I...have...HAD IT!!! with DD's food issues. - Page 4

[LaughingHyena]

I have picky eaters here too, it's so frustrating to hear "I don't like xyz" from one or both of them at each meal time. I can also relate to the food waste.

For the wast issues I have to agree with PP that really small portions are the way to go. We have several tiny plastic tubs which I use to store things in the fridge for later snacks. So the meat from DDs plate that she did not eat will come out with her snack later.

Now DD is older we have done a lot of talking about how her body needs a variety of foods to grow and be strong. We've also been talking about favourite foods and how everyone has different favourites and I can't cook everyone's favourite every night. This seems to be sinking in.

I try to involve the kids in making the menu for the week before we go shopping but they do not get to choose which meals we have on any given night. That said I do find that for both of them there is some anxiety in not knowing what is coming, they do much better when I am organised and can let them know in the morning what the evening meal will be.

I'm not into the cutting sandwiches into fun shapes (still leaves me lots of waste). They do like tiny cubes of things to spear on cocktail sticks (cheese,, fruit, raisins etc). Also things seem to be more attractive if they are served on the play dishes. Apparently sandwichs taste better at the teddy bears picnic

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by seashells

Wow, I had actually wondered if there were any kids like that. It seems to me that picky eaters are a product of privilege. But maybe there are some real exceptions to that.

.

There are totally exceptions!!! I was raised in a poverty stricken home and refused to eat. The dr told my parents to just not feed me anything else and I'd come around, kids don't let themselves starve blah blah blah. I held out for 4 days and passed out in the bathroom. I was 5.

I'm better now! lol

OP, I would get rid of the cereal, and maybe adopt a snack drawer in the fridge. Cut up veg and fruit, cheese and meats, hard boiled eggs etc.

And she can help herself (with parent monitoring of course) these are all things you and your dh can eat too, so the food won't be wasted.

[catnip]

Originally Posted by LaughingHyena

I'm not into the cutting sandwiches into fun shapes (still leaves me lots of waste). They do like tiny cubes of things to spear on cocktail sticks (cheese,, fruit, raisins etc). Also things seem to be more attractive if they are served on the play dishes. Apparently sandwichs taste better at the teddy bears picnic

I avoid waste by cutting the bread with a cookie cutter picked to minimize waste before making the sandwich and then savingthe scraps for breadcrumbs or making a "puzzle sandwich."

[bandgeek]

OP, I only read the first page, but I can relate to a lot of what you are dealing with. My son is 5 1/2 and while he's higher on the growth charts, he has the same eating habits. I suspect he's only a good weight because his dad feeds him fast food quite often, which is not healthy either. I've been brushed off by 2 docs now because he's a decent weight, which is really annoying because the kid doesn't eat! I've been told by friends and family that I need to chill out. It doesn't make me feel any better.

I was a bit of a picky eater when I was a kid. I've known many picky eaters. NONE of them could hold out that long before they ate something. Yet my son can go an entire day and just have a cup of applesauce. It's not normal.

He's always been a poor eater. He had reflux as a baby and gagged and choked on *everything*. And barfed a LOT. He lost a lot of weight as a toddler when my milk supply dropped from my second pregnancy. I finally got him to gain a lb before she was born and then after she was born he gained 3 lbs in the first month because when my milk came in he thought christmas came early. But then he weaned and weight gain was quite slow after that.

He goes through spurts...sometimes he'll eat ok, other times I'd swear there's something seriously wrong with him (like when he'll refuse to eat for 18+ hours and then lay on the floor and cry...I suspect he's "crashing").

He DOES eat veggies quite well, which is awesome, but they are so low calorie that it doesn't do a whole lot for his energy and hunger. He doesn't dip or use any condiments. I do end up feeding him what he prefers a lot of the time, which thankfully IS decently healthy...peanut butter sandwiches. I buy whole wheat bread and low-sugar PB.

The thing is, my son ISN'T that picky. He likes tons of food. He just thinks it's a chore to eat. Bah! I'm seriously considering buying a kid formula type drink and using that as needed. Just need one that's dairy-free. *sigh*

[PatienceAndLove]

OP-
My DD was having food issues, and I couldn't figure out why.
Like a PP mentioned, it was portion size. Additionally, it was other foods touching each other. We stopped at the Corelle outlet, and they had small divided plates! They are a life saver!
No portion is too big, and no touching foods! We added some wee cereal bowls, (we have a few of these on hand, as well) a few juice glasses (the small ones), and a few "dip-dip" cups, and she is happy as a clam!

Perhaps having small bowls and plates on hand (forcing DH to use smaller portions) would be helpful?

And following what a PP said about having foods for her (without prep) within reach- I saw this Nibble Tray, and thought of this thread!

[tscmommy109]

I would look into having her chewing skills evaluated. Eating takes and incredible amount of coordination and the hypotonia can play a factor into it. We have been fighting this for over a year with DD and she just physically can't chew protiens- everything that is offered either must be chopped to a hotdog texture or cooked in a slow cooker to give her a fighting chance. We just found out about a reflux and have seen a small improvment in appetite. DD is also a cereal addict, but mainly for the fact cereal is extremely easy to chew as is anything crunchy. One thing we do is keep a food journal and when it's the most frustrasting you can look back and see if she really ate more then what you think in a day. Hope you are finding some answers soon.

[WC_hapamama]

We're currently in the midst of picky eating land with my 4 1/2 year old. My little guy lives on milk, cheese, yogurt, pretzels, crackers, rice, chicken nuggets, pasta, some soups, cereal, meatballs and green peas. Needless to say, he gets a daily multivitamin and I hide veggies where I can.

I've found that toddlers and preschoolers eat better when they're presented with smaller portions. I use smaller sized plates, bowls and cups when serving their food. My kids have their own cabinet in the kitchen with their smaller plates, cups and bowls.

[mamadelbosque]

DS1 can be way picky sometimes too... Which is a large part of why I keep Juice Plus Complete around to mix w/ milk - it adds like another 7 grams of protein along with lots of other good stuff. I *THINK* its dairy free (most of their stuff is all from fruits/veggies/etc), so maybe that'd be an option? I've only ever mixed it with raw milk myself, but I'm sure it'd be fine w/ soymilk or even water!!

[earthmama369]

I haven't read the entire thread yet, just the first two pages, but the way you describe your daughter sniffing her food before deciding to eat it or not -- and most of the time deciding not -- rings a bell with me. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it's reminding me of, but it's not something I would just wait for her to grow out of. I would look for a pediatric specialist, maybe a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, and really keep at it until I found someone who could be of help. This sounds like you've tried everything under the sun, and you've kept a really healthy attitude toward how you present food, but she's just not going for it. Given that her food choices are getting more and more restricted, to the point where you can observe her behavior and predict when she's going to reject another food she used to eat, she might benefit from an evaluation for muscle tone and developmental issues, and possibly occupational therapy or feeding therapy. I don't say this to be alarmist. You're clearly thinking very hard about how to help her and paying a lot of attention to her trends, and that's exactly what she needs from you. It just seems like this is more than just being picky.

[Sol_y_Paz]

I have been thinking about you guys lately.
As you are talking about your DD getting special time with her dad over cereal - I wanted to let you know I think even as an adult person I would forgo most foods for the opportunity to have one on one time with one of my favorite guys in the whole wide world - even if that meant cereal.
Can they bond over another food perhaps?
I can understand 100% why you are concerned.
Sorry you guys are dealing with this but I think it is great all the different viewpoints and suggestions offered in this thread. How has it been lately?

[kittywitty]

I also just read the first page.

How is it going, OP? It sounds like my 2 yo. My other kids are a little picky, but eat a wide range. My fourth, though...I'm just happy if she eats. I am one of the few people you're going to find on here lately that are not in the "let them eat whatever they want" camp *because* of my youngest. Doing that with her has led her to have such a limited range and be so little that it's unhealthy. She's 23 lbs. and 2.5 years old. I have had to cut out sugar almost entirely except rare treats, limit cereals to healthy choices, and start actually manipulating her to eat at meals because she's so underweight. It's starting to work and she now likes and asks for things like yogurt (homemade greek yogurt-so much less expensive and no added sugar), homemade granola, nuts, rarely meat, and vegetables. By god, the kid never ate a vegetable besides a little carrot mixed in my chocolate fondue until she was 2 years old. If she eats a pea now, even if I have to tempt her and beg her, it is at least progress.

I guess I'm the only one on here also that doesn't let their kids have junk and sweets if they can't eat real food? We don't eat dessert unless we eat our fruits/veggies. That goes for us adults, too. I don't want my kids living off of junk, which they will and is one of the reasons we moved away from radical unschooling. I can't just not buy/make it as people dump it on us all the time. Growing up, I lived off of junk food. Completely. A snickers and coke would be dinner. I was sickly and malnourished and I resented it when I went to friends houses for dinner with real meals. I don't make my kids lick their plate clean or anything, but "I don't want to eat carrots, I am going to eat cake instead" does not fly around here. Especially when I know they like the things they are not eating to get dessert. Works for us.

I suppose our system is like 2xand2y's in a way, but we do not have a snack drawer. We just keep healthy snacks around and I hide or toss all the junk food people give us to ration out so my kids don't eat sugar all day. I do make vegetarian options for my oldest dd, and we try to make things and buy things the kids like, so it's certainly not cruel.

[tinybutterfly]

Ds#2 was and is a very picky eater, though he is doing much better now than he used to.

I was a very picky eater and ate like a bird for years.

I think I was probably more understanding of his issues than some parents because I WAS that kid and am still like that as an adult.

He is still very, very thin.

I am not anymore.

But I used to be. I used to sometimes end up scary skinny from barely eating. I also had to deal with anemia off and on since I was a kid.

And yea, if something was served that I didn't like, I just didn't eat it. Ever.

Good luck!

[blueridgewoman]

Just adding my two cents that this doesn't sound like a picky eater issue to me. This sounds like a possible special needs/sensory etc issue. I'd definitely have her evaled if it were me... Hope things are going better since you posted!

[MamaChef]

Originally Posted by blueridgewoman

Just adding my two cents that this doesn't sound like a picky eater issue to me. This sounds like a possible special needs/sensory etc issue. I'd definitely have her evaled if it were me... Hope things are going better since you posted!

I just wanted to give the OP a big hug for trying so hard! I bet you an OT would be able to help way more then any other "specialist" or nutritionist.