I need help getting Jon to try new foods

mommyof4boys

Jon has a limited food selection. He'll eat mac and cheese, french fries, cereal, hot dogs, ham chunks, chicken nuggets, applesauce, ice cream, pudding, apples and pb, pb and j sandwiches, gogurts, and corn.

Tonight for example, we had mac and cheese, ham, and broccoli. He at the ham, a few bites of mac and cheese and that was it. He complained that he didn't like home made mac and cheese. 2 weeks ago when I made it he ate it all up. I had 2 pieces of broccoli on his plate and he cried about it. I am stuck because I don't want to force him if he doesn't like something.  He seems to be stuck. I really could use the help of a developmental pediatrician but we need to find a new one so it could be months until we can get in.

We're having the issue with school lunches as well. For the first week and a half he was eating pb and j sandwiches, gogurt, and a brownie since he will eat most junk food. It was a Fiber One brownie. We found out last week that a kid is allergic to peanut butter/tree nuts in their class. They can't have any foods that have peanut butter in them or even manufactured in a plant that has nuts. He asked for cereal for lunch but won't eat the rest of what I have been sending in. I sent pringles, pretzles, fruit cups, jello cups, cereal, jelly sandwiches and most of it is being sent home. 

I don't know how to get him to try new foods without starting a huge fight. I don't want meal-time to become a battle of wills. His will win everytime since it is a control issue.

Mom2Cinderella

Not the mother of a special needs child, but lurking because I posted about fainting.

I wish I could help, but my DD is the same way.  She is actually a pickier eater than I think your lo sounds.  My DD's preschool teacher has been working with us at lunchtime, not allowing her to have her juice until she eats at least half of her sandwich.  I have been making grilled cheese the night before and she seems to like that cold the next day.  I've tried chicken nuggets too-cooked the night before. I am still in the same boat as you though.

However, my best friend's little boy sees a sppech therapist for feeding issues, and one thing I learned from her that may work for you, is to find something your son likes like ketchup or apple sauce or ranch dressing or cheese sauce-anything that can be dipped into. So say for example your son likes hot dogs dipped in ketchup, you can try transitioning him to another food by having him dip it in ketchup.  Maybe if he won't eat chicken, he might try it if dipped in ketchup.  Or if he likes melted nacho cheese but won't eat green beans, he might like them with the cheese.

As far as liking something one day and not the next, I think that just goes with the territory of a young child.  Just try again the next time.  Good luck.  I hope our kids grow out of their pickiness.

mommyof4boys

We do ranch dip with things.  He did try onion rings last week with ranch dip...

hlsgrad

I have had a "one bite" rule since DD was old enough to have table food. She just has to have one bite, and if she hates it, she knows she doesn't need to have any more.  So far it has worked for her.

My 4 nieces and nephews are all around teh same age and their diets sound worse than your DS.  I think that sounds like a typical toddler diet - not ideal, but certainly not uncommon. When i have my nephew or nieces one-on-one, the one-bite rule applies to them too and they respond very well. I had my nephew this weekend at a mexican restaurant - he insisted he only wanted chips for lunch.  i told him he could have a few chips once he had one bite of everything on his dish. He pouted at first, but 2 minutes later took a bite of chicken, and said it was ok. Then he tried black beans and said he loved them - he had a couple chips and then went back for the beans and a second bowl of rice - two things he would have never eaten before.

 

Louise06

Could you try a pb alternative such as sunflower butter or Biscoff spread?

mommyof4boys

They eat lunch in their classroom in kindergarten.  The kid in their room is highly allergic to the point where it can't be in the air.

Sobachka

We are doing feeding therapy, maybe your OT can help.

Also, a few kids I know started eating more foods on the GFCF diet.

I personally home cook everything, we never go to McD or fast food places (even though we do go to restaurants with GFCF food), and it has helped us a lot with eating (and trying!) a variety of foods.

 Hope this helps!

Assembly_Reqd

There are a couple pretty good chapters in Kelly Dorfman's book "What's Eating your Child". (She's a nutritionist) One is about having a "Picky Eater" and looking for clues as to the "why".

Another chapter is about a program ahe calls E.A.T.

E= eliminate any irritants or foods that are causing a bad reaction

A=Add one new food for two weeks. Have the child help choose the food. (sounds like this may be right up Jon's alley) Maybe make it an activity where you find pictures of the new food in a magazine or recipe book. Have the options be something similar to another food they already like french fries=sweet potatoe fries (look for similar textures, colors or tastes)

T=Try. Explain that he will be trying this new food for two weeks. They should take one bite. Some parents use a calendar with pictures and the child participates by checking off the day. If the "practice food" is accepted after the two weeks it gets added to your regular options for foods. If not, you pick another new food.

The book basically says that small consistant steps will eventually get you there. I have really enjoyed this book. A nutritionist may be a person to go and see for some ideas as well as the dev pedi. They may also have a shorter waiting list.

hopanka

Sobachka:

We are doing feeding therapy, maybe your OT can help.

Also, a few kids I know started eating more foods on the GFCF diet.

I personally home cook everything, we never go to McD or fast food places (even though we do go to restaurants with GFCF food), and it has helped us a lot with eating (and trying!) a variety of foods.

 Hope this helps!

This! My son has always been one of the worst eaters I know. He's also pretty lean because of it. Ironically, the very restrictive GFCF diet has taught him to eat a variety of foods. Mainly, it has taught him to eat all kinds of vegetables, which I'm pretty happy about. I have to say that compared to kids his age (1st grade), he eats a way healthier diet - thanks to the amount of veggies and fruits he eats. He considers apples a treat!

Now, is he a great eater? No, we still struggle, but it's A LOT better than what it used to be. In the past, he fell of his growth curve. Now, he's just lean.

I'm not gonna lie, though. The first few weeks on the new diet were pretty hellish. I had to stick to my guns a lot and be really millitant about it. I would definitely understand if that's not something you are willing to do...with 3 other boys around.