.
she gets fresh air and we walk to and from school etc.

Yesterday she broke my heart as she said, “my brain tells me to try new foods but my tummy says to stop as it might not be safe”.

Eating is quite a sociable experience, children see adults eating things and it makes it safe for them to try them. Could you eat with her at least a couple of nights in the week. Think of something she might like to try, get her involved with the cooking and sit down together to eat it. Don’t comment on whether she tries it or how much she eats. Instead find something she is interested in to chat about and enjoy eating with her.

We have seen a nutritionist who recommends school dinners for picky eaters because of the influence of their peers. I am frequently astonished at what mine will seemingly happily eat at school that I know they wouldn’t even try at home. After it’s a regular at school, it can then make its way onto our menu.

Do you still offer new foods?Always a safe food or foods on the plate, but include something new with no comment or pressure, with praise if they try it.

My Dd was a small and picky eater.

i resorted to feeding like a grazing table. Usually chopped apple/cucumber/red pepper/shredded carrots while I cooked the inevitable nuggets and chips. I tended to think of her food in terms of veg/protein/carb. Sometimes I ate with her, and sometimes later with my husband.

Im so glad I didn’t stress with her and just accepted she didn’t really eat meals. As long as she got most food groups in I let it go.

It turned out she is coeliac. She didn’t realise when she was a child that most people don’t have an uncomfortable tummy after eating.

Id try to unearth what she means by thinking food is ‘unsafe’.