Picky eater and vitamins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - I am worried because she pretty much just eats carbs (I do use protein pasta), fruit, and goldfish/snacks.

Obviously she is growing fine and has maintained her curve and doctors aren’t worried about that.

But she doesn’t get any calcium, no vegetables and barely any protein. To be honest I don’t know how she is even growing, let alone taller than 75% of her peers. She is rarely sick so it’s not affecting her immune system.

She would rather be starving hungry than eat something she dislikes. The other day she was out with friends without me and she was so hungry she had a huge headache when she got home but refused to eat the food at the restaurant they went to because she didn’t like it.

Can you tell us what she might eat in a typical day? She's doing well for growth, so she's clearly getting enough calories, which is great.

I think there are kids who are so picky that nutrition is compromised, but I also think there are a lot of parents who overestimate the variety and quantity of things that kids need.

Can you give examples of what she eats in a day? That would help guide my advice.

OP - I am surprised the previous posted suggested ARFID. That definitely did not cross my mind.

Typcial eating:

Breakfast - hash browns and bacon and forced couple of gulps of yogurt smoothie
Lunch - Protein pasta, goldfish, crackers, piece of fruit
Dinner - Protein pasta or rice, maybe some air fried chicken nuggets, strawberries or banana

Snacks include goldfish, pretzels, popcorn, fruit

That doesn't sound like ARFID, unless there is a lot of anxiety. ARFID criteria require either failure to thrive (you don't have that since she's gaining well), nutritional deficits (she's eating protein at every meal, fiber, and several kinds of fruit), or severe anxiety (e.g. if she won't go to school, or social activities because she's avoiding seeing other people eat).

There seems to be a lot of research that forcing food is bad, and some research that implies that parental anxiety can feed picky eating. So, if you could find a vitamin supplement with calcium, that would help you feel more confident, and stop forcing things, I think you're in a decent place.

Here are some things that helped my picky but not ARFID kids:

Vitamins (to reduce Dad's anxiety about food)

Including her in food prep.

Food chaining to similar foods (e.g. would she tolerate new shapes of pretzels, or different types of crackers).

Eating on a schedule so she was hungry at meals,

Family meals

Providing a safe food at every meal, but maybe only one.

No pressure to eat things she didn't want.

Adolescence increasing her appetite, and her desire to do things where there was food involved like sleepovers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - I am worried because she pretty much just eats carbs (I do use protein pasta), fruit, and goldfish/snacks.

Obviously she is growing fine and has maintained her curve and doctors aren’t worried about that.

But she doesn’t get any calcium, no vegetables and barely any protein. To be honest I don’t know how she is even growing, let alone taller than 75% of her peers. She is rarely sick so it’s not affecting her immune system.

She would rather be starving hungry than eat something she dislikes. The other day she was out with friends without me and she was so hungry she had a huge headache when she got home but refused to eat the food at the restaurant they went to because she didn’t like it.

Can you tell us what she might eat in a typical day? She's doing well for growth, so she's clearly getting enough calories, which is great.

I think there are kids who are so picky that nutrition is compromised, but I also think there are a lot of parents who overestimate the variety and quantity of things that kids need.

Can you give examples of what she eats in a day? That would help guide my advice.

OP - I am surprised the previous posted suggested ARFID. That definitely did not cross my mind.

Typcial eating:

Breakfast - hash browns and bacon and forced couple of gulps of yogurt smoothie
Lunch - Protein pasta, goldfish, crackers, piece of fruit
Dinner - Protein pasta or rice, maybe some air fried chicken nuggets, strawberries or banana

Snacks include goldfish, pretzels, popcorn, fruit

Looks like a lot of kids diets. Not horrible. She’s a kid. She’ll expand her diet slowly.

[Anonymous]

Based on that list, I would give her vitamin K and then switch to only K2 (not K1) once she starts her period. This is also a good way to get used to swallowing pills if she still needs to learn.
Smarty Pants gummy vitamins taste great.
I would ask pediatrician for bloodwork for Vitamin D and Iron (including ferritin) and address if either test result turns out to be an issue. Usually, pediatricians like a cholesterol baseline at about that age anyway, so it is easy to add in those two tests at the same time.
My picky eater likes the orgain protein shakes for kids, but it sounds like yours will not go for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - I am worried because she pretty much just eats carbs (I do use protein pasta), fruit, and goldfish/snacks.

Obviously she is growing fine and has maintained her curve and doctors aren’t worried about that.

But she doesn’t get any calcium, no vegetables and barely any protein. To be honest I don’t know how she is even growing, let alone taller than 75% of her peers. She is rarely sick so it’s not affecting her immune system.

She would rather be starving hungry than eat something she dislikes. The other day she was out with friends without me and she was so hungry she had a huge headache when she got home but refused to eat the food at the restaurant they went to because she didn’t like it.

Increase peas, legumes, nuts for protein. Add silken tofu to berries in a smoothie. Ignore the pro-vegan rhetoric and just focus on the sources.
https://www.purelyplanted.com/post/47-high-protein-plant-based-foods
For calcium, increase broccoli, tofu, seeds, etc.
https://www.purelyplanted.com/post/8-calcium-rich-plant-based-foods