Fussy Eaters (merged)

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Completely agree with the other posters here, i think the best thing is to make the idea of food fun. I remember when my daughter was about 2 she had a fascination with aliens so i told her asparagus was tasty aliens (god knows why i said this, haha, sounds a bit wierd looking back) but she ate them no problem whereas she would normally have turnt her nose up at any new veg. It only came back to me recently that i had told her that as i had put some asparagus on her plate and she comented on the aliens on her plate. She ate them though (she is 3 now so a good memory too).

I also make pictures out of her dinner, i usually turn it into a face with say carrots for eyes, meat or whatever is the main as a nose, some peas for a mouth etc etc. I have also made an alien (i just remembered where the alien came into it, the asparagus where the tentical thingies on the head) and a train, car etc. It just has to be basic.

Also she watches as we make food, sometimes getting the ingredients out of the lower cupboards or fridge for me. If we have jacket potatoes it is her 'job' to wash the potatoes before they go in the oven. It's the little things that get them interested.

One other thing is do you have any slightly older siblings or neices and nephews who eat well? I found sitting my daughter with her older cousins at the dinner table (no adults in the room saying eat this eat that) she copied them and ate all the lettuce on her plate as well as the rest of her dinner, which usually she wouldn't touch at all, now she eats lettuce. Kids love to be like the older ones

Rummer

If you haven't had a chance to look you should pop over to the old style board as they have quite a few threads that have information you might find useful.

sansp

Thankyou for all the replies.Much appreciated.

pickle

Try giving snacks instead over the course of the day. Eg. peperami sticks, babybel cheese, cut up fruit, but not all at once. I find my daughter will eat these without noticing. I think that small children are very picky and eat in bouts. My daughter will go days without eating much at all and then will eat for a few days. She will mostly manage pasta though (spag bol or bacon and tomato). Fish cakes are good too.

fernliebee

pickle wrote: »

Try giving snacks instead over the course of the day. Eg. peperami sticks, babybel cheese, cut up fruit, but not all at once. I find my daughter will eat these without noticing. I think that small children are very picky and eat in bouts. My daughter will go days without eating much at all and then will eat for a few days. She will mostly manage pasta though (spag bol or bacon and tomato). Fish cakes are good too.

My DD loves the veggie fishcakes that I make, and they are very easy, just mashed potato (and any other veg you want to hide in them ) with some smoked tofu, and a few herbs, pat into 'cakes' and cover in breadcrumbs or cous cous and bake in the oven or fry. She loves them and I can put all sorts in them to make sure she eats it.

mumslave

I am quite old fashioned really, my kids are 4 and 3, the 1 year old doesnt count, but from the age of three, food is put on the table at meal times, if it isnt ate (not all of it, just some), they go hungry. Shoot me. I then dont offer any snacks in between if they havent ate some of ameal and come dinner time they tend to eat whatever is put on their plate. I dont ever MAKE them eat anything, or shout at them should they not eat anything, but meal times are meal times, they make up the foundation of the day. I dont offer alternatives either, with three kids under five I would be there all day cooking various meals to suit them all.

gill_hc

Doctor told me for my very fussy 3 yr old who ended up with an iron deficiency as long as she has full fat milk, vitamin enriched cereal and some sort of fruit or veg she will be fine. If you can try to get a protein based thing in her then good (we are currently on cheestrings).

sansp

Once again thank you for all the suggestions ..This week I am happy as she started eating bits and pieces again.I was so worried about her when I posted my first post as she survived on one biscuit and some juice for 3 days.Thank God I dont have this problem with my 1yr old.She eats whatever I make in the house.
I took my 3yr old once to the doc regarding this and what doc said was she is growing tall, but weight is less than average for her age children.But I have to keep in mind that she was only 2.8kgs when she was born..and I am small build too.But my DD2 had gone after her dad it seems.She is only 13months, but looks 2!.

mumslave

My two girls are the same, my eldest is only 2 and a half stone at 4 years old, she has always been slightly underweight and exists on fumes most of the time, however i dont battle with her over food, she eats little enough of it as it is, but nor do i let her live off junk either. Its hard when you worry about the weight.

My middle daughter, she is 3 and looks the same age as her sister, is a bigger build and has bigger feet! She eats like a horse.

SammyD_2

We are vegetarian too. Both mine have been fussy at various stages, and still are. I found soft boiled eggs a good start to the day as they can dip "soldiers" in them which is fun - then I feel they have had a serve of protein and iron so I am not so bothered whatever else they eat.

My son would eat nothing but one food on particular days - such as a whole telegraph cucumber for tea, and nothing else. Or a whole punnet of strawberries.

Sometimes I find that putting really tiny servings of each food on their plate works, and none wasted if they don't eat it then.

I found the never fail favourite was pasta with cream cheese and broccali or spinach. Never fails to get eaten. Also, soup made with red lentils, onion, celery and carrots - plus some stock. Really delicous, and they dip their toast in it.