5 Year Old with Bad Eating Habits?

try cooking with her or letting her help make the meals. They are very proud of themselves and like to show off there meals. make them fiber friendly

I often come across with the parents who says exactly what you're saying. Well, I had similar problem. My kids don't like vegetables and hard to cook one meal for all of us but I still cook one meal. Why do you know if your daughter eat only those things that you listed? Is it what you eat? I think there are picky eater but it's important how to set them up. A couple things you can try. Most effective thing you can do is not giving snack. Probably her eating habit is up side down (isn't it?) Aren’t you trying to give more snack so she can get nutrition though snack? By letting her eat in between, she is not that hungry so she's more likely to choose not to eat when the food not exciting stuff. Changing eating habit starts from shopping. Look at what you're getting in super market. Look at groceries in your shopping cart. Small children don’t need much food. They don’t eat like us so don’t worry even if she’s not eating a lot. Worry about quality. That’s what I did. I didn’t push them eat but I tried to buy good quality food. I think children need to develop toleration. So instead of not giving the food she doesn't like, put in her plate anyway and tell her to put aside in her plate if she doesn't like. I sometimes cook soup. Then there are stuff my kids don't like. I tell them they don't have to eat some vegetables in soup if they don't like. Even though I know they don't like some vegetables, I cook food with it. They are allow to pick out but I don't completely eliminate from their menu or table, then they'll never learn to eat anything else but macaroni cheese and pizza. J., it may be tough in the beginning since probably you only gave her things she would eat in her plate. It might be hard for her to allow something she doesn't like in her plate. But if you continue, you'll start to see some change.

My son is the same way it is a fight to get him to eat at all. With him its either peanut butter & banana sandwiches or toast for lunch blueberry waffles & sausage for breakfast (bacon 1 time a week) Dinner is always a fight. He would happily go for days without eating if I let him. He gets a pediasure every morning to make sure he gets some nutrition.

My dr told me basically that he will eat when he is hungry, as long as he is healthy and gaining weight .

As far as the fruit goes maybe alot of moms would frown on this but since your daughter likes sweets maybe you could let her dip fruit in chocolate sauce, perhaps not every day but there are other things she could dip it in yogurt. My son loves it when I dip bananas in chocolate & freeze them on a stick it is like a treat but healthy. With my son any trick to get him to eat is worth it.

Just keep offering the good stuff, put one piece of the stuff she doesn't want on her plate(so it's not overwhelming)and go from there...keep in mind it takes something like 20x's before you acquire a taste for something and DON'T give her something else to eat, my ped says one good meal in a kid a day and you're doing well! Besides breakfast is the most important meal and as long as you keep the junk to a minimum that's a good routine, all my kids eat a better breakfast, a pretty good lunch and dinner is hit or miss but I have noticed my 3 older kids(now 9,7, and 6) are starting to eat more and more variety...it's my 4 and 2year olds that still have issues...I don't stress about food, offer it and go withit, they will eat when they are hungry and if you only offer healthy, they can only eat healthy...on that note we do have sweets A cookie after lunch or dinner but not everytime, it's NOT a reward for eating a good meal...it's just yummy and it's not always offered. Hang in there (I was and still am pretty picky, so I figure this is payback!)

Hello J.,
Well if it's just a phase then I think that I am still in that phase at 27 years old! Mac & Cheese, chicken fingers and peanut butter are what I live on. And I fill in the cracks with sweets: candy, cookies, chocolate, etc.
All right, I'm exagerrating, I do eat a little more than that, but those are my favorites! I read an article once that said you can give your child what they like for dinner, but also include small servings of everything that the rest of the family is eating. Don't force the food on her, but suggest that she tries everything before she gets to eat her favorite food. I also read that the more kids "try" the foods that they don't like, the better chance you have of getting them to like it. It also might be a good idea to let her help with the grocery list and the shopping and the cooking.
I just saw a cookbook in a catalog recently (perhaps One Step Ahead?), it has recipes for foods that kids like, but you sneak veggies in without them knowing. Maybe recipes like that would help?
I'm a picky eater, but not to the point where I have gastrointestinal issues. Hope things get better!
Best of luck to you!

You want to shift picky eater behaviors now before you become a full time short order cook! Mono diets loaded with mac'n cheese and chicken nuggets can lead to health issues.

The good news is that these eating patterns can be changed. She may be one of those kids who become constipated by dairy. Eliminate all forms, cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, for 7-14 days and see how she does. She will be fine if you try this, kids are hardwired not to starve!
You might want to do it as a family experiment- and you may be surprised how other family members react to no dairy. Less sinus congestion, clearer skin and less digestive upset. Just play it as a "game" for two weeks and see what happens!

Ensure for kids is just more sugar to feed her sweet tooth! In my opinion there is nothing of value in there, just a lot of synthetic vitamins and tons of marketing. Read the ingredient list- none of it is real food!

I have a great picky eater workbook on my website that is loaded with effective strategies designed specifically for parents like you to win the picky eater war. Here's the link.
http://www.drsusanrubin.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=1

Good luck!

Dear J.:

I know exactly how you feel. My two boys almost 10 and 8-years old are the same way with eating vegetables. Since it's impossible to meet their daily required intake, I have them take the Isotonix OPC-3 antioxidant, Isotonix Might-a-Mins, and Isotonix Calcium each morning on an empty stomach, about 10-15 minutes before breakfast or at night before going to bed. They are in a powder form, and when mixed with the correct amount of water, it gets absorbed 92%-98%. They are 100% organic, taste great and have all the vitamins they need. You can check the label and their uniqueness and everything you need to know about them on my web portal at www.kober.unfranchise.com. I hope this can help you because it certainly helps my family. May God Bless you and your family.

My daughter went through this at that age too. She is now 9 and has recently started trying more foods... even broccoli and sweet potatoes which she absolutely hated before. Now she eats both.
I think all kids go through these kinds of phases... and remember, there are foods you don't like, so there are going to be foods she genuinely doesn't like too.
Just keep introducing new foods to her, even if she only has to take one bite to try it.

As for the constipation, have you tried to have her eat oatmeal, Cherios or any other kind of cereals that have fiber in them? Even granola bars might help. Remember, fruit and vegetables have fiber but so do cereals and such.
Also, there is yogurt that Fiber One makes.... it has extra fiber in it. Since she already eats yogurt... get her that kind.
She should grow out of this as long as you keep (gently) introducing new things to her. And, if she doesn't each much at a time, remember she will eat when she is hungry.

As for candy.... I would only give her candy as a treat once in a while. Use it as a reward for something that she does, but only occasionally. This way she still gets to have candy but not very often... it teaches her it's something special to have.

Good luck!!

Hi J.

Sounds like your daughter isn't eating a terrible diet. My kids went through similar stages, and they've survived to bug me with other bad habits. One of my daughters used to have terrible problems with constipation and I explained to her that she needed to drink more water. She also accepted the idea of eating applesauce and peaches or pears which can help with that as well. Once I taught her about how fruits can affect your body, especially in a way that would help her, she was more open to eating them. Now she's finishing up third grade and is the most health conscious of all my children. She looks for the variety of colors and so forth.

As far as the candy goes, we used to keep a jar of M&M's on the counter, so that the kids knew they could have it any time they wanted it. Yes, we had rules about the candy jar - none while I was making dinner, plus limits on how much you could have per day. Strangely enough, they grew away from eating candy and now want things like cheese sticks, melon, berries, carrot sticks etc. I really didn't push those things, just made them available and eventually the children chose better snacks. I got rid of the candy jar when I realized I was the only one taking M&M's and I didn't need the extra calories!

Good luck
R.

You have to remember that you are in charge here. You do the grocery shopping and you have control over what goes on her plate. If she doesn't want to eat it, that's her decision. Don't become a short order cook. Cook one meal for the entire family and don't give her the option of anything else. Stop buying the chicken fingers, mac & cheese and candy and she won't have access to them. Don't make a big deal out of it- don't argue with her over eating or not eating. The only rule should be that she has to try everything on her plate. If she does not want any more, then that's fine. She will eventually realize that this is what is for dinner and she will eat a wider variety of foods.
As for the constipation, make sure she is drinking enough water and buy some dried fruit as a snack. This should get her moving better.

except for tantrums its doesnt sound like her eating habits are too bad. If her poops are hard maybe she needs to drink more water (best to ask your pediatrician). beware of juices. they are appetite killers.

Change her diet now-it is not a phase. We develop our eating habits during childhood. Start juicing for her or giving her fruit smoothies to get fruit into her diet. Trust me, I have worked with families so that they could change their children's diet-diets that they thought were impossible to change-yet we changed them. I am a certified Holistic Health Counselor who specializes in women and children's health. Good luck.

Have to agree with the other response. Keep offering good stuff but a very minimal amount & you may see that she changes her mind. It is difficult because we (parents) normally start worrying if they are eating enough, getting the nutrition that they need, etc. Now ask yourself how many kids you have known that have died of malnutrition at their own hands. Hopefully the answer will be none. Kids will go through these stages all the time. My daugther has told me that she "broke up" with chicken nuggets. She will not eat cold cuts. She doesn't eat hamburgers or any kind of chopped meat. As you can see I have the issues as well. Thankfully she does like a decent amount of fruits & some veggies. Maybe this is the picky stage for your girl but maybe this is the eater she will be. If the Dr. tells you to worry then do but if not keep getting a good breakfast into her & keep offering different foods on a continual basis.
There are laxatives out their for young children. Not sure how that all works as we have not had to deal with it. Maybe if she has to take "medicine" to help in that dept. she may rethink the whole fruit & veggie thing.
Also think of food combos. If she is ok w/ peanut butter, try apples dipped in peanut butter. If she likes cream cheese then maybe "Ants on a log", celery filled w/ cream cheese w/ some raisins on top. Take a look at the kids cook books for some more combo ideas.
Good luck!

Hi J.,
I do think it's a phase. I too am 34yrs old with a 4 1/2 year old little girl who has a really concerning eating habit. She does not eat much at all and tends to pick a lot. I always prepare a healthy breakfast for her and usually most of it is left on the table. She likes dry cereal and may eat a sausage. For lunch, she may take a couple of bites out of a sandwich and for dinner, all she wants is rice with nothing on it, macaronie and cheeze with nothing on it or a piece of bread. IF I take her to fast food, she loves the nuggets and fries, but I refuse to have her eat that more than once a week. I will beg her to eat some meat with dinner and she will take a few bites but does not eat the vegetables. I think what's keeping her alive is that she tends to eat healthy snacks. I keep tons of fruits in the home, she loves yogurt, almonds, in addition to other nuts, she also loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheeze. I will also give her healthy granola bars. She is so petite, that I worry for her getting sick because she cannot afford to lose any weight. Her pediatrician says she is fine, so I let her eat as often as she would like even though it's not to a sit down meal. I know how you feel, I stopped worrying about it and just try to make sure she is getting enough calories in her with a variety of foods.
She is a happy, well adjusted little girl, I do not want to stress her with forcing her to sit down and finish all her foods, I tried that once, she just sat there and cried, and still did not eat it, so why make both our lives miserable. Continue to do what you are doing, if she is constipated try incorporating more fluids in her diet, I know she only likes the cantaloupe but have you tried giving her pears?

Good luck but I do think it's just a phase

Good for you to stop buying candy! having that kind of high-calorie no-nutrition "food" in the house is too tough.
So think about what you did. You created a scenario where there IS no candy, so you're not lying/negotiating/fighting if she asks for it and you say "sorry, but we don't have any". How about trying that with other food? "sorry, but we don't have any macaroni and cheese. the only thing we have is [fruit] [vegetable] and [meat]." She may protest at the first meal, but if you stick to it and NO SNACKS, she'll be hungry enough to at least try it at the next meal. She will not starve herself! I'm sure once in a while you've missed a meal (for whatever reason). When the next meal comes around you're hungry, but you're not starving. Maybe (for religious or other reasons) you've fasted for a whole day. Of course your daughter is probably waaay too young to go for a whole day without any food, but what I'm saying is that she'll be fine - hunger is not a bad thing! What if tomorrow there was a food scare about macaroni/cheese, chicken fingers, and peanut butter sandwiches? The only thing that was safe to eat would be wholesome food. (Let's just pretend). It'd be a little easier to put your foot down, right? Also, there's no rule about having cereal/yogurt for breakfast. No reason you can't eat veggies and meat at 8am, other than we're just not used to it. And don't forget, there's no need to "fight" about food. If she doesn't want to eat it, fine. There just happens not to be anything else in the house. Oh well.
In short, let her get hungry and be creative - you took a great first step by completely eliminating candy. You know what you need to do.

(And I completely agree with the previous poster - Ensure is not a meal! It is not food! And it is most certainly not a substitute for eating a meal with your family at the table!)

J.,
You have to address the eating choices now. My brother-in-law and his wife chose not to change their fussy daughter, and now she is 11 and still won't eat veggies. She still has bm issues. As one other mother said, we develop our eating habbits when we are young.

My son is now 4 years old. Although he would rather eat just rice, french fries, and bread at every meal, I also put meat and veggies on his lunch and dinner plates. I put a little too much veggie on his plate on purpose. Then, as he is eating, I'll tell him that he has to take two more bites of veg before eating more of the starch or protein. After those two bites, I leave him alone to eat the other parts that he likes more. Then, I'll ask for two bites again. By the end of the meal, there is always extra veg on the plate, and he feels as though he's won by getting me to agree that he doesn't have to finish it. Oh, and he has to eat most of his dinner AND still have room for desert in order to get desert. The desert will be an appropriate size for him and there are no seconds on desert.

You may or may not be comfortable using the same technique that I used with my son. You'll have to come up with what works for you. Whatever you decide, make sure that your husband backs you up and that you both agree to stay firm. Even if it means that she doesn't eat for two meals in a row, don't sweat it. She will eat what you put in front of her if she is hungry. You'll also want to have a talk with her long before the first meal that you institute your plan. Don't spring your new-found great meal idea on her right at dinner time. ;-) Good luck!

You are not alone. This is very common among most families!!! I am a Registered Dietitian and I highly recommend Ellyn Satter. She has several books that may be very helpful to you and I have found with my 3 year old that the strategies really work and make a lot of sense. Good luck!!

Get Jessica Seinfeld's book. It is called "Deceptively Delicious". Lots of great ways to hide the healthy foods. The books called for purreeing veggies and freezing them for future use and all however you can use ready made baby food which is the same as purreed food (and alot less work)that the recipes call for.

I would start by giving her more fluids. Lots of water...that softens the stool naturally(most of us are dehydrated)If she doesn't like to drink water then only give 100% juice with half water. Another thing that helps with the BM's is flax oil. You keep it refridgerated and never cook with it. It's extemely healthy and you can hide it in just about anything(yogurt potatos oatmeal steamed veggies rice etc. She'll never know it's there-just put a table spoon or two in whatever she's eating.
As far as her diet it doesn't sound that bad for her age. Avacados are amazing. See if she'll eat mashed avacado and plain yogurt with organic blue chips. Salmon and sweet potatos are the best. I love to cut up sweet potatos like french fries and bake them in the toaster oven with a little olive oil.
As far as sugar-just put your foot down. Don't even entertain an arguement about it. Just say no and that's it. Let her scream-it won't change your mind-stay strong. I know it's hard but in the end she'll get a really good message about what's healthy. Also if she's not allergic to nuts see if she like s almond butter. It can be expensive but Trader Joe's has there own brand that's $5 a jar-and MAKE SURE IT'S RAW! Roasting nuts takes away the nutrition. Soaking them in water(raw almonds) as you eat them(for at least a couple of hours if not over night) actually brings out the flavor and nutrients.
Try to make steamed veggies yummy. Earth Balance or Soy Garden is GREAT butter substitute. It's healthy and it really tastes good. Also frozen edemame(soy beans) already shelled is fun and healthy for kids. Easy too. Just steam until hot. I hope this is helpful. good Luck!
S. S

how about fun foods, like applesauce and put food coloring in it to make it her favorite color, or pudding cups or maybe get some neat dishes (parfait dishes) to make layered type healthy deserts. maybe you can get her to eat different types of sandwiches if you make the sandwich and let her pick out a cookie cutter, and make it a cookie cutter sandwich. The tin cutters that are deep are the best for this unless you can find plastic that are tall. Also you can make pancakes and make faces in them with berries or chips. Just have to incorporate some fun finger foods or sauces to encourage her to try new things. a freind of mine talked my grandchildren into broccholi, he sat and ate trees with the kids. my husband and his wife got the biggest kick out of it too. now they eat trees, and my grandson will steal it off of your plate too.