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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

14 yr old son restricted diet

13 replies

SamineShaw · 09/08/2017 16:20

As the title suggests he's getting more and more restricted on what he'll eat, basically:

Bread and butter
Eggs
Instant Noodles
Chicken (as long as it's a breaded or battered never been chicken thing)
Tinned ravioli
Chips
Tomato soup
Weetabix occasionally

The all the worse crap:
Crisps
Chocolate
Ice cream

I'm fighting a losing battle don't know what to do next

OP posts:
lljkk · 09/08/2017 20:15

Is his diet all you're really worried about? I'm just trying to get a full picture.

lljkk · 09/08/2017 20:20

Also, you're leaving stuff out, I suspect.
If he has wheetabix, he probably has that with Milk.
I bet he has something on his chips, vinegar or ketchup, maybe.
How are the eggs prepared? Does he have them with salt or a sauce, fried in oil, maybe?

Will he eat any brand of tomato soup or only one?

If he has tinned ravioli, would he allow another type of pasta sauce?

What kind of bread will he eat... only one brand/type?
Does he toast the bread?

Since he's only 14, what was he eating for school lunches when last in school?

What was his diet like when he was 12yo?

Fiona1984 · 09/08/2017 20:26

Will he eat any fruit or vegetables at all?
DSS will only really eat beige food too, pretty much like your list above.
Meal planning when he is here can be tricky, we end up rotating the same few meals. It can be frustrating when you want them to eat healthily.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 09/08/2017 20:28

Can you take him food shopping and ask him to find new things in the supermarket he will try.

TheFrendo · 10/08/2017 00:20

What would happen if you did not buy anything on that list, or only bought a limited quantity of it?

DeanKoontz · 10/08/2017 00:30

What happens at tea time? Do you cook him something separately? Make him a 'version' of whatever you're having? Does he cook for himself?

And what about eating out? Do you cater to his tastes or occasionally force him out of his comfort zone?

I have a 13 yr old fussy eater so I know how it is. I am slowly handing her problem back over to her now and it is making her deal with it better than anything else I have ever tried.

Original poster
SamineShaw · 10/08/2017 15:34

Wow! That's a lot of questions sorry I've not come back quicker.

Ok, I am mainly worried about the amount he eats and a little bit about restricted although I do my best to ensure he has all food groups.

Yes he does have milk with cereal but he doesn't have that every day and will often go to school having had nothing to eat.

He has ketchup on chips, his eggs he has fried or scrambled on bread. He's not too fussy about brands although I've tried various pasta sauces and he picks for a while then says he's had enough.

He'll only eat white bread mainly as it comes with butter.

At school he'll have burgers (chicken/beef) hot dogs or breaded chicken wrap or fish and chips.

Only veg he will eat are carrots and corn in the cob and then only if he's in the mood. Fruit again sometimes he'll eat loads then he'll go weeks without touching it.

TheFrendo - if there was no foods he liked he would happily go without, and has done on various occasions.

I generally cook one meal, substituting the meat the rest of us are having with chicken nuggets or a chicken Kiev for him, but then he will invariably just eat the chicken and leave the pasta/rice/potato and the veg.

It's been getting steadily worse from about age 9.

OP posts:
Original poster
SamineShaw · 10/08/2017 16:25

Also concerned that the majority of what he eats is processed crap 😕

OP posts:
RandomUsernameHere · 10/08/2017 16:47

You could try giving him fresh homemade chicken goujons

Lumbagokid · 10/08/2017 16:54

What is his BMI?
I would probably only be worried if he was over/underweight but it's only natural to be concerned when it's your child having such a restricted diet.

Original poster
SamineShaw · 10/08/2017 23:54

I've tried the homemade ones he doesn't like them 🙄

Not sure on his bmi at the moment, I'll try and find out

OP posts:
Katiekatie37 · 11/08/2017 07:13

My DD is pretty much the same , always has been. She gags when looking/smelling certain foods even on adverts. However my DD has a very strange taste it's either bland pasta (no sauce but grated cheese) but she will often sit and eat pickles onions (the whole jar). She will drink fruit smoothies, if the consistency is right and eat raspberries as long as they are not ripe yet.

WhenTheDragonsCame · 11/08/2017 11:09

My 9 year is is similar. She will eat meat and pasta dishes but her fruit and vegetable intake is incredibly limited. She will eat bananas, raisins and dried apricots but no other fruit. Veg is even worse and she will only eat baked beans Hmm I can put spinach in pesto or cauliflower in cheese sauce but I don't think she is getting a full portion.

She won't even eat things she normally does if they are a bit different. Yogurts have to be children's with no bits and not low fat. Milk has to be semi skimmed, we visited family recently and she refused to eat her breakfast because it had whole milk on.

Just to reassure you I was terrible when I was a child and had a limited range and volume I would eat. At nearly 40 I now eat most things and far too much of it. My parents never pressured me to eat things I didn't want to and I think that really helped.

It does get frustrating at times though.

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