The Great Food Battle
I need help. I am really concerned about the Big One and her weight. Those of you who know her, know she’s a pretty skinny little kid. She’s always been thin, unlike the Little One who seems to have taken more after the FixItMommy and the Husband.
We could all miss a meal or two and nobody would notice, the Big One on the other hand cannot really miss too many meals. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening. I am done with the “It’s yucky!” response to anything put in front of her. So we have once again embarked on the “you eat what we eat” journey. So far it’s not been successful.
She’s gone to bed the last two nights with no dinner. Last night she ate a small handful of freeze-dried strawberries and about 4 croutons. That’s it. I wouldn’t worry too much but she also didn’t eat lunch yesterday. She maybe ate about 300 calories all day yesterday. She had yogurt for breakfast and a handful of Cheerios and that’s it.
It’s not like I am asking her to eat anything outrageous or exotic. Last night the rest of us had orange chicken for dinner. I pulled a couple pieces of chicken out before putting the orange sauce on it because I figured she would balk at it. But she refused the chicken.
This is a kid who literally sustained herself on chicken from the age of about 18 months up until about two months ago. She ate chicken for lunch and dinner literally every day. The suddenly she deemed the chicken “YUCKY!”
Once chicken was on the chopping block, she ate pizza for the last month or so for lunch and dinner. Then suddenly two weeks ago, pizza is “YUCKY!” and she won’t eat it. I’ve tried to force macaroni and cheese on her, but she gags just like with any other pasta. She won’t eat hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh fruit, vegetables, fish or anything else I’ve tried.
She eats bread type stuff: pancakes, waffles, toast, rolls and garlic bread. She eats Orange Crème flavored Yoplait, Cheerios, Cookie Crisp cereal, graham crackers and Cheez-Its. I am not exaggerating at all. Those are the only things the Big One will eat (aside from cookies, chocolate or ice cream, of course)
Anyone been through it to this extreme? I am ready to take her to the doctor in hopes of getting a referral to a nutritionist. I’m not sure what they can do to help me though.
We’ve tried, threats, bribes, having her help me prepare the food, letting her pick what we eat, always making sure there is something she likes on her plate. I just don’t know what to do anymore.
I am going to put her on the scale this morning to see if she’s lost weight yet and then go from there, I guess.
If you’ve been through it or have any other suggestions, please share them!
fixitmommy.com 
Just cruious, have you tried having her pick ‘her foods’ from the grocery store? Perhaps having her do that might entice her to pick something that mom has’nt thought about? What about smoothies?? A milkshake diet? Does she like cheese of any kind? That being said, I suppose a child could survive on yogurt and graham crackers.. I know I could : )
You are doing fine – if she is losing weight then take her to the dr. but if she gets hungry enough – she will eat. The question is – can you take it? My oldest (10 going on 30) loved pepperoni and pepperoni pizza forever. Then suddenly, pepperoni is yucky – can’t have it on pizza but will beg for it when I’m making homemade pizza – only out of the bag frozen. I gave in to the madness. Ordered her a cheese pizza for herself and so on. Then one day I found out she was eating salamie or some other pepperoni type food at the neighbors and that was it. If we have pizza with pepperoni – she eats it or she doesn’t eat. This is the same child that when I was heading back to work and trying to wean her gave me a horrible time. I tried everything and the nurse told me – she will take a bottle if she is hungry enough. So the first day she went 8 hours before taking a bottle – never cried – happy all day. The next day it was 10. The next day 12 and I caved (she was only 11 weeks old). I went back to work and would nurse her before I left and leave her with bottles and sippy cups of water, breast milk, and formula. She would be happy all day and not take anything and nurse when I picked her up. She did this for a while and then she would take breast milk from a bottle. Then I went out of state for work and she had no choice and she switched totally to the bottle.
Just a thought? Does she have a texture issue with food?
Hang in there – the fun is just beginning. I think her diet sounds fine. Keep letting her help make things, pick them out, and have one thing she usually eats on the plate. If she doesn’t eat, then nothing until the next meal including sweets.
Stacie~ I need to try the shopping thing again. Most times when we go and I ask her what she might like or want to try she just tells me it’s all yucky. I haven’t tried the smoothie or milkshake thing in a few months. I should try again. She won’t eat cheese either. At least the yogurt is semi-healthy, right? 🙂
Thanks, Laura. The hardest part is sending her to bed hungry. I hate that. I feel terrible. But it’s so easy to remedy it, she is just stubborn! {and trying to control things, I guess}. She gags with any kind of pasta and mashed potatoes. I don’t know if it’s truly because of the texture or because she’s gotten herself so worked up about it she gags. It’s very, frustrating that’s for sure.
She’s still 30 pounds, which is where she has been since December. So no gain and no loss. The Little One is 28 pounds! She loves to eat what we eat!
What about getting some kind of nutrition shake-type drink for kids. They have those Nutripals bars too. Delia is getting really picky too. It is frustating. These days I make her a PB&J if she boycotts dinner.