r.e dd eating habits at the end of my tether!

[ScooseIsLoose]

Hi all just looking for advice really as don't know what to do. Dd is 3.6 and has autism ( not yet diagnosed but on the autistic spectrum pathway just waiting for official DX) she will literally only eat the same couple of foodstuffs over and over again and I don't know where to begin trying to get her to try to eat new things. She refuses any fresh fruit or veg and I'm worried sick about her getting all the vitamin s she needs I do give her a vitamin supplement but obviously would prefer her to eat better. I have tried to just introduce new foods alongside things she eats and not make a big deal if them but she then refuses to eat at all!! Obviously I can't force feed her! So does anyone have any help/advice on what I can do? TiaÂ

hi polter breakfast is usually some shreddies she will only have them dry with a beaker of milk, lunch is usually some toast only buttered she won't have anything on/with it and a yoghurt. dinner is either a small pizza, some fish and vegetable shapes or chicken dippers with a fruit pot afterwards and usually a small milkybar or cake although she is now refusing her fruit so I am refusing her treat. she won't eat any type of fresh vegetable or fruit sobtry my best to get it into her however I can.

she usually drinks sugar free juice during the day but trying to get her to drink more water

Thanks for the advice no she won't drink smoothies or eat lumpy yoghurts must be a texture thing she also will only eat cheese and tomato pizza and knows straight away if it's been tampered with, I try not to put any pressure on her and just put things on her plate then if she doesn't eat them I remove it without saying a word.

Sounds like you're doing well Scoose. My DS is 9 and has a similar diet and has done for years. I'm quite relaxed about it these days. He's remarkably healthy.

I do know people who have had success with ABA type method to sort out food issues. I haven't got the energy right now.

I recommend keeping a food diary over a week instead of daily, you get a better picture of what is eaten the way and you might find that there is something from all thefood groups, it looks like there might be from your list.

Dd3 only ate marmite sandwiches, cheese and cherry tomatos for about 12 months when she was little but despite me being very worried about her she was fine.

Personally I prefer juice or high juice squash to get maybe a bit more healthy stuff down them.

I have seen programs about children who eat nothing but chocolate and crisps so I think you and your Dd are doing ok.

If she does have Asd I wouldnt advise adding new foods "for a change" as my DP insists on doing randomly, it never ends well.

Good luck

I suppose I was lucky really because I had already had a child with food intolerances so was fairly used to a restricted diet.

I have to say the best of both marmite sandwich is a great standby for us even now. Dd3 still has it everyday for school lunch and would eat it for tea too if she doesnt like whats on offer.

She eats a huge range of food now in a funny kind of way, I definitely think it is one thing you need to let them have a bit of control over otherwise it can become a massive issue.

Hi scoose

Your dd's diet doesn't sound bad at all! Tbh not a lot of 3 year olds are keen on vegetables so I would carry on giving her her vitamins.

My dd will only eat roast potatoes and has tried broccoli but hated it. I sometimes boil carrots right down to mash and hide it in her lasagna, or hide peppers in the homemade burgers.

My brother grew up on no vegetables (he's NT) and is perfectly healthy, hardly ever I'll, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Thank you for your replies everyone they have made me feel a lot better!