Hello!

Yes we have a fussy eater and we don’t know how she’s surviving! We reduced her fluid intake so she would eat more – on guidance from a dietician. Give her full access to the cupboard and fridge. Use Sustagen hospital strength. Tried hiding the vegetables in fritters etc. no matter what we do she just hates food! Any suggestions of what to try next?


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  • My hubby tricks my toddler saying that things are “Elsa food” as she is obsessed with frozen. It usually works as she likes to tell everyone she’s Elsa!
    Another thing is we tell her if she wants to be big and strong like Elsa then she needs to eat so she can grow.
    I’m a bit OCD in that I try a new recipe each day just to see what the kids like and don’t like and make a note of the things they like which is usually stuff like pastas, corn and chicken dishes.


  • You’ve reduced her drinks but still give her Sustagen, isn’t that a drink too? I was always told a child is incapable of starving themselves to death, so just keep doing what you’re doing


  • Some very good suggestions already. Good on you you sought help from a dietician. I want to be careful to give you advice as this might be the opposite of what the dietician suggests and that only would be confusing, but want to reassure you that kids can survive on little food. Personally I wouldn’t put too much focus on it as it could make the problem only worse. I think it’s wise to involve your son as much as possible in buying and preparing foods. I used too make small nutritious snacks in an ice cube tray and leave it on the table for my kids to take whenever they wanted too.


  • Try smoothies. Lots of goodnes and such a variety can be made. Have her help make them. Also make up fruit salad dishes – mixed melons or pineapple grapes and stone fruit/strawberries or a citrius mix. Let her help herself


  • My son was like that ( which was connected to his autism ) and his O.T suggested that we included him in the food preparation, it didnt happen overnight but the more we let him “help” the more interested he got. Xx


  • My husband plays games with my toddler when she won’t eat tea, he goes on about “ohh this is soo yum I’m looking forward to eating this” (off his own plate) and then pretends to look away and put the fork near my daughter and she “sneakily” eats it and he says “oh no where did all my yum food go?” And continues like this until she’s eaten enough. Sounds silly but it actually works! My husband usually has to go get more food though lol


  • I can help but like the suggestion of reward chart for sure! I use faces!


  • Involve her in the cooking process so she’s excited about the food on her plate. Or maybe try one of those dinner winner plates..


  • My Mum told me that no healthy child will stave themselves …. having said that I found that cutting up an apple and nibbling it with hubby always got them asking if they could have some.


  • I have the same problem. Have tried lots of things. I’m now trying to put a small amount of new food onto the plate with the food he will eat. He doesn’t eat it but I’m hoping one day he just might. Last week he ate soup! I was soo happy but trying to make out like it was no big deal. Good luck.


  • get bub to help you make carrot cupcakes etc and make the food look fun! make a rainbow fruit salad


  • Could you allow her to chose a new plate? A reward chart? Maybe give her a choice of 2 foods?


  • I find spaghetti (for an adult that acts like a child), my partner hates everything that isn’t bland and full of fat.. -.-. I found blending food, but you need a really good blender to blend things to a sauce, tomatoes, spinach and anything and everything you can get your hands on! I nearly got caught out one night, so I even added red food die!


  • We do a lot of food hiding. Juicing carrots (ones that blend the whole vegetable and not just squeeze the juice out) and adding to pasta sauce you could also add spinach etc to this and they would be none the wiser. We also finely grated veggies and cooked it into food. We also use carrot and zucchini as pasta and cover/mix in the sauce and they couldnt tell!


  • Less stress perhaps? It may be just a battle of wills and she’s just trying to exert control over the few things she can


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