2.8 year old with eating problems...SO Worried!

[M2M]

My son has been a picky eater for 1 year now........1 YEAR!  This is all he will eat:

Pancakes (plain no fruit in them)
Waffles
apples
grapes
Yogurt pops (basically the sleeves of yogurt that I freeze so he will eat it like a popsicle)
clementines
animal crackers
He will eat any and all junk....such as cake, cookies, etc......if we were to let him.
He drinks about 16 oz of whole milk/day. 
 
When I am eating something or if someone is eating in front of him he will show interest but will gag.  He isn't doing it out of behaviors (not deliberate) he is literally trying not to throw up.  He will put a blueberry in his mouth and then spit it out without biting it.  He use to eat EVERYTHING, scrod, etc.  His doc is not worried, but I feel this has gone on for too long and what if he completely stops eating?

Please help!

[brenda2]

would it help to cut down on the milk?  that's a lot of calories from milk.  my 2.5 yo is taking 2 sippy cups of 2% milk a day - that's about 10 oz only.

i feel for you, i would be worried too i think. do you think it is a power thing?  would giving him more power in other areas help?  if you include him in making food or grocery shopping does it help?  what about hiding veggies and protein (soy for example) in things he will eat since these are the main food groups he is missing?

[deb]

This sounds a lot like a texture thing. I gag - STILL! - on cooked peas and lima beans, although I can eat peas raw now. Some kids just can't cope with this or that texture and it really truly does make them gag.

The good news is that some kids outgrow this. Natalie is pushing 5 and it's just in the last month or two that she's started eating fruits with "specks" (her word for seeds or pits or texture or any kind, really), so she can NOW eat strawberries and blueberries. She's still not fond of potatoes, but a couple months ago consented to eat scrambled eggs and onions and a couple weeks ago added mushrooms to her personal diet after years of passing on them. Crunchy peanut butter (actually, ANY peanut butter!) was right out, but now she ASKS for it. We used to joke that if it came from a plant she wouldn't bother, but she's expanded a great deal. Josie is 8YO now and while she drank rice milk as a toddler, she has actually developed an aversion to the ever-so-slight powdery texture of it. I think we could get her used to it if we worked at it tho.

There is a thread someplace, maybe Growth and Development, on Sensory Processing Disorder. Basically, that's when one is oversensitive or undersensitive to some sensory input, whether it's visual, tactile, auditory, whatever. It's not uncommon for kids to have texture aversions.

One book you can look at that has some neat ideas on helping kids get past sensory issues is The Out-Of-Sync Child Has Fun b Carol Stock Kranowitz. One thing I remember from the book was to have a sort of "theme meal" where kids eat things that are, say, round, or yellow, or whatever; they sometimes get so wrapped up in the experience that they are able to eat without the reflexes kicking in. Might be worth a look; your library may have a copy.

Meanwhile, I'd work on things like banana bread and carrot cake. Maybe serve a grape-blueberry salad, or serve blueberry juice for now instead of the actual berry, or maybe buy berries and have him help you cook them down with sugar and mash them into preserves.

[deb]

I think this is the thread I was thinking of: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=93593.0

[M2M]

Thank you so much!  I really appreciate your responses.  I think I am probably giving him too much milk because I am worried that it is the only place he is getting protein from.  I should cut down though.  I will definatley get the book and see what I can do as well as check out the growth and development board.  I'll keep you posted!

Lauren

[Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)]

Can I just tell you that ds is the same and has been for 18 months now but his diet is probably not even as varied as yours.
He will eat
Weetabix for breakfast and dinner
toast or soft bread for lunch ......... and thats pretty much it. He would eat any biscuit crisp chocolate etc if we gave it to him but we dont though he does get some small treat daily along with dd, but I have to say he has the sweetest tooth ever.
However in the last few months he has begun to change, slightly and its not every day but he has added into his diet
Calamari( in batter and baked) his favourite thing
Corn, better if done on the bbq so on the cob, occasionally will eat tinned sweet corn
Hot dogs, would eat every day
Chicken nuggets , yeuck yes I agree but he had them this week when I took both kids out for lunch while shopping, I will try to replicate my own at home next week and he has already asked me 2 in the last 2 days.
He would also drink any kind of juice if I let him and he loves yogurt only one particualr brand though and yogurt drinks.
Ds does not drink much milk. His pead is not worried about him, he weighs 14 kg and is fit and healthy. I have never forced him to eat anything, dh has tried and never succeeded and I dont have the energy for that battle nor for the battle of well dont give him anything else until he eats what you put on his plate. 3 months ago I never thought he would eat anything different but he is slowly changing. Very slowly. I do think also for him it may be a texture thing and I also think he is like me, he just eats because he has to.

Good luck

[M2M]

Thank you!!! You are giving me hope It is so stressful but nice to hear that I am not alone!  Although today he woke up with the stomach.  On a side note,  I see that your son is 2.8 and five days....that sound exactly like my son who was born on June 30th 07......same birthday?

[squeakersmum]

If he likes the frozen Yoghurt 'pops' you could maybe try making smoothies out of some other fruits?  Banana and blueberries or something like that and then freezing them. 

Also if he likes all sweet things you could try hiding veggies in cake - carrot cake as pp has said, but you can also make beetroot cake and courgette cake too. 

[Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)]

  On a side note,  I see that your son is 2.8 and five days....that sound exactly like my son who was born on June 30th 07......same birthday?

1st of July :-)  I didnt even notice that yesterday, how funny.

[M2M]

Those are great ideas!  I think I will definately be making some veggie cakes and fruit pops this weekend!!! 

[We Three]

My nephew has major oral sensitivities...I know how frustarting and scary it can feel!

If you look at what he WILL eat, try to find things of a similar texture. For example, if he likes waffles, he might like french toast, and the egg will provide alot of nutrition. Toss a little cinnamon into the egg mixture, and a dash of milk too. Cook it until it is of a similar texture to a waffle. If it seems to mushy, let it cool, then maybe put it in the toaster to add some crunch on the edges. 

There are a TON of healthy muffin recipes...we make my dd banana muffins with wheat flour and she loves them, they are very wholesome. A muffin and some yogurt are a great b'fast.

Dips...would he dip apple slices in peanut butter?

Again, just look at the textures, and try other stuff that might feel similar to him.

[Mum to Ella Rose]

Thanks for this thread as it pointed me to the sensory thread too! xx

My kids have major eating issues. Both medical and now with Ella we think sensory too.  I would def. talk with your doc about it.  How about pediasure? It is the only way my kids thrive. ((hugs)) sorry so rushed...

[M2M]

Yes, i will have to try the french toast too!  I have tried the chocolate pediasure but he say's "too chocolately"..ahhhhhhhhh!  What about ovaltine?  Is that good too? Maybe I should try that.

[Mum to Ella Rose]

Chocolate is now the only one Ella will drink. lol Her brother refuses any other than plain (vanilla)  Ovaltine is a natural kind of coffee substitute drink I thought?

[M2M]

Oh no! Coffee?  LOL, that's the opposite I would want for him!!!!!