How can I get my daughter to eat?

Question

My once "I'll eat anything" 4 year-old has suddenly become a picky eater. She is under weight and I need to fatten her up a bit.

She loves fruits and veggies. I am grateful for that, but the problem is, she doesn't want anything else. I have a hard time getting her to eat meat, peanutbutter, beans or anything else with protine. I try to avoid junk food. She will get sweets if and only if she eats her meal. I don't want to break that rule because I want to keep her eating healthy.

I have tried giving her choices on what to eat and she still won't eat. I have tried doing "fun" and/or colorful meals. I have let her help me prepare dinner, ect. She just doesn't want to eat anything but veggies. She doesn't even like fast food.

I do give her a multi-viatimin and I give her milk in the morning with breakfast and juice with dinner.

Anyone have any suggestions? I feel like I have tried everything.

Answer 1

continue to feed her small meals with choices from all the food groups and lotsa healthy snacks.  keep a water bottle filled for her and don't fight her.  she doesn't need an eating disorder this early.

Answer 2

How about a fruit smoothie with whole milk or protein shake powder in it. Good luck.

Answer 3

It sounds like you have tried everything. It also sounds like you have a very healthy daughter.

I'd start out by taking her for her 4 year well child exam. They'll check her height and weight and you can see if she truly is having weight issues . This is also a great time to see what the doctor thinks.

The best thing to do is to NOT make a huge issue of this. If you do, it will become a power struggle and will only work to make her retreat more. Instead, offer her what you have made. If she only eats her veggies, don't stress. Keep giving her the milk and maybe ask the doctors about pediasure.

You're do a great job! keep it up!

Answer 4

smoothies! Get her to help you make smoothies and she can see what goes in. Before you turn it on sneak in some protein, some ground chick peas or other pulse, some milk etc. You can get away with a lot as long as they dont see it! Begin with a little so as not to put her off straight away .

Does she like nuts? Nuts are high in good fats. I have the same problem with my daughter, and I caved into the junk food for a little while, but didnt stomach it for very long! She didnt put any weight on any way, just got tired and grumpy from the immediate energy and the fall.  Will she eat fruit muffins ? There are lots of ways of making a healthy semi-sweet muffins bursting with loads of fruit that could fatten her up, especially if she helps you to make them. I wish I had my recipe books at hand but Im typing this in the dark! Wheat germ, certain protein powders, oats - does she like avocados? They're great if she does.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Don't worry, most kids go through the picky phase! If she only likes fruits and veggies you've done an awesome job at developing her tastes. I'd get a new doctor. Any doctor who tells you to fatten her up with junk is an idiot. A skinny small child who's skinny on healthy foods is better than a kids who's a "normal" weight, or fat on junk.

She doesn't need to eat meat, you can get proteins into her through eggs, tofu, etc. You could try making a stirfry for her, if she likes them, and cube the tofu really small so she can't see them. Avacadoes have a lot of omega 3 fats too.

Sometimes being creative with your wording helps. Does she associate salad with veggies? You could make her a tuna salad, mixed with a lot of veggies.

Ultimately she knows how much she needs. It's far better to be full on veggies and fruits than on chicken mcnuggets and chips.

Oh, and the milk - if you're not already giving her whole milk try that.

Answer 6

Get a new pediatrician ("fatten her up with junk" is horrible advice). Has she been tested for things like anemia as a result of her low weight and limited eating habit? Get a new pediatrician.

Let her have as much fruit and veggies as she wants. My niece, around age 3-4, went through a phase where she'd only eat mac n cheese, nothing else, for about a year. Eventually she outgrew it. My kid, around age 4, had a PBJ streak, refused all food except PBJ sandwiches for several months. If yours hasn't always been 5th percentile, this could just be a 4 year old eating phase but her choice of veggies is so healthy that she's staying small. Try to be creative. Example: See if she'll dip some sliced apples in PBJ (to get some peanut butter protein). Consult a nutritionist if you need  ideas on which veggies how often, etc.

Answer 7

That sounds exactly like my little girl, who is almost 4.  She is really small too, and she didn't even make it onto a weight chart until she was 2 1/2, and now she is below the 5th percentile for weight.  She eats really healthy stuff, just not a whole lot.  But I'm really not worried.  With all the obesity problems, as long as she is healthy (she has had every test there is-the doctors were sure something was wrong with her since she was 6 months old, but NOTHING is wrong) I figure she will eat when she is hungry.  Good for you for avoiding the junk food, and what the heck is wrong with your doctor for suggesting that? Since when is gaining weight off crappy food going to make any little kid healthier??  This is what I do with my daughter, and myself as well, since it's fun.  We don't really have set meals, we kind of snack all day.  In the morning we have milk, maybe eggs or an apple, then every two hours or so we will have maybe a string cheese, grapes, and orange, etc.  For some reason she eats more when it seems like a snack, and not all this food on a plate.  The doctor said that was completely fine, since everything she eats is healthy.  Your daughter is not going to starve herself.  If she gets really hungry, she will eat.  Make sure she gets plenty of exercise, and don't make a big deal about her size.  Kids listen to everything, and you don't want to give her a complex.