[mcslp97]

HI, I have a six year old that is terrified of trying new foods. He currently only wants to eat french fries, pizza with everything scraped off, corn, only if its on the cob, and noodles with butter. He doesn't want to try anything sweet ( including candy), but he will eat potato chips and things like that. We are trying to get him to try different things, but it just seems impossible. We really don't think that he is giving us a power play, it actually seems like he has an anxiety attack when we force him. Does anyone have any suggestions? He is very animal crazy and we think that could be why he is not interested in eating meat, but everything else we just can't figure out. Its just horrible having him crying every time we try to make him taste something new, or if he did kind of like it, he still won't eat it. Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[crazybird]

First, I wouldn't have junk food in my house. Second, I wouldn't force or coax him to eat anything. I would just cook and serve regular meals, without coaxing or commenting. I would leave a fruit bowl out on the table. A six year old wouldn't necessarily know where meat comes from unless someone told him or he saw something about it on TV. Have you asked him what he is afraid of? Was he ok before? if so, what happened? Perhaps someone frightened him? Was he told a scarey story about food? Maybe foods make him sick. If you can't find out by the non coaxing approach or by asking I would take him to family doctor and have him checked out. He may suggest a therapist to get to the bottom of this.

[J_9]

My 5 year old was very similar until recently. I have removed all junk food from the house... he must take at least one bite of everything that is on his plate before being excused from the table.

It takes an average of 12 - 15 offers of food on a plate before a child will eat and/or like the food.

I agree with everything crazybird says totally. But it is imperative that you get the junk food out of the house.

[crazybird]

I also thought of how I felt when I was coaxed to eat something as a child... I liked most foods but a couple of times when someone tried to coax me to eat something I really couldn't tolerate it was a very disturbing experience for me. Is it possible that just trying to have him eat certain foods is causing him stress... Maybe food time is viewed by him as a very unpleasant experience? He may be one of those kids that is terribly picky with food. My niece would never eat meat. She just hated it. She would eat cheese. Her mom couldn't get her to eat regular food. All she wanted was Macdonalds and other junk food. Also she always had a lot of junk food in her house... potato chips, pretzels, cheese curls AND SODA. Her kids were always eating that junk. She never removed these things from the house. Needless to say, she is overweight now at 28 and still eats junk and is beginning to have health problems. Another daughter is already diabetic. When he asks for only french fries and other junk I would just say the store stopped making them or ran out of it.

[alkalineangel]

We give my son no other option. He eats what I make for us as a family, and if he doesn't choose to eat that, then he is placed in his room for the remainder of the night. Now if I am making something that I know he really dislikes, (like when we do thai food) I will make him something else, but he doesn't get an option there either. I refuse to make more than one dinner because he is being picky.. I keep no snack/junk food in the house. If he eats his dinner he may have a yogurt or apple for dessert. I rarely have trouble and my daycare says he is their best eater.

[mcslp97]

Hi, thanks for all the suggestions. I already stopped allowing the junk food awile back, because I know if he is full with that he won't try to eat anything new. I guess we will just keep putting it out there and with time he will come around.
Thanks again for all the suggestions..