Healthy eating

[Mandy950411]

Hello there I'm. New to this group is there a healthy eating site for children just I a have a very picky 5 and half year old I have tried everything to get her to eat proper foods she will only eat jam sarnies brown bread or pasta at times smiley faces and cheese sarnie she will eat plenty fruit but hate meat and the smell of it she likes mash it's just so difficult and makes me worry also she suffers with bad stomach alot and has been under hospital for this but I'm. So.sure it's down to her eating habits would just like some advice please xx

[Activity2004 Administrator]

Hi and welcome to the Healthy Eating group, Mandy950411 . Please feel free to continue posting and commenting on other member's postings/comments and/or your own, ask questions, take the polls on the Polls Section, attend our group's Monthly Meeting held one weekend a month (either a Saturday or Sunday), look at the Topics Section for helpful tips and of course, get to meet the rest of the group's members!

To answer your question dealing with your daughter's eating habits, please feel free to look at the NHS's website under Healthy Eating. Please go to: nhs.uk/livewell/healthy-eat...

They have some recipes and a few other options you may be interested in checking out. I hope this helps!

[deejames]

Perhaps mumsnet woukd be useful. It's a good way to interact with other mothers on a lot of issues.

Meat is not necessary in a diet but other sources of protein need to be included. Pulses and legumes which are peas, beans, lentils as well as eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt will supply what's required but not too much cheese as it is high in calories.

Does your wee one eat soup ? . That's a great way of getting in the vegetables by stealth if it's pureed. Lentils or beans can be added for that extra protein. Supermarkets have tins of all sorts of beans such as pinto but if it's is successful then buying dried and soaking and cooking is much cheaper.

Try mums net. I am sure you will get lots of advice there.

All the best

Dee

[Hidden]

Hi there, when I was 6, I was sent to a psychiatrist because all I would eat at school lunch was mashed potatoes. I also used to get physically sick most days and then I grew out of it in adolescence but then in my 20's it all started again and I was eventually diagnosed as a coeliac. I realise now that as a child I knew some foods were making me ill hence my reluctance to eat normal meals.

I hope that you get things sorted for your daughters sake soon.

[DartmoorDumpling]

My son aged 6 was very thin and ate only weetabix, orange juice and milk.....he did grow out of it after a year or so and now as an adult is very overweight and struggling not to overeat! Hopefully it is just a phase she is going through. Try and involve her in cooking perhaps?

[Mandy950411 in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

I've tried everything possible she always gets involved with everything this has been going on over a year now she complaints alot of stomach pains and has had every test possible I done what health visitor says and says she will eat when she is hungry she went from 7 in the morning till 7 that night with nothing she will only eat what she knows tried making games and pictures out of food even just taste testing diffrent things my other 2 were picky but not as bad as this and are alot better now hoping she iwill be the same but as a parent I really worry

[DartmoorDumpling in reply to Mandy950411]

The best thing is not to react as anxiety itself will make her feel unable to eat. Have food available for her to help herself to, like bananas, smooth yogurts and even junk food is better than no food! Provide plenty of drinks - cartons of milk shake are nutritious.

Try not to "diet" within her hearing - my son went off food at a time when I was trying to lose weight and seemed to think if he ate food he would get fat...almost like anorexia. Kids are very impressionable at that age and even the TV keeps stressing about eating too much...forgetting that not all children are the same!

Get her involved in healthy outdoor activities which should encourage appetite and don't remark when she does eat or doesn't eat...try and ignore the whole subject if you can (at least within her hearing). If it is any consolation, I have never heard of a child under 10 actually starving themselves - they usually eat just enough to get by!