How do I know if my son's food issues are textural and not just picky eating?

Kerry - posted on 03/01/2009

Hi there, it is so good to know that im not alone with this problem... my son is 3 and has been a picky eater from day one of eating solids. the only meal he eats is chicken nuggets and chips. the rest is nibbles and banana's. he also likes to eat chocolate spread sandwich or toast. but thats it. I am hoping that when he starts school he will build up a larger apetite for food. i use to worry about it all the time but he is still young and healthy. the one thing i didnt think of is vitamins so will start giving him those now i have read all your advice.

Ginny - posted on 03/01/2009

My son was JUST like that. Took him to daycare with the list of food he would eat. He is 11 now and eats way more, but can still be picky at times. I gave him vitamins when he was little. When he was about 8 years old, I started hiding food he didn't like in food he did like. Chopped things up in VERY small pieces. After he ate it, told him he did and that he liked it. Ha Ha. Worked for me!!
One thing my Doc told me though, you are more bothered by the PLAIN food your kid eats....if it bothered him, he wouldn't do it!
All the best to you.

Jennifer - posted on 02/28/2009

Thanks for the responses ladies.  I think it may be time for therapy.  I had to take in some fruit and chicken for his birthday party at Chucky E Cheeses.  I have already started worrying about school. 

Im going to try several things you suggested (preparing food together, trying one bite on his plate etc.). 

I am so glad I found these boards!

Cynthia - posted on 02/27/2009

One thing that seems to work with my first son is we prepare the snack together in the morning. We will bake muffins, healthy cookies, tapioca pudding, cut up fruit (he loves to wash the fruit and I cut it) to name a few . I get him to touch or smell every ingredient as it goes it to the mix (even eggs when raw then we wash our hands right away) so he knows what he is eating. He helps me mix them and then i put them in the oven or on the boil. he is totally happy to eat anything he has made. He`s pretty good at eating ants on a log that he makes...I make it and he won`t touch it. (celery sticks with peanut butter and then raisins pushed in on top).



So for our family that really helps. Making him part of the process, but also actively part of the process in a tactile way (hands on, not hands off) seems to keep him intersted in eating. just a thought, hope it helps.

Stacy - posted on 02/27/2009

I had a very picky eater... She still is and she is 17.. try making a game out of it... it worked till my daughter was about 7 and caught on to what i was doing... good luck.. and one thing to remember... sometimes you have to pick your battles.. i wouldn't worry he will out grow it.. boys normally do

Joy - posted on 02/27/2009

Sorry you are going through the same thing I did when my son was that age. The one thing I tell my children that they need to try it they may just like it and that there tasted buds always change. I put everything I make on there plates and tell them they have to at least take one big bite while I am watching. A little nibbel won't do. They make there faces and they do take the bit and sometimes I win and sometimes I loose but I always get them to try new things. Try new things and flavors so his pallet will dance when he takes that first bite. Good luck it will get easier it just take time and patients and I know that one is the hardest.LOL hope this help.

Jennifer - posted on 02/27/2009

How will I know if it is taste or texture?

He will not eat anything most kids like.  No mac'n'cheese, pizza, hot dogs, no meat or vegetables of any kind.  He wont touch eggs or bread.  The list goes on and on.  Like I said, easier to list what he does eat.

Chicken nuggets, any fruit he can get, string cheese (the only kind of cheese he'll touch), cereal and cereal bars, chips (of course!), granola bars, fruit snacks and snack foods like cookies.  But even that stuff is very limited to what he's had a lot of, won't try anything new.  A typical lunch for him would be some type of chicken (strips, nuggets or popcorn style) sliced bananas and strawberries, a granola bar, a piece of string cheese and some milk.

I think sometimes he gets tired of the same foods because getting him to eat at all is a chore.   At this point his doctor has not been overly concerned because he continues to grow but I dont think  he is grasping how little this kid eats.  I've had him on a vitamin since he was two because i worry about him getting what he needs.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

Diana - posted on 02/27/2009

Quoting Denise:

I am a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and work with a few families like what you've described about your son. The best thing to do is decide if it's taste or texture...both can be worked on for a variety of foods. If he likes what he tastes but not how it looks or feels there are tons of ways to prepare and present the food on the plate! Likewise for taste...

 

I work on pairing foods with things that are totally loved. Set the tone at each meal (or maybe start with 1 meal) that he needs to TRY at least one bite/lick/sip of the new thing and then he can move on to everything else that he loves. Give lots of positive reinforcement for the try, even if not totally successful. At first tolerating spitting out is OK, but eventually you'll want to move to swallow everything that is tried...no matter hiow big or small the bite was.

 

My son has sensory issues and trying new foods are hard, but it has worked for him. I always use a small amount on the plate, and introduce it at least 10 times before I make him actually swallow it. I try to pair textures that are similar to what he likes as a means of not heightening any displeasure during the trial process..like avacado when he's having mac n cheese, for example (soft but somewhat firm and creamy).

 

If these strategies don't work or your son is having trouble with nutrition/nourishment and/or this is really interfering with his ability to function (ie: can't eat at  aparty, school, etc) it may be time to find a therapist who is familiar with Sensory Intrgration.

 

Good luck!

That sounds like a pretty sound plan.  I wish that someone had told my mom something like this when I was little!  lol

I was a picky eater as a child, and I still am very picky, mostly because of texture issues.   There are just some textures that I can't handle, often because of the way something is cooked...But if the same food is cooked in a different way, it changes the texture, and I will eat it sometimes. 

It sounds like there's a lot of anxiety around this issue-maybe taking a break on new foods for a week or so and then trying either the strategy Denise posted or another similar one would help in calming him down.

Good luck!

Denise - posted on 02/27/2009

I am a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and work with a few families like what you've described about your son. The best thing to do is decide if it's taste or texture...both can be worked on for a variety of foods. If he likes what he tastes but not how it looks or feels there are tons of ways to prepare and present the food on the plate! Likewise for taste...

I work on pairing foods with things that are totally loved. Set the tone at each meal (or maybe start with 1 meal) that he needs to TRY at least one bite/lick/sip of the new thing and then he can move on to everything else that he loves. Give lots of positive reinforcement for the try, even if not totally successful. At first tolerating spitting out is OK, but eventually you'll want to move to swallow everything that is tried...no matter hiow big or small the bite was.

My son has sensory issues and trying new foods are hard, but it has worked for him. I always use a small amount on the plate, and introduce it at least 10 times before I make him actually swallow it. I try to pair textures that are similar to what he likes as a means of not heightening any displeasure during the trial process..like avacado when he's having mac n cheese, for example (soft but somewhat firm and creamy).

If these strategies don't work or your son is having trouble with nutrition/nourishment and/or this is really interfering with his ability to function (ie: can't eat at  aparty, school, etc) it may be time to find a therapist who is familiar with Sensory Intrgration.

Good luck!

Adrienne - posted on 02/27/2009

I'm in the same boat as you. My son is 20 months and will not try anything new. If he does it takes forever for him to try it just for him to spit it out. My son's height is near the 100th percentile still. But his weight went down because of him being so active. My doctor said as long as he eats one good meal a day and snacks on heathly foods he will be fine. Also to stop trying new foods for a bit and try again. Sometimes it is the texture and not him being picky. Good Luck!