what has happened to my daughter??

[shanaz]

Hi

Well, my DD started out as a really good eater during the weaning process, she would eat a huge variety of foods, getting all the right amounts of stuff (or near abouts!)

In recent months she has started refusing more & more foods til we are left with her eating the following:

* toast with butter and cream cheese or marmite
* dry cereal (sometimes)
* fruit - thankfully she'll eat mountains of fruit
* pasta, either stuffed or shapes
* pasta sauce
* grated cheese on pasta
* brocolli
* fish fingers (sometimes)
* cream cheese & ham sandwiches

And that is about it.  She has started to refuse tuna, potato (hasn't eaten this since she was about 1 yr old), any meat, pulses, rice, vegetables of any description (other than the obligitory brocolli).  I just don;t know what to do anymore.  I'm getting concerned about the lack of nutrients she is getting, should I supplement with vitamins drops?  It's a nightmare to get her to take them.  I just dread mealtimes now.  I feel so frustrated as I have very little time as I work and I don't have much time to be making all these wonderfully exciting "hidden" vegetable meals.  I'm so tired and drained and have got stuck into this routine of just making her toasted cheese sandwiches or pasta for dinner.  She used to eat these muffin pizzas I used to make but refuses these now too.  I used to add tuna to pasta sauce but won't eat it either.

Anyway, any ideas would be gratefully recieved.

Shanaz

[oilerbaby]

I honestly think that most kids go through a picky/bad eating stage.  My second was a fab eater and as we got closer to 2 the list got smaller and smaller.  My first was a terrible eater and as she got closer to 4/5 she started eating better and now will try everything on her plate (even though she doesn't always like it).  I think if you just keep offering different foods to her - even if it's 10+ times that eventually her list of foods will improve.  We can't force them to eat it so all we can do is just keep offering it.  I read somewhere that sometimes you have to introduce a food up to 20 times before a child will try/eat it.  Not sure if that's true but it has been that way for some foods with my third.  I wouldn't worry too much about it though - she will eat when she's hungry, just make sure you offer good foods so that's what she's eating.  Take care!

[lilmonkey]

I agree with Shauna.  I'm sure that it's just a phase.  Just keep offering.  That's why I stopped buying in bulk as I never know when dd will decide to change her eating preferences.  Some good tips to getting them to eat more variety are to involve them in the shopping and preparation of the food and sitting down to eat with them. 

[shanaz]

Thanks for the reassurance and suggestions!  I have tried to get Seren involved in the prep of the food but she's just not interested    Oh well.  Keep offering I guess.  She had raisins, dried apricots & 2 mini rice cakes for lunch and then refused all dinner 

[lin7604]

my ds is doing the same thing!  it is driving me crazy.   i mean he was never a great eater before but at least he did eat a variety of food, now it's terrible.  he was eating things like mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, peas, bananas and won't touch them and many others now for months!  he is living off of yougart, fruit or apple sauce and toast daily, that's it.  once a week maybe chicken fingers or the smiley face potatoes,soup or cereal.  then i feel bad as the other items are processed except the cereal which i usually give him rasin bran or rice krispies.  i also would like to know when this phase will be over and he will start eating better again somewhat?   he never has eaten pasta, cheese, other meat, lunch meat or sandwiches of any kind. or veggies of other kinds besides the carrots and peas he used to eat.
tonight i guess he is going to bed on a empty tummy as he refused to eat everything, except he would eat left over cake from yesterday but i refuse it to him as i don't want him getting int a habit of eating unhealthy and refuse the healthy stuff inorder to get the treats.  He has been doing that a lot lately so today i put my foot down and i am going to keep it up.