“mY kId iS sUcH a PiCkY eAtEr”

@migu42 Does your vegetarian eat any vegetables? Because my picky eater could also be described as a vegetarian but for the fact he eats zero vegetables
 
@syncakes At 18 months my daughter ate only white cheese and pasta and drank milk. That's it.

Now that she's 9 it's better but she's still a picky eater, that has to do with texture, colour and smell (she's not on the spectrum, but still has some sensory issues).

I really hope it gets better when she's a grown up.
 
@syncakes Solidarity.

My son will eat most fruits, but in terms of “mains” will only eat a certain brand of meatball, chicken shawarma from a specific Lebanese restaurant, pesto tortellini from a specific brand, fries (can’t be either too crunchy or too soft), and oatmeal.

I would kill for him to eat a pancake or a waffle or bread. A chicken nugget. Some mac and cheese. My homemade chicken or meatballs. A chicken tender or nugget. Pb&j. RICE!!!! A potato in literally any other form than fry!!!! Pita? Hummus? Eggs???? Why won’t he even try a cupcake?!?!?!? Or a hotdog? Or a hamburger?!?!?!

I wish I had a crystal ball that could show me an eventually future where he eats like a normal human being. I want to take him to visit his family abroad eventually without having to pack a week’s supply of pouches and hope that there are at least tasty enough fries on the menu places…
 
@syncakes If you can get to an occupational therapist - they are f'ing amazing. My youngest is/was food avoidant (still has textural issues and we're still working on that). In a year of OT we went from 5 things I could get him to eat daily, we went to like 20 and at least one in every food group. I don't count any more because he's come such a long way. We started ot at 4 years old after our autism diagnosis and speech therapist's referrals. He's 16 now and while his diet is still far more restrictive than most kids, we can go to just about any restaurant and find something he'll eat and I don't have to make the same exact thing for dinner every single night.

If OT isn't an available thing, there's a great book called "Just Take A Bite" that goes through some of the exercises that you'd do in ot and is just full of really great and helpful tips. I referenced it a LOT after our speech therapist recommended it.
 
@syncakes My seven year old used to eat well, and is now very limited in what he will eat. He also has sleep issues. I've been seeing little red flags for a few years now and am speaking with his developmental ped in a few weeks because I suspect he is on the spectrum.

He's the middle of my three. I am so tired. So burnt out. And also, frequently, really angry. Apparently I hate myself too.

Solidarity Bromo. 😴
 
@syncakes Solidarity. My kid is an extreme picky eater and at her most restricted, was down to like… 4 foods. Occasionally a fifth. I dropped $200 on a digital program called Mealtime Works that was created by an OT who specializes in picky eating, and it was very eye opening. We’ve made a bit of progress, but I honestly think it’s time to involve the pediatrician. It’s exhausting and frustrating trying to get them to try new stuff, and unless you’ve been there it’s very hard to understand how stressful it can be!
 
@syncakes My daughter has ARFID. A lot of it’s texture and the rest seems to be predictability…she only likes foods that are the same every time. Which, in practice, means processed foods and two kinds of apples.
 
@syncakes This is dinner, eat it or don’t, but this is it. If they get hungry enough they’ll eat it.
My kitchen was not a dinner.
We are having chicken, rice, and beans.
Period.
No desert, no snacks no juice no tv no nada… it will get them in line soon.
I can’t stand watching parents bend over backwards to appease the kid…they joined your life… they are not in charge…eat it
 
@syncakes I'm sorry. Hugs.

Please know that just because first born is picky doesn't mean that number two will be. My friend has two kids polar opposites. The older kid lives on bread, chicken and chips. The younger one will eat literally ANYTHING. You just never know what you're gonna get...
 
@syncakes Will only eat 5 types of food? Been there.

Only loves beige food? Wore the t-shirt.

But I wouldn't turn down the advice to keep trying to offer a variety. It takes about 50 tries before a child will eat some food. What worked well for us was serving 1 food they loved in small quantities, along with one food they knew but sorta hated, and one brand new food. We required a try for all 3 before a second serving could be obtained.

A try could be: touched the food, licked the food, put food in mouth and then spit it out, or ingested it. And yes, it sounds wasteful. But I just had to resign myself that I'd have to throw out food. Toddlers, man.

I'm not gonna say it worked overnight (see: 50 tries), but eventually my super picky eater became an adventurous eater, and my good eater got pickier, but in the sense that he grumbles a lot, but will still touch most plates. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and your kid will get there.

And for those who feel desperate, I like to tell the story of my friend Nick (*not actual name). He was a terrible picky eater into adulthood. We're talking "won't eat a burger if there's anything but ketchup on it, and don't you dare to offer it on anything other than a white bread bun". Like, we'd invite him to Cracker Barrel or other inoffensive places, and he'd end up not eating on a technicality.

Then he moved halfway across the country and made friends who loved to go out to eat and try different cuisines. He figured out he needed to get over his issues, or he'd burn a lot of bridges. And he did. In his 30s.

So there's hope there.
 
@syncakes I'm in the same boat. My 15m old will eat things one day and the next time I make it spit it all over me. Like today we had mac and cheese and she was not a fan. I don't know a way around it, it's so stressful! No way my kid can survive on any form of crackers and milk can she?! Gosh
 
@syncakes Dont worry by the time humble mom’s good eater turns 5 or 6 s/he will eat almost nothing. My 6yo ate everything up until 2 and slowly started dropping things off her diet. Today she refused to eat cheese pizza. That did it for me. I lost my sh*t. I totally gave her a food complex tonight bc i was like no you are eating cheese pizza dammit. Dont tell me u dont eat cheese pizza anymore. Eat it!

Also does it seem like the responsibility of ensuring proper nutrition usually falls to the mom? I hate mealtimes, it is truly soul crushing. Just give him those five foods and add some vitamins and remind yourself that youre doing fine. He’ll be fine.
 
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