My preschooler only eats bread and chocolate milk.?

Question

I am not able to reward positive eating habits, because he absolutely refuses anything else. My husband fusses at him at meals because he refuses to try anything else we offer. (We've tried everything - he doen't even like PB&J's!) He tells our son that we will continue to serve the leftovers that he refused until he tries them. I am the opposite - I am offering desert and candy if he eats something new. We've tried letting him help prepare the food he eats, not making a big deal about food selections, just about everything possible. Seems like neither of us are doing a good job at this, from what I have read. I could really use some strong, detailed advise. Any book recomendation, also.

Answer 1

Forget the books you just need to put your foot down and be consistent. Do not let him run the household or the dinner table. I am not being rude but this is an easy one to me. Serve up the plates at mealtime and if he won't eat let him go play. Next meal same thing. Only give him water in his sippy cup and don't give in he may whine and cry but don't give him what he wants. He won't starve to death before he decides to try something new trust me. My daughter went thru this and I just looked her right in her eyes and told her that this was supper and if it wasn't good enough then she could be excused but I wasn't cooking anything else and there would be no chocolate milk until she ate what everyone else was having for about two days she just got down and went to play but let me tell you when she finally decided she was hungry she was more than happy to eat whatever we had too! Good luck and I hope this helps.

Answer 2

What I see as more of a problem than your son being picky about food is that you and your husband are not presenting a united front in handling this problem. Your son needs to see that you are the parents and you set the rules and agree on them and when Daddy says eat what is being served to you, Mommy doesnt say cave in to pressure and give candy. You need to work out a plan and stick to it. I know its not always an easy thing to do!

If you didn't bring chocolate milk into the house, he would quit wanting it. Try "Honey, the store was all out of it". He'll forget about it. Serve him what the family is eating and tell him the rules in your house are that we eat delicious food that makes us grow big and strong. If he doesn't want what the family is eating, don't make an issue, let him be excused. And when he does get hungry, offer him what the family had or some healthy alternative like an apple and some mild cheese. If he refuses, calmly excuse him again. Eventually that food is going to look pretty good to him, honestly, he won't let himself starve!

I understand your frustration. But there is a positive thought here too, your son is becoming a big boy, he is learning about himself as he gains opinions about what he likes and dislikes.

Answer 3

I think the best course is consistency, anger management, and good nutrition.

You and your husband must first agree how you are going to handle the situation. Yes, an option would be to just feed him milk and bread (sounds like a grocery trip). Or, better, you can decide his meal will be whatever you prepare for the rest of the family. When meal time comes around, follow your plan without any variation or accomodation.

If he is unwilling to follow the plan, do not get angry. Just upsets everyone's meal. If the plan is for him to eat what everyone else is eating, consistantly make him sit until he eats. If after an hour or so, he does not eat - put it in the fridge and when he want something to eat before the next meal, pull it out of the fridge. No snacks and only water to drink if he is thirsty.

Of course I'm one to talk. Until just after my bypass surgery, I was a very picky eater. Hamburgers with nothing on them. Never a salad (rabbit food). And i spent the sixth grade on a diet of 4 dinner rolls (the school had great dinner rolls) and 2 cartons of chocolate milk. Hmmm. Sounds familiar.

Answer 4

I agree with mouthy...it's more of a control issue than a food issue.

If he sees that it's "eat or don't eat, I don't care" from you, then he will see that he is no longer in control of the situation, and he will NOT go hungry before he eats what is offered to him.

He's partly enjoying you making a big deal of wanting him to eat, because the attention is on him.

I know some people think this is tough...but how many of those same people have tried to get their child to walk away from a candy aisle in the store and say "bye" and start walking away?

It's the same thing here. Good luck, I know that's tough.

Answer 5

I've had the same problem, and Daycare straightened it out for me-by this I mean that my son was seeing other children eat other foods and he would want to try them for himself, (even if it was food that he hadn't previously liked!) I don't have the problem anymore, thank goodness, and he is more willing to eat things I put in front of him, but a GOOD book to try is: "Ask SuperNanny" by Jo Frost. (The REAL SuperNanny!!) I think you can get it at any bookstore. It's bright orange with a big picture of SuperNanny on the front, and it's a very easy read. I must have read about 30 pages of it the first night because I can just hear her British voice talking to me from the pages! Try some of the techniques in the book, and I hope they work!

Answer 6

I think this is working for him. He is getting alot of bribes and attention. Also, in the end, he gets to win over his parents. I'd take bread and choc milk away.. and if he won't eat then that is to bad. I work with Alziemhers and sometimes they don't eat for days... I don't worry because I know that they can live 40 days without food. What is a couple of days? Sometimes people are picky, but they will start to eat when they are hungry. About the choc milk though... I would start diluting it with milk or water... he does need to drink lots of water... that is more serious

Answer 7

First, you and your husband need to come up with a plan on how to deal with this, and both of you follow the same rules. If your child is getting treated one way by you, and one way by dad, then nothing is going to work.

What I do with my daughter is offer her a meal, and she can eat it or she can refuse to eat it. If she refuses, I don't stress about it, and I don't offer something else to appease her either.

My daughter was very picky, and I started allowing her to me in the kitchen. She is only 2, but she helps me fix home-made pizzas, helps get the silverware to set the table, help wash fresh vegetables, etc. She is very proud of herself for being able to help, plus she really enjoys eating the food that she helped make.

Basically, you need to be consistent, and try to eliminate the stress of the situation for everyone.

Answer 8

If you make a big fuss over this he will continue to not eat good. Don't punish him or try and force him to eat leftovers. Make sure he get vitamens. Change his chocolate milk to ovalteen. My kids only drink strawberry milk, the syrup in the milk. I was told by my doctor that it was totally fine. They need the milk! My kids only ate mac & cheese for 2 months straight. Its wierd but he will get over it. I think its good to reward him with treats but maybe not candy so much. Try sherbert or healthy fruit ice creams. What about toys? Get him a hot wheel for everytime he eats good. They are only like 50 cents!

Answer 9

The first thing you need to do is remove the bread and chocolate milk from the house. Make his sandwiches from whole wheat wraps or tortillas and give him regular milk or juice or whatever to drink.

Remember that right now you are establishing 'who's boss'. I know that sounds terrible, but it is the truth. If your son doesn't want to eat what is on his plate, that is fine, he can go to bed hungry. If he throws a fit about not having what he wants that is fine to, send him to his room (ALONE) until he is done with his fit.

Just remember that his health is the most important thing right now. My 4 year old nephew is about to have surgery on his colon because he refuses to eat anything but chicken fingers and bread, and his mother didn't do anything about it and he can't poo now.

So now she has to watch her son go under anesthesia and through a painful surgery because she wouldn't stand up to him and didn't want him to go to bed hungry. Remember that children are given parents for a reason, they do not know best right now, it is your job to teach them.

Answer 10

Have you ever heard the saying "You get what you and you don't throw a fit or you don't get a bit." I force the food into my sons mouth. If he doesn't like it I leave the plate and say you're not getting anything else. And sometimes he likes it and is happy I made him taste it and eats it all. He is offered food at mealtimes and sometimes snacks. Sometimes he doesn't eat and sometimes he does. I don't stress and he is catching on and we don't have food battles anymore. Good luck with your son!