How can I get a 6 year old to eat healthier? HELP!!?

Question

My husband has a 6 year old daughter whom we see every other weekend. The problem is that she eats nothing but chicken nuggets and fries. She won't eat anything else....period. Let me restate that for emphasis........she won't eat anything but chicken nuggets and fries. Oh, I forgot...she will eat sweets and chips. She won't even try anything else. And my husband feels that because he only sees her every other weekend that there's no point in trying to get her to eat better because he feels he can't make much of an impact. He says that his ex-wife is also an extremely picky eater. She pretty much only ate chicken as well when they were married. I hate to see this child eating so poorly, but what can I do? She's only 6 and I bet she already has elevated cholesterol levels. Did I mention that her stomach hurts all the time? Mine would too if I consumed that much junk. HELP!!

I'm her stepmother. If her own father won't make her eat right and enforce the rule, how can I? He doesn't try to make her do any different.

Did I mention that we tried the whole "eat it or starve thing?" She didn't eat for the entire weekend that we had her.

Answer 1

This is a long answer but a comprehensive one that may help. I spent over two hours on it.

So I hope you will read it as I feel it has some good suggestions.




1. read children's story books (both fiction and nonfiction) about nutrition and individual healthy foods...there are so many. Make it a warm time and talk about it when you read it..interrupt the book to ask questions..."do you think that apple taste crunchy and sweet or sour and salty? What do you think his mother said when he ate all those pancakes..do you think that that stone soup was a good idea, how many purple fruits can you name, etc

2. Have her cook with you or even entirely make stuff. Make it a fun time and

have a tea party,

a picnic--backyard, park or lake or if she eats it we will go there today

eat under the table with a sheet over it like a tent,

do a eat as you go savenger hunt with food that must be eaten to get the next clue and have a nice treat at the end,

dance to a cd and sit down and eat two grapes, jump up and down 4 times and sit down and eat apple slice,

do a simon says and incorporate eating little bites of healthy stuff in it

do relays, run down and eat the food and run back and time it..


or something like that to make it fun , etc.and eat what she makes or helps with make..


kids like to make little fruit pies..m,y mom used to make little pumpkin pies and cut out the shape of a pumpkin from the crust and bake it..I loved those little pies...and they created warm memory of mom

stress how good the food she makes tastes, how pretty it looks and what a good cook she is and how you would like to try a whole bunch or different things to see how well she cooks them and how yummy they are. (also incorporate other learning into the cooking-geography, measuring, math, social studies, nutrition, etc

Make the food fun like making deviled egg sailboats by coloring little paper sails attasched too toothpicks or celery car with carrot slice wheel (atttach w/toothpick) stuffed with organixc peanut butter with raison passengers, cutting whole grain bread into fun shapes, etc


3. Go on game excursions at the store...how many red fruits can you find..which fruits are shaped like a circle..how many long veggies can you find..which is a better choice for your-- this box of frosted flakes or cheerios...which of these 3 things are a food God made..do this veggie grow under the ground or below it? etc.

4. Go on field trips to farmer's markets, you pick 'em farms, (being sure to taste the food you pick), dairy farms. health food coops, ethnic restaurants, etc

Read stories and have her draw pictures related to the theme before going on the field trip..talk about nutrition on an age appropriate level afterwards.

5. Activately teach about nutrition. I highly highly recommend the book in the source..it is loaded with all kinds of fun things about foods..songs against junk foods, little rhymes, art projects, games,---oh so much I can't express it.

I had a month long very comprehensive lessons plan incorporating all types of activities etc and crossing about 20 subjects areas (anthropology, history, math, etc) for my 2nd grade and kindergarten classes. I headed it under the four food groups and brought in lots of samples for tasting and displays...check out books about nutrition both kids and for adults on nutrtion (to increase your own knowledge) and on how to change kids eating, deal with picky eaters, etc. Do searches on the internet.

6. Talk about food companies exploitation and food for profit and the cruelty of factory farming of chicken. If she is sensitive or an animal lover, this may break her fascination with chicken.

Use only free-range (organic) chicken (saying why it's better)and make your own nuggets using olive oil and whole wheat flour and make homemade fries or sweeet potato fries baked in the oven with olive oil. Use organic chocolate, dried fruit (and nuts) since she likes sweets and buy health food chips if all fails.

If possible take a trip to a little farmer who let’s his chickens roam and eat natural grains..and contrast it with the conditions of factory farms like Buckeye farms in Ohio..even showing here some of the awful pictures if you think she can handle it or just crowded condition smashed in cages with no light or freedom.
Talk about how the food companies expolit the chicken and are cruel because aoll they think about is mmoney contrast that with chickens raised organically and free range like the Amish do , for example..

7. Model healthy choices, stocking your home with health food store type products and modeling healthy food choices when eating out. Tell her why you eat this way and gives reasons like I like to have a lot of pep, I like my skin to be smooth, I like to be a good weight so I am not made fun of, I don’t like to buy food from companies who put poison chemicals in kids foods or make them not as smart and things like that. Do not eat crappy food in front of her ever. (Do it on the sly if you must).

8. Talk about God and the food He made and that they are the ones He wants us to eat. Ask how do you think God likes it when the big companies make drinks like pep-I that rot kid’s teeth, etc

Talk about what cavemen ate and how a lot of people don’t know the truth about food and so they eat it and how companies trick you and make the food taste really good and don’t care if you get sick as long as they make money.

9. Show healthy substitutes for junky foods and always teach better eating. even if you are unsuccessful, she is learning and it is in her young mind for future reference.

10.piggyback healthy foods in and sneak them in other foods.

11. Praise the slightest step in the right direction, the smallest taste with verbal praise, enthusiasm, and something you know she really likes and wants be it a fun place to go, time with daddy or you, a special treat, etc.

Try to ignore bad behavior, while emphasizing the good..It is important to praise those around her eating good foods like relatives, cousins, etc. Praise them profusely. This may cause her to follow suit. This is used in teaching to deal with behavior problem..ignoring the behavior you sdon't want and prsaising it in others that you do want. Also using anticipatory praise..I know Billy is going to do a good job in this as he is is a good learner, etc.

12. Tell her it makes you sad when she eats bad stuff and why..be honest crying if necessary an stressing how much you love her and want the best for her. Explain not everyone (like her mom) knows about nutrition and doesn’t know what they are doing is bad. Encourage her perhaps to ask her mom for particular healthy items. Talk to mom if you have a good relationship and can do it without causing more problems butexercise caution and extreme tact here. Make her feel a partner not an enemy or she will activitely teach against what you are doing and sabatoge it making it worse for your daughter.

13 check out and read some of these books


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-0609719-3048125?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=children%27s+nutrition+&Go.x=13&Go.y=5



. 14. Now this suggestion is a great one..I once had a book called something like how to change your kids (or maybe it was get) from what they eat to what they ought to or something like that..

If you could find the book, it had multiple suggestionsd and recipes and idea, but I couldn't find it or remember exact title but this is pretty close.

I searched for my copy unsuccessfully and on the web (oh I have spent so long on this answer to you but couldn’t find it..maybe it is out of print as it was a long time ago)..70's or early 80's.

Anyway, here is what you do, you focus on one goal a month..such as eating more fruit and more variety, eating more veggies, eating more meatless meals, eating more whole grains. Eating more soy and less meat and dairy, eating less chemicals, eating less sugar, etc.

You make a chart or something and check off every time she eats her fruit lest say the goal is three a day (which includes fresh, dried, juice (100% only), fresh squeezed or juiced juice, baked, fruit salads, etc) or three different colors of fruits a day or whatever.

Every time she does it, you give her verbal praise, affection, and whatever it is that you know she REALLY wants and loves be it a tangible object, a place, a privilege, etc. For the little goals it could be something so simple as a sticker on the chart..if she does it all day, she gets a bigger reward..if she does it a week or a month, a really big reward..this behavior modification is highly affective.
I once visited a behavior handicapped school and the student were a model of behavior..it used intensive behavior modification (although thought this particular atmosphere is depressing and oppressive) but you can make it a fun environment. Once you do it, 21 days, it becomes a habit..at first reward the smallest treat and later gradually require more than a taste.


15. It is most important to get your husband on board. Likely, nutrition isn’t something he values that much..do some education with him as well in a un way like the dinner them parties, the trips, etc. while gently educating him and changing his (and your own) diet. Remember, though, most men do not care about examples and are often bad role models..don't nag but think of a way to get him on board..read exercpts of books to him or something..enlist his mom's help.

16. Be patient and don’t give up and also read books about dealing with picky eaters.

It is a very worthy goal and may change the direction of her entire life...90% of who we are is fixed by age 9, so you need to hurry and make it a priority. What we eat has a huge impact on our life..maybe even show her selected exermps of the mover supersize me which I just saw a month ago, especially the fries segment in the extra features (maybe that will make her llike them more though..lol

Thanks for being such a good stepmom. If you can’t get your husband on board, you will have to do it yourself.

Seek out this forum for advise and support about this tiopic and many of parenting

..it is excellent http://www.mothering.com/discussions/


Also read mothering magazine (libraries sometimes have them)

Answer 2

Ok..sounds like the parents are too lazy and find it inconvienient to feed her healthy foods. Not only that ..why are they parents if they do this to thier only child and spoil her and let her have what ever she wants??? good thing you are there to change all that. When she comes home to you..tell her you don't have chicken nuggets and fries and you will not be giving it to her..she will throw a temper tantrum..let her..she will eat anything when she's hungry. so make her some whole wheat past with brocolli or give her organic peanut butter sandwich or some carrots and rice...as a matter of fact educate her and show her there is more to life than Chicken nuggets and fries.!!! oh yes and give her only what you are eating. tough!

Answer 3

Give her ONLY what you're eating, and try to keep that as healthy as possible. Let her know that it's not a diner. Everyone eats what's been served. Don't give her the option of eating the junk. Try to keep all the junk food out of her sight (or out of the house) when she's over. Put dinner on the table, and if she refuses to eat it, it's not the end of the world. But she WILL get hungry. And when she does, she'll eat what's available. Once again, just don't give her the option of having the junk...keep healthy options handy.

I don't have any kids, but I like to keep fruit chopped up in individual-sized containers in the fridge, also bags with green beans & baby carrots for snacking...low-fat string cheese...sugar-free Jell-o in individual serving containers (I actually have a set of small Tupperware containers and I make the Jell-o at home, it's cheaper than buying the pre-packaged single-servings). It makes it easy to grab something healthy to munch on without having to stop what you're doing and preparing it.

Answer 4

Do not let her comprehend by using word or deed that you're involved about her weight. Do maintain up the exercise although. Probably go for two walks a day with the dog? Additionally, get her concerned in a recreation. With that plus the walking plus the healthy eating she'll be pleasant. Other food methods that labored for me ... Juicing - juice carrots and oranges collectively hamburgers - grate courgettes/zucchinis, carrots and onions and mix with the mince to make the patties soups - cauliflower, potato and leek soup all pureed up I observed I only had to do this for a whilst and my kids ended up consuming a cheap quantity of vegies as they acquired older. Do not forget, the purpose is to have a healthful child. Center of attention on that and her weight and body form might be satisfactory. Feliss

Answer 5

My son is a picky eater as well. We have a rule in the house. He has to try a least 2 bites of everything I present him. He did not like this at first, but I would not allow him to eat what he liked until he took 2 bites of the foods I chose for him. There are some things he still does not like, but 8 out of 10 things I give him to eat he loves and I incorporate them into his daily meals.

Answer 6

As her if she'd like to help you cook something for you and her Daddy to eat while she's having her nuggets and fries. Make something similar - fried chicken and home fries, perhaps and a nice dessert - apple pie ala mode perhaps. Get her involved and if she seems receptive, ask if she'd like a tiny taste. Don't make a big thing about it, but try and get her to try a teeny weeny bite and don't be cross if she pulls faces. Just try again next time she comes with something different.

Cup cakes are another good thing for kids to make, or making your own bread - you can get easy-yeast so it only needs to rise once and she can make it in the shape of her initial, or a teddy. Then see if she'll have a PB and J. If you can get her to branch out into new desserts, then new main courses are that much easier. Get chocolate milk powder and make shakes with real milk and ask her to do a taste test to see what she will prefer.

Don't try and rush her straight to plates of veggies. Move slowly. Get her to join in, get her her own apron with her name on it. Get her to make something for Daddy and get him to go "yum yum" even if it tastes vile. My father had five daughtersworth of ghastly cooking and it never did him any harm.

Answer 7

i say starve her. If you only see her on the weekends then just provide healthy foods that she can access whenever she wants but don't give her any junk. Anyways, with the calorie count of the foods she's eating all week, going a couple days without any might actually even her out a bit. I don't mean to be rude to you because this obviously isn't your fault, but 6 is so late to try to introduce healthy foods. If I were you though, I wouldn't have any children with this man because he and his ex-wife are killing their daughter. (Since he only sees her on the weekends, parenting isn't worthwhile?!) They should be charged with abuse.

Answer 8

If this is all she will eat, the best thing to do it make it a healthier meal. Tenderize some chicken breast and form into nuggets. Bread and bake instead of frying. Same goes for the fries. Bake them. One of my kids wil only eat "soft foods" and will not eat meats. I have to be creative and sneak things in here and there. Be patient, she is young and will most likely grow out of it.

Answer 9

Don't make this a power struggle. That'll make a bigger mess all the way around.

Try getting her involved in the kitchen. Take her shopping with you for healthy food items (such as the veggies to make with dinner that night.) and get her to help you. If veggies are an issue ("ewww. gross.") try some fruit as a side dish for her with dinner. My friend used to give her kids grapes with their dinner because they hated vegetables.

Offer her better choices all the way around and limit the amount of junk in your house. If you don't have candy, fries or chips in the house, she can't eat them. Make one meal. Period. The end. If she's hungry, she'll eat whatever appeals to her. It may not be everything you're serving, but something on that table is bound to appeal to her eventually. You can't control what she eats at her mom's house, but at your house, you can. (And if she doesn't have a stomachache at your house from eating better, maybe she'll WANT to eat better with mom too.)

Good luck!

Answer 10

This needs to be a group discussion with your and his ex. Then there needs to be discussion with the child. A good movie to watch to help facilitate this is Super Size Me. A good book is Fast Food Nation. Bringing a doctor or Chiropractor in on it may also help as it is an outside person giving advice. After that is it is a matter to not have those foods on hand and to experiment with other foods. Another fun idea is to do some physical activity preferably outside for a while... really drive up the appetite then present fruits and such.. Hopefully that helps a bit.
Good luck.

Answer 11

Maybe you could "disguise" some healthy food as sweets. For example, make a smoothie with frozen yogurt (it could even be chocolate) and berries, and tell her it's a milkshake. Or would it be possible to give her healthier versions of chicken nuggets and fries? Bell & Evans makes really good and healthy chicken nuggets (my husband can't keep his hands off them when we make them for my son) that you can buy at Whole Foods, and maybe you could try sweet potato fries (also in the frozen section and Whole Foods or Trader Joes) and bake them, much healthier than regular fries.

Good luck!