How do I get my 10 yr old son to eat better? He doesn't like any fruits or vegies and not much meat.?

Question

My son is very limited on the foods he will eat. He eats about 6 or 7 different things and no fruits or vegetables. His health is good so far but I worry about the future. I do give him a multivitamin every day. Some days he eats breakfast and then won't eat again until 5 or 6 at night. He does eat some sweets but no more than other kids and even turns them down sometimes. He drinks a lot of milk and water but not much pop or juice. The foods he does eat are mac & cheese, peanut butter sandwich with tomato soup, ravioli, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, fish sticks - not much more.

Answer 1

A nutritious diet is crucial for a happy and healthy life, and by 10 it's almost too late to change him. With the exception of the peanut butter sandwich, his diet is overprocessed, and full of sodium, chemicals, starch and fat, and virtually no real fruits and vegetables. I feel hyperactive just reading it. You're the parent. Prepare 1 meal for the whole family and he either eats it or he's hungry. It sounds cruel, but after a meal or two, he'll start trying things and realize that there are a lot more foods in this world that he likes, if he just lets himself try them. Good luck.

Answer 2

He seems to have fairly serious diet sensitivity. Those foods you have mentioned are all fairly GLUGGy to chew. My daughter is similar, I increased her range by slowly asking her to try something new bite by bite day by day. Bananas are a great vitimin source and are also gluggy to chew. Your son will get there. as long as it is not a junk dominated diet, which it doesn't seem to be, he has a real issue that you need to help him work through.

Could you try slowly altering the foods he does eat. VERY lightly toast some bread and spread the peanut butter onto it. - A new texture tp try.

Just keep giving the multi and relax.... that diet isn't too bad. he will live.


P.S. Are all these bought stuff............. he may be addicted to the salt content???
if so slowly change them one at a time to home made and then after a few weeks start to vary the diet and choices.
Good luck

Answer 3

Well, it would take time and patience (and a realization that he IS too smart to starve to death) but you could teach him to like more things. First, whatever dinner you cook and serve is THE dinner. Don't cook special just for him. If you're having grilled salmon and salad and green beans - that's dinner! That's what I did with my kids once the second came along and I realized I was catering too much to the first one's likes/dislikes. I did make sure there was ONE item on the table they would eat - maybe a dinner roll OR applesauce OR baby carrots. If they chose to just have a roll for dinner - that was fine (and it did happen). Eventually they will taste, and learn to like, other things. It will take patience though. Also, if you don't buy any junk food - there won't be any in the house. Serve the hot dogs, peanut butter, & mac & cheese for lunches - and make the dinner YOU want each evening. You could try some dishes that incorporate his favorite foods - like chopping up hot dogs and adding them to a rice or noodle casserole for instance. My first kid was six when my second child came along and I realized I had fallen into this trap of catering to what he liked/disliked for dinner. My children eat soooooo many things now. It wasn't easy at first, but it will be worth it - trust me. Give him something he does like for lunch or breakfast - and don't worry about it if he eats nothing or very little at dinner. Oh - and another thing he could be doing at 10 - have him help COOK dinner. You may be surprised at how much he'll eat when he helped to make it.

Answer 4

make the meals more interesting, more colourful and tastier. set a "time-table" and when it's time to eat, make sure he has his meal. let him be more exposed to a variety of food. fruits and vegetables can be made into yummy beverages! its amazing what you can do with a mixture of food nowadays. try to find some new recipes.

Answer 5

have you had him tested their could be a reason why he self limits.

Make him homemade raviolis anf put a little pureed veggi in them keep sneaking healthy food in, search google, fun healthy foods for kids
or something like that

gl

Answer 6

Mash up veggies and mix them with the food he does like. get him to take multivitamins too.

Answer 7

Eating habits r acquired from parents.

Answer 8

go to FoodNetwork.com and download some receipes. i'm sure you will find something on there that you can prepare and he will eat.
i do that every now and then with my kids, it works everytime.