Picky eater!!!!!!
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My once eat-almost-anything-especially-anything- green dd(4) has become sooooooooo picky over the last several months. It's really becoming a problem! I've gotten over not eating sometimes and just accepting that when she's hungry she will eat BUT...
She doesn't even want sandwiches now, because she doesn't like seeing the 'bumps' on the crust; no meat of ANY kind now, not even chicken, not even McD's or BK, that's how bad it is; her fruits are relegated to applesauce and apples; vegetables are now only lima beans and peas. She is going DAYS without eating dinner, then wakes earlier starving in the mornings. She won't take a vitamin, although she's tried them. Can't stand the taste of the chewables, and can't stand any kind of gummies so the gummie version doesn't appeal to her at all.
It's like she's become a carb junkie. I don't know how this happened. I think having carby-junk when she visits her grandparents, plus the carbs we eat here, have ruined her! Her life consists of canned alphabet pasta, Danimals, and frozen waffles, outside of the few things I mentioned above. Seriously, THAT'S IT. What do I do?
We've been talking about making healthy choices, why it's good for your body, not eating isn't good for you, etc. We have always been strict with her on food - if she doesn't eat dinner, she goes without. If she chooses to skip a meal, then she doesn't get anything until the next regularly scheduled snack time, so it's not like she pushes a meal away and then we let her have something junky an hour later. She has gone to bed so many nights hungry I know lately. She even looks a bit sad saying, "I'm hungry, but I don't know what I want" or "I don't want that".
I think she's become very sensitive all of a sudden. If there's a piece of baked brown in my dad's macaroni and cheese, she won't touch it. If there are 'bumps' on the whole grain crust, she won't eat it. I'm just wondering where the nutrition is coming from.
She used to eat lots veggies and some fruits, I always felt great to have such a healthy eater. Wrong-O!
I'm off to the grocery tomorrow to look for food. I look when I'm there and I don't see anything that rings a bell that we haven't already tried. She seems perfectly healthy, energetic, exercises, sleeps well, just no problems. No complaints, so ailments.
What do you suggest? This seems extreme to me. Do all kids get THIS picky at this age? She will actually try new things about half the time, but just doesn't like them.
Part of me says it's a phase, but it definitely is worrying me. It also makes it difficult whenever a meal comes around. If we are out, she really eats next to nothing at all, just a bit less than at home. It's also hard when you're on the go. There's no WAY I'm buying meals for her at Disney in a few months - what a waste. We have stopped going to any fast food places (which we didn't do much anyway) because it's a waste of $. She doesn't eat the food at all. A few fries and that's it.
When it comes to bkfast, she will eat frozen waffles, toast, or cereal. I can live with that. Lunch - ???? Never can make a choice except junk, which she doesn't get. Dinner - I fix it and she picks and then gets down. She even stopped eating lasagna the last time, one of her favorites, because she found a crunchy edge on one of the noodles. It's really reminding me of my bratty nephews, although my sister has always treated them so differently with regard to food that I can't believe she's acting similarly with regard to being picky.
HELP!!
I guess I would just let her eat what she wants to eat. Emily has been picky about stuff and sometimes just picked at meals, but then other meals, she would make up for lost time and eat like a horse! I never sweated the details that much.
My girlfriend had really picky eaters and just let them do whatever. They've all grown up to be healthy adults. I'm sure it's just a phase.
We used to laugh that our kids lived on air, because it sure didn't seem like they were eating very much.
I must be a wimp, though, because I could never let a kid go to bed hungry, though.
Deanna, I am going through the same thing with my 4 yr old. She doesn't want to eat dinner at all no matter what it is. If she says she's hungry and I say it's almost dinner time she says she hates dinner and doesn't want it without asking what it is. She has been a grazer which I never had a problem with since her stomach is so small. It sounds alot like what you have going on, she eliminates foods everyday here lately, not just healthy ones either. Still loves broccoli, hates sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, baby carrots, spaghetti and other things I used to be able to count on for dinner. She packs a lunch for pre-k and she wants to take a juice box and a pack of pudding. We go over the foods that are good for you and the ones that aren't and she is interested to hear what's good. I don't know what to do but wait it out, letting you know I'm in the same boat!
OOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I just had a thought! I wonder if it has anything to do with her first loose tooth? Does your dd have one?
This is going to sound really weird but could she be teething some new molars that are/were giving her a lot of trouble? Or could she have made a new friend that is really picky and she is trying to be like them?
My oldest went through something similar when she started a new school and someone told her that a bunch of different veggies were "gross" and she stopped eating them and before they were some of her favorite foods.
Get a children's cookbook and let her pick out a recipe then make a list of the foods you need and let her go with you to the market. Have her help you make the dinner.
There is also a cookbook out there that helps parents "sneak" healthy foods into recipes. I forget who wrote it.
All of my kids were picky eaters. One didn't eat any fruit, one didn't like cheese, one potatoes, etc so it does become frustrating. Keep on hand the foods she likes and let her have waffles for lunch.
My dr told me kids will not starve themselves. Offer milk, bread with melted cheese or pbutter as a side for dinner.
Remember her tummy is smaller than an adults so a few bites here and there can fill her up quickly.
You do not want to make food an issue.
Here's another idea. Sprinkles on bananas, on top of peanut butter toast, on yogurt, apples, cinnamon sugar on these as well. And let her put them on.
She'll be okay. Don't worry too much. If you allow her to have gum they make a vitamin gumball now, too.
I believe the 'sneaky' cookbook Annie referred to was written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife.
I wouldn't worry about it, Deanna....I'm raising two picky eaters and the oldest, now twelve, makes more and more healthy choices these days and tries more and more new things. (I know, you're thinking TWELVE??? I'm not waiting until she's twelve!!') But seriously, WHAT can you do anyway?? Just let her be...she won't starve. Try not to stress out and make it a battle or it will take longer to resolve.
The book is called Deceivingly (sp?) Delicious. I was just telling my mom I need to get that book. My son has NEVER eaten well, and I am going nuts over it. I hate french fries, and that is pretty much all he wants. I cringe to think how many times he has eaten them. I just picture his beautiful clean arteries already getting thick with goo. He lives off of PBJ and Activia.
I guess it's mostly the repeat, repeat, repeat of foods. So frustrating, and so frustrating to make a meal that she won't eat. It isn't really a battle, more just the constant discussion of healthy food and what it does for you.
We cook together often, and she does do silly things like dip her corn in ranch dressing, but that's the only way she will eat it.  She loves to cook and bake, but doesn't always want to eat it.
I just have to try to push the healthy foods she DOES eat. I knew what you all would say, but it seems so extreme at the moment. Dana, IKWYM. For the longest time, Nat ate only PB&J. NOTHING else. Now she hates it, doesn't really like any sandwiches at all. Not hotdogs or hamburgers either - never has liked those - so when we're doing something where that's the only option (like the pumpkin patch concession stand!) she has a bag of cheetos with water and that's it. Kills me!
I've never understood going through the trouble of making something and then not wanting to eat it. Part of the fun of cooking is the anticipation of eating it, for me!
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