My son won't eat!!!?

Question

When I went vegan in the spring, my four your old asked to do the same. Since eating a vegan diet can be very healthy, I agreed. He was awesome at first, eating everything I ate, but lately he has gotten very picky. He likes veggie burgers and veggie corn dogs and loves Mexican dishes with refried beans. But he won't touch hardly anything else!!! Even fruits and vegetables he always loved before. I have tried grounding him from TV, I have tried saving his dinner and giving it to him at breakfast, even taking away sweets. Nothing changes this. My husband is a fast food junkie and is using this as "a good reason" to make Andrew eat meat again... Is there anyway to make him eat before my husband wins the fight and teaches my son bad eating habits??

Answer 1

Your son is probably in his learning growth spurt where everything looks more interesting than eating! Some go through this at 2,3 or 4. If he is in pre-k he may be experiencing some stress also. If you will just ignore his lack of variety for a while he will start back on his own. Just remember to serve him exactly what you prepare for meals, hubby too! There should not be the division between you and hubby for the child to have to decide upon or use as leverage when he wants to rebel or control. Yes he is learning and testing his limitations in control so you must be strict and make sure he learns that his parents are in control and are partners that agree on everthing-rules and consequences! You could have a night where you allow the family to have junk food but eat well-balanced meals the rest of the week. You can also allow the family to choose where to eat out maybe once or twice a month. That way he will see both sides and be able to make his choice better when older. Just don't do sweets other than fruit or dairy products. Make a cake once a month for a special treat. My generation did not grow up with candy and snacks all the time. My mom made a cake or cobbler about 2 times a month but we never asked for sweets.Try to talk with your husband about agreement on food, chores,homework, manners, and set the consequences of not following the rules. It will train your son to know what is expected of him every day of his life and to know taht if he chooses to go against the rules that he knows exactly what the punishment will be. He will learn responsibility and how to make good decisions with this method! As he gets older the responsiblity and consequences also grow to suit each age. Best wishes with your family's future!

Answer 2

Being a vegan is an adult decision that mother's shouldn't force on their children. The human body was designed to be omniverious. You son needs to make his own choice about shutting down 50% of his digestive process not you. It really isn't "good" for you unless you really know what you are doing and most people don't. Especially in children where a lack of protein and vitamin D leads to poor bone development. I have a friend who was brought up a vegan and now in his 40's he got a bone deisease problem where his bones are as brittle as an 80 year old's. The doctor's have all said that this was brought on by a lack of protein and vitamin D in his youth.

That said it's very likely that you made becomeing a vegan a big deal for him. He got lots of attention at meal time and it was a "cool" thing to do. Now that it has become common place he misses the added excitement and attention. Don't give it to him because it will just reinforce the behavior. Tell him you're not going to force him to eat but that he must stay at the table quitely until everyone else finishes and that he may not have anything else to eat until his next meal. Pretty soon he'll start eating but not if you make it a big deal again. That will just increase his expectations and soon you'll need a band and fireworks to get him to eat! Remember the key is to ignore him when he does this.

Answer 3

Don't worry about it. Don't punish him because of food, this can send him a bad message about food later on.
It's just a phase. My four year old hardly touches fruit and vegetables even though he used to eat them when he was younger.
I have just accepted this as the way four year old often are: picky eaters.

And I agree with what some of the guys have said: I don't think it's a good idea to start out your kid vegan so young.
Now, this is coming from a person who was vegetarian for ten years, I now eat some chicken and fish.
You are experimenting on a kid, humans throughout the ages from the dawn of man have eaten meat as a staple in their diet.
Like it or not, this is the truth.
What's with the polar extremes in your house?
Vegan or Fast food?
What ever happen to everyone in the house eating for dinner lean chicken breast or fish, a side of broccoli and some pasta?
My advice is to go lacto ovo vegetarian for starters eating some dairy and egg product,
Feed the rest in the house lean meat and tell your husband to get off the junk to set a good example of eating habits for your child/ren.

Answer 4

Being a vegan is great, but for a kid still growing up its going to be pretty hard. A lot of parents have a hard time getting there kids to eat regular food let alone a vegan diet. I'd suggest you allow him to eat some meat just so it will stimulate the rest of his diet, but that does not mean he has to start eating junk food. Try him off with high protein low fat meats like chicken breasts, fish, turkey, and meat alternatives like peanut butter, nutella and flavoured tofu. Vegans a great choice for an adult and I really respect you for doing that, but for a kid, who has not even really had a taste of the world yet, so to speak it will be really hard for him to stick to such a limited diet. Like I said though at that age most kids become fussy eaters, so just try to be a little more creative and give in slightly on the vegan thing for now and you should be o.k.
Good luck.

Answer 5

It can't be easy going Vegan while your husband is a junk food junkie. Too many other "yummy foods" in the house that he's not allowed to have. I would try compromising with him, giving him a food that he loves as a reward for eating something Vegan. On another note, he may be lacking nutrients that a Vegan diet isn't giving him. Kids crave what their body needs. I would check with a doctor to make sure.

Answer 6

A four-year-old should be eating whatever he wants, whenever he wants, so long as most of of it is not junk food! Children absolutely need a regular diet. Let him decide to go vegan when he is an adult if he wants to.

Fighting about food entertains children and destroys parents. Grounding, punishments, about food are absolutely pointless and soul-destroying. Offer your son a wide range of reasonably healthy foods - all kinds of foods, meat, cheese, milkshakes, nuts, your precious veggie dogs etc - and let him eat what he likes. If you are really worried, add a kids' multivitamin once or twice a week. It takes a human being 68 days to starve to death. Stop worrying so much, definitely stop punishing about food, and let him eat as he pleases. He will be fine.

Answer 7

First of all eating meat doesn't mean that you have a bad eating habit. Now eating out fast food does.

You shouldn't punish him for not wanting to eat his food. He might be worn out on certain things. All children vegan or not go through this phase where they just don't want to eat. Try giving him a multivitamin...this may increase his appitite. But again you shouldn't punish him for not eating. YOu need to continue to try new things with him but dont push it on him.

Answer 8

Well it sounds like you are both extremists...

You're husband is crazy if he thinks "fast food" is a good alternitive to vegan.

But you might be a little off yourself if you think that a growing child can get all the protien and nutrients he needs to grow big and strong on an all vegan diet.

If I were you, I'd put my own personal beliefs aside and talk to a nutritionist. A vegan diet may be sutable for an adult, who is fully developed and that can take the proper supplements to balance their diet...but it may not be the smartest choice for a developing child.

It shouldn't be a "fight" between you and your husbands extremist views...it should be about what's healthiest for the child. Starvation isn't a good choice, and fast food gluttony isn't a great choice either...

Eating a proper balanced diet THAT INCLUDES lean, low fat high protien meats is not a "bad eating habit"

Answer 9

I would try guilt tripping him to death. Tell him that if he doesn't eat these certain things than he is not a true vegan/vegetarian. And that he wouldn't be respected by other people that are the same. That's what being a veg. is all about. Taking advantage of fruit and vegetables that are provided on this wonderful earth.

Answer 10

he's 4. if he gets hungry enough he will eat. but u should be feeding him some healthy foods & some of what he wants. you cant ground him for not eating or take food away. & for breakfast make him actual breakfast foods. its the most important meal of the day. & by the way feeding him dinner from the night b4 for breakfast is unhealthy & just gross.