My 9 year old son, will not try new food, survives on bacon, french bread,chicken and hot dogs, any suggestion

Question

As a baby was fed home made baby food, fruits and veg all mashed up

Answer 1

Kids taste buds are so much more sensitive than adults! They prefer mostly bland foods, and it is so frustrating at times. When my son was that age, I let him make a list of 10 foods he would not eat, everything else was fair game. If he wanted to put another food on the list, he had to take one off. It gave him some control and was no different than what I did for myself or my husband (we both have foods we will not eat.) If he ate very little, well too bad, that was it until the next meal. If he did all right he could choose a snack before bed if he was still hungry. He did this control thing for a while where he would make himself throw up at the table. If he did this, his night was over. He got to clean up and go to his room. That solved that pretty quickly. I bought him a kid's recipe book and made him responsible for Saturday night's dinner (with my help.) That really helped a lot. He is 14 now and only has a couple of foods he's still picky about. I am actually starting to enjoy cooking for him now, and he even brags about my cooking to his friends. Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Your son won't eat other foods because he has a choice. That choice is given to him by you. I have 3 kids and they have/had certain foods they didn't want to eat. I've sent them away from the table many times because they didn't eat what was served. Now.. this has to be tempered with some common sense when it comes to parental guidance to food selection. For example, strong flavored foods (celery, spicey foods, pepper hot foods, etc.) should not be forced.

Kids tastes develop and change over time and we as parents have understand this development curve. However, I have on several occassions gave my kids the choice to eat what was served or go hungry. The time or two they chose to 'go hungry' they came back later asking for something to eat... that's when I gave them the choice to eat left overs or go hungry. Kids won't starve and die because of one missed meal. They will however learn to be more acceptable to different foods (more nutritianal foods than bacon, bread and hot dogs) because of a couple of missed meals.

Temper you decisions based on the how 'strong the flavor' is of the food being served but once you make your decision, stick to your guns. I said earlier that they are eating what they are eating because they have a choice. Remove that choice.. and you've assumed the parental role.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Answer 3

Yeah, YOU MAKE HIM. It's not fun, and I suggest you don't try this at any restaraunts for a while, but his diet sounds unhealthy and you are hurting him by letting him have his way and no guidance. You are the adult, and you know better than him. Don't forget that.

My mom always made me try at least one bite of everything. She said it didn't matter if I disliked it, but I had to try it. And if I didn't like it, she wouldn't make me eat it. But I had to try everything.

She never made me a seperate meal. I ate what the rest of the family was eating, or I didn't eat; simple as that. It's not cruelty or child abuse or anything; it's being fair. No one else got a special meal, so why should I?

Provide him only with options that don't inlude his unhealthy standbys for a while. He will learn to branch out.

Don't capitulate to a kid. This includes yelling. Remember, you should be in control of the situation, including your own emotions. It does no one any good if you loose your temper. Also, if you have a spouse, you need to make sure they are on board with this totally also.

And don't forget rewards. Rearding him for doing what you want, or promising a reward isn't "bribery," it is positive reinforcement. It proves to him that good things happen when he does the things you want (as opposed to the punishment only approach).

But remember, this is less about food at it's heart and more about authority. If he doesn't learn to respect people, he's going to have a lot of trouble later in life. (Like, in about 7 years.)

Answer 4

Kids go through stages. When I was 10, it was bologna sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner - YUK!

Can you try a healthier bacon like turkey bacon and good quality hot dogs? The chicken and bread sound okay I would think.

He'll likely grow out of it, but if you want to encourage it maybe you can suggest that he try something the rest of the family is eating first and THEN he can have his hot dog.

Have you tried having him prepare food with you? Sometimes this can make them want to try new things.

Have him make pancakes with you - with bananas and honey on top, or blueberries. Put 100% jelly on top instead of syrup.

For veggies, you might cook them in olive oil with potato starch - gives them sort of a fried veggie feel withough as much batter and fat.

You could have a make your own pizza/taco night where he gets to roll out the dough for the pizza, add some spaghetti sauce and then add cheese and veggies (AND bacon perhaps?). WIth tacos, put the shells on the table with olives, lettuce, chicken, etc.

This stage will likely pass as long as your family is eating a lot of variety.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Get that kid in the kitchen!! He is old enough for you to start cooking with him. He will try more new things if he has helped in the preparation process.

Most kids love to cook. Sometimes cook the things he likes but, tell him you both need to start trying new things. Scour through cookbooks and magazines with him. When you both find some interesting recipes give them a try.

Some towns are now offering cooking classes for kids. Get him involved with one of those, maybe this summer.

May take a little time and patience but, stick with it and he will become a real food connoisseur. Make it fun and make him a huge part of the planning.

Answer 6

Ok, let's see, I want to understand something here. You are the 'adult' and you do the cooking and put the food on the table for eating. Right? Ok, now your 9 yr old son (not an adult) will not eat anything but bacon, french bread, chicken and hot dogs. Right? Ok, for dinner you cook hamburgers with all the fixings, green salad with dressing and ice cream for dessert and he doesn't eat - Oh Well, maybe he'll be hungry for breakfast. He goes to bed without ANY food, the ONLY food available is ~~cold~~ hamburgers, wilted salad and NO ice cream unless he eats ALL his dinner. At breakfast you fix oatmeal with raisins, and a peach smoothie. He doesn't eat - Oh Well, maybe he'll be hungry when he get's home from school. As long as HE controls the food in your home and makes you his short-order-cook, he'll have you "marching to his drummer" unless you're the ADULT, you decide. Good luck.

Answer 7

Try making trying new food fun. There are alot of ways of doing this but one of the most popular ways for younger kids is cutting the foods into cool shapes like stars, space ships, animals etc. You can also play the airplane going in the hanger deal with them. I'm quite confident the more comfortable a young kid is with trying new things as well as the more fun you make it, the more succeptible they will be to doing it!

Answer 8

omg - yum - i love kids party food! I would recommend the following: - Party pies - Party sausage rolls - Chips - Lollies and chocolates - Fairy bread (a must) - Mini pizzas - Chicken nuggets - Maybe the little mini party frankfurts? - Just to be well behaved maybe a little fruit plate so you can atleast try to encourage healthiness ha ha ha If you dont want party food - kids always likethings like barbecue stuff - sausages and all of that. PLus its easy. But atleast with the party food theres lots of variet for everyone and its good cos u can do it yourself so its cheaper :) doooo not forget the fairy bread!!!!!!!

Answer 9

Try not giving him choices. Make the family dinner and let him know that he can have what you are having or nothing.
It sounds mean, but I had a picky eater and her Pediatrician suggested this to me. Of course I told him he was nuts I wasn't going to starve my child. But he then explained to me that a child will eat when they are hungry, and he will get hungry. My son refused to eat for two days by the third he started eating and ate what was given him. I did make exceptions with breakfast.
If you decide this might work for you you need to do it on the weekend, give the child what he likes for breakfast, at lunch time select something that isn't on his list of favorites that you would like to eat for lunch and make and offer it to him, he will object just tell him this or nothing and place it in front of him and walk away.
At dinner fix something off his list repeat, at breakfast his favorite breakfast, lunch repeat from day before, by lunch with a small breakfast he will be hungry enough to eat stubborn ones last till dinner the second night.
Good Luck

Answer 10

Who ever cooks the food in the house needs to cook what they want, he will eat it when he gets hungry.Make chicken and french bread,then tell him that all is changing after that last give in.You just need to stick to it.What doe she eat at school?Don't pack him a lunch, call the school and ask a counselor to help you.....Hope the best for you.