3yr not eating??

laurak265

Hi all,

Looking for some advice from mams/dads out there. My 3 yr old son has become a very fussy eater. He used to eat everything but lately he gags if he doesn't like something or actually gets sick. I can't get him to eat potates or veg or fruit at all! He crys when he hears the word dinner he doesn't want it! i know he isn't thin but i'm just worried come winter if he has no fruit and veg am i going to live in the doctors!!

He lives on bread and butter, He only wants chocolate or cake or biscuits which i won't give him, have him with lega instead of a biscuit or a bit of plain chocolate every now and again!

Has anyone got any advice?? Thanks

Lizzykins

I had a brother who lived on toast and milk when he was a kid. Same guy is now nigh on 40 and eats everthing. My own son was much the same and I asked the doctor who said if a child eats a burger or some chicken at least once a week they'll get all the protein they need. main thing is not to make an issue of it and definitely don't let him eat rubbish. I'd offer youghurts,fruit and small tasty items like that. Good luck.

laurak265

Thanks for your reply! Yeah i suppose little is better than nothing. He will eat sausages but he is 4stone weight! Just wish i could get veg and fruit into him and no he is not obese he is about average height wise...he looks like a 4-5 yr old. But i just think sausages and burgers are bad all the time! Might try chicken again. I dont' make an issue of it in front of him...i just worry about his health and defenses come winter!

Thanks

Kildrought

You might find this useful...

http://kildrought.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-child-wont-eat.html

laurak265

Kildrought wrote: »

You might find this useful...

http://kildrought.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-child-wont-eat.html

Thanks some good advice! I'll have a look at the different bowls!

bazwaldo

Kildrought wrote: »

You might find this useful...

http://kildrought.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-child-wont-eat.html

The small portion idea is well worth trying. Once they have one spoon of mash or veg, then the next day you can build on it. Does he like apple sauce? Ours love it, and we put it their mash etc and they don't go looking for tomato sauce then. That said, a bit of tomato sauce on the side can get them to eat too, but its not a good habit either, better than nothing though.

If theres no chance in hell them trying whatever the dinner is, we let them off with cereal. But this would be a once off, and never 2 days in row.

Dfens

Yeah, know what you mean about no fruit or veg. My dd will only take slices of fresh peeled apple, banana, raisins, baked beans & occasionally a bit of mashed potato.
I get her dried fruits - pineapple & papaya ("sweety fruits") which she will eat for me, or some chocolate-covered raisins. In the winter I puree a load of different fruits, freeze as cubes & then sneak a cube into her morning porridge.

For the bread - would your child eat brown bread? My girl likes smooth peanut butter or cream cheese on top.
You could also get some kiddies vitamins to supplement the diet every now & again.

littlebug

Mine is the exact same. He eats no fruit or vegetables whatsoever:( I take as relaxed an approach to it as I can though. At dinner i always ask him nicely if he would lile some of what we're having and he always says "no thank you I don't like that". He willl eat plenty of cereal (so I make sure they're iron fortified), milk, bread (mainly white but we sneak in the whitest brown bread if we can sometimes), cheese, ham, yogurts, orange juice, sometimes he'll eat some chicken or maybe fish fingers. That's pretty much it! :(He won't eat anything soft or squidgy or with any kind of sauce. Other than the ham he won't eat any red meat. His sister is the opposite and loves nothing more than a plate piled with spuds, beef or chicken and loads of carrots and loves her fruit.

Funny I also have a memory from childhood of purposely not liking the things my sister liked:o

suzi-suz

hi,
i have an 8yr old and a 3yr old..my 3yr old will eat most anything but my 8yr old is a bread and butter,chicken nuggets, but hes healthy hes at his correct weight and i DONT allow sweets or fizzy drinks as they fill them up and they wont eat as they are full of rubbish.


if you are worried pop along to your local GP they have some suggestions or your local health nurse.


you could as i was told by a health nurse not give them anything until they ask for fodd but in my opinion thats just cruel and i couldnt do it. but as i said if you are worried make an appointment to see your GP or health nurse
chances are they are going to say your child is healthy.best of luck!:)

John Mason

i lived on skinless sausage for 2 years and they had to be in a brown paper bag.

dont start forcing him to eat and shouting at him, he will begin to associate food with being upset and then you will have real problems.

all kids go through stages of eating, he will be fine after a few months. just dont make a big deal out of it.

laurak265

Oh i don't shout or give out at all. I prepare food and i give it too him if he eats it he eats it and if he doesn't he doesn't! He had a great day saturday just gone...eat all round him for the day! Had loads or sandwichs, banana, ribena, ligas, half a margarita pizza so i think starving him works! He hadn't eat proper food since thurs and i refused to give him anything!!

John Mason

see, there you go.

panic over nothing

fingers crossed, he keeps it up. give him loads of praise

laurak265

Cheers, he seems to eat every 2nd day for some reason ha ha. He had nothing yesterday and woke me at 7.30 this morning to make him toast cos he had a pain in his belly :pac:

littlebitdull

Went through this with one of ours too. So there are a lot of us out here in the same boat!! I was pretty worried about her at one stage - would have been around that same age actually - so I started to keep a food diary for her for a week. I soon saw that she was eating a lot more than I realised.

laurak265

littlebitdull wrote: »

Went through this with one of ours too. So there are a lot of us out here in the same boat!! I was pretty worried about her at one stage - would have been around that same age actually - so I started to keep a food diary for her for a week. I soon saw that she was eating a lot more than I realised.

A food diary is a great idea - thanks i must start one!

lostinnappies

Veggie soup with buttered bread, goes down like a treat. Home made mind you cos some of those canned or powdered ones have alot of salt