Vitamin Deficency - My stepson point blank refuses to eat anything but Tomato soup, Spaghetti on toast & Chips

Question

What harm is he going to do to himself by not eating a balanced diet where he gets all the required vitamins etc ( He's 13 )

Answer 1

I agree with the writers about smuggling good stuff into his food and the supplement pills.

As you've got a thirteen year old rather than a little kid you could work on one particular weekness. In this day and age, image is everything. The right hair, the right clothes, the right ipod, etc.

So I think you ought to show him what's going to happen if he doesn't eat right: spots, dandruff, bad teeth, bad breath, getting fat, etc. None of which will endeer him to his peer group or to girls!

Answer 2

Don't panic, he wont do any lasting damage as it is unlikely that this phase will last forever.
My step son is EXACTLY the same. Teenagers are some of the most headstrong people you will meet, so it is unlikely that he change over night. Have you tried cooking healthier versions of the foods he likes. Like making your own soup and spaghetti and/or using only organic ingredients. What about getting him to make his own chips form sweet potatoes? You never know, if he is involved in the making then he might try new things.
I discovered that my stepson would only eat crap, purely because that's all his mum would cook. This may not be the case with you but it's worth finding out what meals he has at home. In the mean time it is probably wise to give him a supplement

Answer 3

Well weight gain is obvious with the chips, and bread is high in carbohydrates, so this will also accentuate that. Tomato soup's pretty good, a can counts towards your 5 a day bits of fruit and veg, but (I'm assuming) tinned spaghetti is high is salt and sugar. At 13 (he really should know better) he needs a balanced diet as he's still growing, so for strong bones and teeth he needs the whole spectrum of vits and calcium.

Two options - stealth food: try him with curries or chillis which have finely chopped or even pureed veg in - the sauce will mask the flavour and he'll get the goodness he needs.

Just feed him what you eat, if he doesn't eat it, he goes hungry, not nice I know but I've seen it work with kids of my friends. Don't allow snacks in the house other than fruit and veg or nuts.

Explain he'll just end up a fat bloater and will never have a girlfriend. Might do the trick. ;)

Answer 4

It could do a lot of harm. He is probably nearing a growth spurt and really needs a healthy balanced diet through this time.

I am sorry to say that going to a dietician probably wont help if he is adamant.

You may have to go down the tough love route. Make sure he has no money to buy food and give him food to eat. He may be reluctant and you will probably have blazing rows over it. It will probably take a few weeks to get him into new habits but you have to be strong. Maybe start by trying mild variations on what he already likes and then expand his horizons. Tomato soup with croutons and a little cream or cheese. Try different types of pasta (penne etc.) and different types of sauce. Maybe rather than chips you could try potato au gratin. Once he gets used to the variations try adding a few things that are better for him. Carrots and garden peas are normally good veg as they have a sweet flavour.

Also a lot of children find it hard to deal with food that is on their plate so maybe serve food in a bowl with a help yourself strategy. Don't have high expectations to start with but say you would like it if he could try a spoon full of peas and a carrot to start with.

He will eat when he is hungry. It's better to do this now as its only gonna get harder with time. I have a really good cook book for teens that I will try to seek out and give you the name off so check back later.

Also getting pictures to show him what may happen if he continues with his current diet might give him some insentive.

Good luck and stick with it.

Answer 5

Check with the family doctor, but I would guess it is more a control issue than a food issue. Don't buy tomato soup, spaghetti or chips. Feed him what everyone else is eating and that is that. He either eats or he doesn't. Of course, this plan will only work if his father is on board. If his dad is fine with the nonsense, you will have to deal with it, because it is his child. Good luck, sounds like you have a lot of nonsense going on under that roof.

Answer 6

Well, if that's all he's eating, then cheat a bit. Prepare some vegetables and blend them into his soup. Use wholemeal bread for his toast and make him chipped and roasted vegetables (parsnips are great) as a substitute for chips. If he won't eat that, he goes hungry. If he does and he starts to like them, slowly introduce other tastes and textures. It's a bit like training a toddler to eat but in this case, he's been indulged and his health will suffer as a result.

Another suggestion, get him into the kitchen and ask him to help you prepare something together (mention that all the best chefs are men and it's not in the least bit 'sissy' for a man to prepare food). Let him choose a recipe himself (maybe lasagna or something similar) and assist you in the shopping and cooking of it. If you all sit down as a family and his work is praised (and delicious!) he may start to rethink his attitude to food.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Well kids are picky and that's something I have a time with too. Mine is 5 though! I would recommend a daily vitamin, maybe even use adult vitamin if he is weighs enough to be an adult. You could call the nurse at his doctor's office and see what vitamins she recommends.
He definately needs vegetables and protein, that seems to be what is lacking...try different foods too...peanut butter is a good source of protein. He may be going thru a phase.
Good luck!

Answer 8

He won't grow properly and his immune system will be down. So he will be at a risk of getting sick a lot more than someone who ate properly. Also, his bones will become really brittle and break easily like an older persons. You might try going to a drug store and looking for a vitamin supplement if you still can't get him to eat anything else. They sell them for all different age levels.

Answer 9

Ick, that's kind of an icky diet. He should get tired of the stuff... but one idea is to get some kind of a powder vitamin supplement that dissolves and put it in the foods. That way, he will still get his nutrients until he's tired of all that food.

I'm 13, too, but I don't think I've ever heard of this kind of thing.

If the whole vitamin supplement deal doesn't work, feel free to email me at [e-mail] or just YIM me.

Hope I helped!

*~Bri~*

Answer 10

A multi-vitamin would help, but kids that age do go through periods where they don't eat balanced meals. You are better to let it ride for a bit and not get on his case about it. If you are really concerned, crush a multi vitamin up and mix it in with what he will eat!