Picky Children-How To Reducate then to OS eating?

Fizog

I have one fussy eater now 16, 6ft never ill and one who hoovers anything and is disgustingly healthy too. Same food, same upbringing ... go figure.I gave up being angry when he was about two. I just cook meals we will all eat something of Mr fussy eats anything that was alive so makes it a bit easier and he has added to his menu since he was two but I figured he was the loser. Can't force a horse to drink!!! My health visitor told me to stop fussing as his favourite food was weetabix. She had one child who would only eat brussel sprouts and another nothing but dried spaghetti on her books. On the plus side Mr fussy has never eaten sweets, crisps, pizza, fizzy drinks or fatty foods which may account for his rude health.

joey_2

* family competitions to see who can get their five portions of fruit and veg

We do this too Dizzymum! We have a "fruit and veg race".It's great when seeing them try to outdo each other!

full-time-mum

This programme on BBC2 might be of interest.

The Truth About Food Thu 25 Jan, 21:00 - 22:00 BBC Two
How to Feed Your Kids: Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens gets first-hand impressions of how to open children's minds and mouths to new foods.

sammy_kaye18

Hi all

i have a step son liek this - my 3 year old has been brought up eating lots fo fruit and veg adn will generally eqat anythign thats put in front of him - except mince and chicken in natural form - he'll eat turkey steaks, sausages fish fingers et cbut he has alot fo veg fruit and dried stuff to componsate for that - its even to the point that ive figured out how to make my own so ill be doing that from now on when the budget allows. he generally clears his plate really well of veg etc and chips are a one off treat adn even then are oven chips

My 6 year old step son on the other hand wont touch any veg other than carrots. wont eat shepherds pie and thre whis drink over it at last offering and blatently refused point blank to eat it the time before. Any veg thats put on his plate he turns his nose up at, but hes quick enough to ask for chips, chicken nuggets, pizza, takeaway etc. its to the point that im starting to give up asking what everyone would like for tea because he only ever replies cereal or toast whcih bugs me no end.

any ideas on how to feed this fussy eater?? he doesnt like pasta, but will sit and scoff cakes, biscuits and any other junk food thats put in front of him - help!!!!!

Penny-Pincher!!

What about a "self service" meal-put everything into bowls and let him choose a certain amount of items Make your own pizzas and do oven chips? Sausage & Mash?

PP
xx

Justamum

jud!th wrote:

following on from the last post, I used to be very picky before I did a volunteering project in Mozambique as a student and realised that the people only ate maize-meal, beans and greens. That's _all_ they ate.

I eat everything now.

I think taking your picky family to Mozambique is a bit extreme though...

Judith
x

We lived in Africa for a while and my son has seen very poor people who wear rags, and have hardly anything to eat. It hasn't stopped him being extremely picky and a b****y nuisance about his food!

Justamum

jud!th wrote:

following on from the last post, I used to be very picky before I did a volunteering project in Mozambique as a student and realised that the people only ate maize-meal, beans and greens. That's _all_ they ate.

I eat everything now.

I think taking your picky family to Mozambique is a bit extreme though...

Judith
x

We lived in Africa for a while and my son has seen very poor people who wear rags, and have hardly anything to eat. It hasn't stopped him being extremely picky and a b****y nuisance about his food!

amyandoli

I dont have any kids, but my OH was a very very very annoyingly so fussy eater when I got him straight from his mums house. He now eats anything but spinach, which i have been unable to disguise in dishes.
*I puree up veg and hide it in sauces and mash, try and stick to the same colours so its less detectable to the eye.
*If you blend sprouts with breadcrumbs, white onion and a lot of mixed herbs (a lot!) and roast it in olive oil, you can pass it off as stuffing - memo gravy on top!
*I find crumbles are a great way to get fruit into him, obviously fruit for the base, but for the topping, i make flapjacks of the fairtrade website with finely grated dry fruits hidden in them, and make enough to bash up later and use as the topping, so he gets double fruits. Dried grated fruits are hidden in pretty much every cake and biscuit i make.
*Use crushed dehydrated veg as seasonings and instead of coating breadcrumbs.
*Fridays are our naughty food night, where i make hm junk type food. veg packed tom puree and veg for topping hm pizza base, or veg and fruit rich hm sweet and sour sauce, or veg packed chilli in tortillas or with hm potato wedges (with dehydrated veg seasoning).
*We also have a juicer, so make fruit smoothies, add sweetner to begin with or flavouring, and slowly take it away, OH hasnt realised yet.
*use the stock of your boiled veg for gravy-its packed with goodness.

full-time-mum

amyandoli wrote:

I dont have any kids, but my OH was a very very very annoyingly so fussy eater when I got him straight from his mums house. He now eats anything but spinach, which i have been unable to disguise in dishes.
*I puree up veg and hide it in sauces and mash, try and stick to the same colours so its less detectable to the eye.
*If you blend sprouts with breadcrumbs, white onion and a lot of mixed herbs (a lot!) and roast it in olive oil, you can pass it off as stuffing - memo gravy on top!
*I find crumbles are a great way to get fruit into him, obviously fruit for the base, but for the topping, i make flapjacks of the fairtrade website with finely grated dry fruits hidden in them, and make enough to bash up later and use as the topping, so he gets double fruits. Dried grated fruits are hidden in pretty much every cake and biscuit i make.
*Use crushed dehydrated veg as seasonings and instead of coating breadcrumbs.
*Fridays are our naughty food night, where i make hm junk type food. veg packed tom puree and veg for topping hm pizza base, or veg and fruit rich hm sweet and sour sauce, or veg packed chilli in tortillas or with hm potato wedges (with dehydrated veg seasoning).
*We also have a juicer, so make fruit smoothies, add sweetner to begin with or flavouring, and slowly take it away, OH hasnt realised yet.
*use the stock of your boiled veg for gravy-its packed with goodness.

Wow, you are dedicated,
I'm afraid life is too short so if he were mine

• he'd get what the rest of the family ate
• make his own
• starve

- his choice!!

Having said that, you have some good ideas to try with the kiddiwinkles.

beachbeth

My 19 year old daughter is very fussy with food and always has been. She will eat boiled egg or toast for breakfast, only ham sandwiches (no other type of sandwich) and roast dinners which consist of whatever meat we are having, 2 yorkshire puddings and mashed potatoes. She will not eat veg in any shape or form (although she doesn't know I mash cauliflower up regularly in her potato!). Most of the time she eats McDonalds (yuck!) or takeaway pizza. Her idea of 'cooking' is usually to stick a frozen pizza in the oven!

However, she is at university with a friend who eats poorly, ie lives on pot noodles, so, feeling sorry for her, she is cooking them both some proper meals. Whilst this does not include veg, she plans on doing fresh fish and cooking chops or steak with mashed potatoes (pity I can't get her to put the usual cauli in!!!) She tends to eat more at Uni because she has to think about it and plan for herself, whereas at home she just waits until something is put in front of her.

My other daughter, who is 16, is the complete opposite and will try just about anything. We both regularly have pasta with homemade sauces, rice dishes etc. She never thinks to buy a jar of sauce when you can make it yourself. Ive done something right by my kids then!!!