15 year old fussy eater

amistupid

shopaholicz wrote: »

The only things he'll eat at the minute are pizza, fried chicken, pot noodles, eggs, takeaways.

At least he'll fit in if he goes to Uni.

Tigsteroonie

shopaholicz wrote: »

I hate wasting food and am not prepared to get it thrown in the bin every day, if I can possibly help it. I am also not going to cook separate meals for him, so need to find an answer pretty soon.

He's 15, not a child. Don't include him in the headcount for a family meal, then you won't need to throw anything away. Don't cook him anything separate, but have some ingredients in so that he can do something for himself (not pot noodles).

How about getting him interested in making his own pizzas? Start with dough, add his own toppings? Make his own noodle meals?

KiKi

Okay - my view's changed slightly with the new information!

You're enabling it by allowing him to have a pot noodle and half a loaf of bread. If you didn't, and he had to cook for himself, then it might be different. You've also said that he doesn't like being told what to do, so I'm tempted to say that he's just trying it on with you, to be honest. He's arguing with school staff to get what he wants. It does sound like he's playing you and trying to assert control because he thinks he's 15 and knows it all. Pot noodles, fried chicken, pizza, takeaways - most of that food is not just devoid of nutrients, it's full of sugar, and LOADS of salt and bad fats.

Maybe you could compromise. You'll buy pot noodles (which, by the way, is pasta, and some are curry flavoured, and have texture...so perhaps he does like pasta after all) and he can make his own pizzas (at least it stops him getting so much salt and sugar) 4 times a week, but he has to eat with you 3 times a week. If he can't do that, you go hardline - what you cook, or nothing, end of. If he throws a tantrum or gets angry, ignore it. Don't enter a debate - you've offered your compromise. Let him be awful for a few days and see what happens. Don't give it the attention.

If he genuinely doesn't eat for three days as a result (and if he has serious food behavioural issues then he might) then you take him to the doctor's. If he does eat in those three days, then he's just a pain in the neck.

My parents didn't force me to eat what I didn't like - but I did like food which wasn't just takeaways!

DKLS

My friends son was very similar and would pretty much only eat chicken nuggets, despite his parents making various efforts to broaden his taste buds.

Within a month of joining the Air cadets he had a wide and varied diet. All down to peer pressure.

peachyprice

I know this goes against the opinion of 99% of the people here, but I have a fussy eater, I feed her what she likes. IMO childhood is just too short to be making a battlefield out of mealtimes and I wouldn't want to be forced to eat foods I don't like so I don't see why my children should be.

She too mostly 'only' eats pizza, chicken and bread. She also eats roast potatoes, peas, cucumber, peppers and fruits and a good selection of dairy. She has chips occasionally, probably only once a fortnight.

So I make homemade pizza, which she loves, I make a batch of pizza dough and sauce that lasts 5-6 days and just throw her pizza in the oven while I'm cooking our dinner, no biggie there. I make homemade chicken which I crumb and oven cook, usually when we're having something similar. She takes packed lunch to school of either crackers or a roll with cheese.

Her fussiness started with repeated bouts of tonsillitis, some foods tasted awful others plain hurt. No doubt things will change the older she gets, at the moment she's slim, healthy and most important happy.

Tigsteroonie

Your child sounds younger, Peachyprice, where the OP's son is 15 and old enough to be deliberately manipulating the situation. . But I see what you're saying - pick your battles.

kerri_gt

Just wondering why he won't eat sandwiches, if he'll happily eat half a loaf of bread with pot noddle?

peachyprice

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Your child sounds younger, Peachyprice, where the OP's son is 15 and old enough to be deliberately manipulating the situation. . But I see what you're saying - pick your battles.

Nope, she's 14!

tanith

I know its not going to be popular but I'll tell you what a doctor once told me when I had a fussy eater although much younger, he said look let him eat what he wants and if he doesn't want to eat then ignore it he isn't going to starve to death. My son lived on cereal for a while but he eventually got bored with it and now he lives abroad and is far more adventurous with his eating than most people I know.. I know its a worry but if he doesn't want a meal then let him eat bread or whatever he wants.

Sagz_2

He cant choose where to live, probably can't afford to dress as he would like, and certainly can't choose what to wear 5/7's of the week when in school. Oh and add to the mix hormones are running amock and his teenage brain is going through a re-mapping stage......
At 15 one of the only things he can control in his life is what he eats!

I think in your position I'd get him a session with a personal trainer who can educate him about food and what it does to his body, then make healthy food avaliable to him to prepare and cook himself. A little tough love and he will either man up and fed himself or, more likely, eat what you prepare.

Remember, he could be leaving home in 12 months like I did