Need some serious help?

Question

How do I get my daughter to eat more vegetables and to eat fruit? She is 8 years old and weighs 110lbs. I am concerned about her weight. She was perfectly normal and in her weight range for height and age up until about 3 years ago when we moved in with my grandparents. (they still have the idea that 'big' means you're healthy because you're parents can afford to feed you good food.) (ie when i was away at work i'd come home and they would boast how she ate 2 1/2 cans of ravioli.. and i about crapped my pants). Anyways- ever since she was born she has NEVER liked fruit- even baby food as an infant. TO this day she won't eat it- but frequently I still make her try- hoping one day she will like something. The only vegetables she will eat are green beans and she loves olives. She will eat broccoli as long as it's chopped small in broccoli cheese soup. Am I doing the right thing by making her try different foods all the time and just wait it out?

Answer 1

This is hard. I would talk to the Grandparents and let them know how you feel and she is YOUR child! This is not healthy. I have an 8 year old and she weighs barely 50 lbs. Your daughter is twice her size and my daughter eats 3 meals a day and even a dessert and or a snack at school. You need to make sure she gets less on her plate at ever meal. Try giving her fruit by getting or making fruit shakes or smoothies. Maybe if you told her you two would be going for a icy treat every day or every few days. Its possible she will like it. Try introducing other ways of making the veggies. Maybe she would like it with cheese or even butter as I do.  There are ways around this, She is only 8. Take charge.

Answer 2

Wow 110 pounds.  I'm very very sorry but you need to take control of this while she is still young enough- Try controlling what a teen eats...won't happen!

Do not purchase any unhealthy foods.  The whole family needs to start eating healthy.  This does not mean she can't have cookies, but there's a huge difference between 1 cookie and 5 of them.  She can only eat what you provide.  8 year olds aren't going to friends houses all the time and out with friends to eat yet, so you are her ONLY source of food right now.  You can make vegetables better by adding low calorie cheese and ranch dressing.  Most kids eat it like this, and the ranch dressing is 40 calories a serving.  Hardly anything.  

Cut out ALL JUICE and soda.  Nothing more than 2-3 cups of milk a day.  That still has calories and that adds up.  Please try the crystal light fruit punch powder you add to water.  It is AMAZING.  It does not taste "diet" at all.  

You need to start a whole exercise program and make it routine.  For example EVERY day after school or after dinner, you and her go on a bike ride or roller blade.  Make this fun, she will look forward to it all day.  Plus it's extra time with you.

Answer 3

Most of the time I don't keep very many sugar-y foods in my house. My husband and I don't need them and the kids wouldn't eat anything else if they had a choice. Those are the things they get when we go out to eat, go to grandma's, etc. I try to keep a lot of baby carrots, chopped broccoli and celery for them to snack on.  Fruits, we usually have bananas around and we try to rotate through apples, organes and grapes. It's going to be harder to get your daughter to eat them because no one has forced her to but if you don't have anything else, eventually she'll get hungry enough to eat them. She's not the one in charge of what she will and won't eat and until she's old enough to get a job and have her own house she needs to follow your rules.

Answer 4

I see that u changed ur age for this tara. you arent supposed to tell people your weight. but anyway. You should make a scheduale,like a chart and when she eats healthy you buy her a toy or do something special for/with her. Best if you use stickers. also, you should talk to her and disscuss how important it is to eat healthy but of course do it nicely. you need to also talk to your grandparents. I hope I helped!

Answer 5

When she asks for certain food,give her the heathier verison of it. Like if she asks for popcorn,give her the low fat popcorn and share it with her so she does not eat as much of it. I hope this helped!

-Tara

ps I am 11 and weigh 83. I am not sure why I added that.

Answer 6

When I was 8 years old, I weighed 87 pounds. I was considered overweight and I was gossiped about by people who I thought were my friends. Please, I beg of you now, instill healthy eating habits and exercise. I would have been so thankful if my parents had when I was 8 because now I'm 13 and weigh 196 pounds. It's not fun. I beg my mom to stop buying the junk food (she never does anyway so I don't know why I bother) so try that if you can. I understand that you live with your grandparents (therefore, their house) and that might not happen, but if you do the shopping, try it. No chips, no Little Debbies, etc. Tell her NO! That's the key, don't let her just go in the pantry and take what she wants. Make it so she has to ask you. That way, you can tell her she can't have the junk, but maybe some carrots and ranch, (peppers can work too), apples and peanut butter, oranges, etc. Take her outside and run with her or walk. Play tag, hide and seek. Please don't let her end up like me.