Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

How to get child to eat better? Picky eater

30 replies

Jada2024 · 27/09/2024 23:38

Looking for ways to get my son to eat healthier. Things I can try hidden or not.
Recently he will only eat processed foods chicken nuggets and pizza. The only decent dinner I can get him to eat is ham and mash once the meat is mashed in with the potatoes I can also mash some turnip up with this. He has this dinner maybe once a week. This is the only vegetable he eats. He used to eat spaghetti bolognese but is now refusing it saying he doesn't like it.
I don't feel he's getting enough of any food group. Its also difficult trying to get him to eat lunches in school. And for breakfast he has maybe a spoon or 2 of some chocolate cereal. He used to eat porridge but now refuses it.

He wastes so much food and the only foods getting in to him isn't very healthy. I'm not sure what to try

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Jada2024 · 28/09/2024 14:31

thenightsaredrawingin · 28/09/2024 08:05

I found some success with my picky eater by letting him put his 'new' food on cocktail sticks. I offer a few things I know he will eat plus one new thing and he makes the skewers himself. If he has the new food he is also allowed the tomato dippy sauce. We started out with ketchup, then moved to low sugar, then zero sugar and now a homemade version. We did it very slowly and had no complaints. Look up food chaining, we found it helpful to move our son gradually to healthier options.

Cocktail sticks are a good idea. He used to like ketchup but in the last year won't touch it. He does dip his food in to bbq sauce

OP posts:

Original poster

Jada2024 · 28/09/2024 14:36

Lilactimes · 28/09/2024 12:43

Such a stressful time and age with food. Really feel for you.
unless he’s underweight - he’s probably getting enough so try to stay calm about it as I think they pick up on panic and then when it’s pushed they refuse as it’s a little way of them exerting their control.
So main things that worked for me was trying to stay calm; we never had snacks - maybe some fruit after school so my daughter was always very hungry by her lunch, dinner and breakfast; we ate the same meals together as often as physically possibly given I worked full time - but certainly nights I picked up at weekend. If she didn’t like the meal she had to try one mouthful. And if she hated it, she could have some toast or pasta but she had to try. She had to stay at table with me whilst I was eating and we chatted together.

I did this from 2yo and the start resulted in a few meals being thrown across the room!!! But she did try them and they became favourites!!

He's not underweight but I just feel he's going too long without eating. I'm lucky if he eats 2 spoonfuls of breakfast and he's often not eating in school. It takes a long time to find something he will eat in school and then eventually he stops eating it.
He is hungry when he comes in from school so you'd think that would help get decent food in to him but unfortunately it doesn't. He will just keep not eating the food until it's something he likes.
I eat lots of veg myself and introduced them all when he was young as an option and he just keeps refusing.
If anything he's just getting worse with foods

OP posts:

Shoopstoop · 29/09/2024 05:27

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General food

sashh · 29/09/2024 06:42

Jada2024 · 28/09/2024 14:25

He's 7.
I'll try the baking with veg. He loves to bake but doesn't always eat what he bakes. He'd be willing to experiment when it comes to baking for sure but not sure if he'd actually eat it.
I've never actually forced him to eat anything I've only ever gently encouraged tasting the food before deciding.
He actually picked up meatballs last week (I encourage him to look at foods in shops and see if there's something he wants to try sometimes it's easier to get him to try if he's decided he wants it)
He ate 1 and a half small meatballs.
Maybe they will become a food that he likes

Show quote history

Sorry I wasn't suggesting you forced him, I was just explaining my carer's difficulties.

I think sometimes being allowed to 'play' with food can help with getting used to textures / smell.

I'm glad he tried a meatball. You can get / make so many different types.

Will he eat soup?

Aria999 · 29/09/2024 13:09

I'm lucky if he eats 2 spoonfuls of breakfast and he's often not eating in school. It takes a long time to find something he will eat in school and then eventually he stops eating it.
He is hungry when he comes in from school so you'd think that would help get decent food in to him but unfortunately it doesn't. He will just keep not eating the food until it's something he likes.
I eat lots of veg myself and introduced them all when he was young as an option and he just keeps refusing.
If anything he's just getting worse with foods

Does sound a lot like DS8. Who was never great with veg but used to eat scrambled egg, sausages, mince etc. now lives on bread / fruit / yogurt. Wet food is an absolute no, even syrups etc. Also likes American breakfast food (pancakes/ waffles/ bacon) and that's about all.

Google sensory processing disorder and see if it seems relevant. I'm not sure it helps much but it might make you feel less like it's all your fault!

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread