Help!!!

[fifegirl]

Can anyone please help. I have a very fussy 2 1/2 year old. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get her to try new foods? All she will eat is fish fingers, plastic cheese sandwiches and beans and suasages. She will eat veggies and fruit but only when it suits her. Whenever I give her a meal such as roast chicken she will point blank refuse to even put it in her mouth stating that she doesn't like it.

I'm at my wits end. Is there anything I can do. I keep perservering but I constantly seem to be throwing out good food!

 

[Circes]

Make a game of it rather than everyone getting stressed out over it. Small amounts rather than a plateful of something new which could be overwhelming. Try her with something similar to what she already eats - like chicken goujons which are like fish fingers. Reward her for tasting/licking/kissing new foods. They do also say that you need to present a new food around 20 times before it will be accepted.

Can anyone tell I've been watching the "House of Tiny Tearaways"!

 

[Harry'sMom07]

Haha, I watched loads of that when I was up at stoopid o'clock with ds when he was small!

I am very lucky with Harrison, also 2.5 yrs as he will eat a lot of the same foods we do, but he still has his faves. He isn't so keen on 'junk' and loves carrots!

However, I think the key is perseverance. If you're making a largeish amount of food, just put a teeny portion on her plate and freeze the rest in small portions. That way you won't be wasting too much. Make food look fun if you can - make faces on the plate, cut sandwiches with different shaped cutters etc. Can you involve her in the making of it so she may be more tempted to eat the end result?

 

[malaika]

I was very fortunate with my 4 sons while they were growing up.
Perhaps it was because they were not asked what they wanted but meals were served for the whole family and that was it! If they didn't like what was served, they would have to make a sandwich for themselves! However, I can't recall them ever not wanting to eat the family meal. If they said they weren't hungry, that was fine, and I didn't make them eat. I knew they would never starve, and would eat eventually.
To this day all four of them eat everything!

Seriously, I would not make a fuss. She will eat when she is hungry. Just carry on preparing food as you do.

 

[mummyt]

my daughter is 3 1/2 and i have faced the same problems with her. thank god my 2 1/2 yr old eats everything. im a stay at home mum (with a million things to do everyday lol) and i know its sooooo time consuming but its the only way i can get her to eat.... i get her to help me make everything, of course the younger one is stuck in the middle of it as well and nothing gets sone in the day. we make everything from porridge, homemade pancakes, & bread, casseroles, stews, you name it, we make it and yes if she makes it, she eats it.

its worth a try!!

or the other one is, tell her shes not alloud it. then she may want it

 

[Shirleen]

I used reverse psychology and used to say to my son, "i'll bet when i turn round that sandwich will still be there" or " oooh i hope you don't eat that broccoli cos i want it"

sometimes food is too big so dice the carrots, make ribbons of cucumber with a potato peeler, make tiny 'trees' on mash with broccoli, courgette flags with cocktail sticks and cocktail sticks are fab for something different to eat with.

I made Sam eat mince and mash by changing it's name to 'castles' and building a 'castle' with mash the mince was the moat. with flags and stuff you're away!

 

[Starlight]

My youngest niece is a bit like that, the complete opposite to her big sister who eats anything put down to her. After numerous battles my brother and sister in law relaxed a bit and Ciara now asks for chicken, mince potatoes and peas, cheese etc. Shes coming round in her own time and periodically they try something new usually by not giving her any but everyone else has it and enthuses about it and Miss Nosey cant help trying it lol

 

[julie19]

I don't have any kids but love watching all the childcare shows and from memory what they all do with eating problems is tell the parents to relax, put the food in front of them & then talk about something else, don't draw any attention to it at all, after so long take it away, now some of them then leave the kids hungry but not being a parent I think that is cruel but maybe all you parents out there will tell me that is the best thing you can do....I know if I didn't eat my tea when I was a kid I was sent to bed hungry, I have always wondered though if that mentality contributed to my weight issues as as soon as food was available I ate everything rather than be hungry & didn't learn moderation?

 

[Happy Holidays]

If she doesn't want to eat particular food don't force her to. She will in her own time try new things. My son would only eat chicken, peas & smiley faces (or something simlar).

You could try putting small amounts of 'different' food on her plate with her meal & just leave it, don't mention it & if it's eaten yipee but if not don't make a fuss.

You could find meal times become a battle & you both don't need that. Just let her eat what she wants & keep meal times relaxed.

BTW my son will now eat foods other than chicken, peas & smiley faces

 

[jaylou]

I had problems with my DD. She wouldn't eat any fruit (and still won't, at age 11) and wouldn't eat much veg.
I made pasta sauces with all the veggies I was having and blended it to a puree and then mixed in the pasta and topped with cheese. She ate it and I knew she was getting her veg. Oh and she would only eat processed meat so she just didn't get it.

As she's got older she's got better. She wants to try things now and although she still won't eat fruit and only eats root veg, she will eat meat, casseroles, curry (mild) and it's made my life easier but it's taken time and it's been at her pace.

So, my advice - blend sauces (even if it's to pour over fish fingers!), make sure they have a multivitamin and omega 3's for kids and just relax. Have you tried making your own fish fingers? I know it's time consuming but I would tell my DD she could have fish fingers and chicken nuggets if mummy made them - at least you know they are not full of additives.