My 12 year old won't stop eating raw onions, could it be a vitamin deficiency?

[Anonymous]

If she was swimming 1.5 hours daily and as a snack just asked for an apple I'd wonder what was up actually.

But the apple isn't the red flag that something spicy/pungent like an onion or hot peppers is.

[Anonymous]

I am concerned by your second last sentence where you say you "let her eat it because it's s vegetable".

It sounds like you control what she eats and you would not let her eat other non veggie snacks. She should be eating a big carb / protein snack after all that exercise.

I don't know if it is you or your DD that has some disordered eating but it sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t raw onion hard on the digestive tract? I’m surprised she’s not having gas pains, and isn’t bothered by her “breath of fire.”

[Anonymous]

Onions don't make her cry?

[Anonymous]

Have her tested for PICA, which is hormonal can cause really odd food cravings, usually in pregnancy but hormone changes at this age could cause it.
.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have her tested for PICA, which is hormonal can cause really odd food cravings, usually in pregnancy but hormone changes at this age could cause it.
.

This is good advice. A blood workup would do a lot of good and help to rule out vitamin deficiencies or identify an eating disorder or otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Check out her liver. https://www.drhwnc.com/apps/blog/show/42836774-onion-cravings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned by your second last sentence where you say you "let her eat it because it's s vegetable".

It sounds like you control what she eats and you would not let her eat other non veggie snacks. She should be eating a big carb / protein snack after all that exercise.

I don't know if it is you or your DD that has some disordered eating but it sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed.

That’s an interesting perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned by your second last sentence where you say you "let her eat it because it's s vegetable".

It sounds like you control what she eats and you would not let her eat other non veggie snacks. She should be eating a big carb / protein snack after all that exercise.

I don't know if it is you or your DD that has some disordered eating but it sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed.

So sick of the crappy parents who think parents encouraging their kids to eat vegetables must have "eating disorders". You know that kids are SUPPOSED to eat vegetables, right? Not crap from a factory? I mean, that's the way our bodies were designed to function.

As for the onions, I only know of one person who used to eat onions like that. He was healthy and fine, just liked onions. I prefer them cooked, myself, but each to their own

[Anonymous]

If you google "onion diet" there are a ton of sites about substituting onions for real food to lose weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned by your second last sentence where you say you "let her eat it because it's s vegetable".

It sounds like you control what she eats and you would not let her eat other non veggie snacks. She should be eating a big carb / protein snack after all that exercise.

I don't know if it is you or your DD that has some disordered eating but it sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed.

So sick of the crappy parents who think parents encouraging their kids to eat vegetables must have "eating disorders". You know that kids are SUPPOSED to eat vegetables, right? Not crap from a factory? I mean, that's the way our bodies were designed to function.

As for the onions, I only know of one person who used to eat onions like that. He was healthy and fine, just liked onions. I prefer them cooked, myself, but each to their own

You don't have a swimmer, athlete or active older kid, do you?

For a kid swimming 4 days a week,eating such a small diet, and only eating an onion (or apple, or carrots, or cup of strawberries, or banana...) for their daily snack IS a warning sign. A swimmer swimming 1.5 hours per day needs thousands of calories per day and should be snacking on something with mkre calories and protein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned by your second last sentence where you say you "let her eat it because it's s vegetable".

It sounds like you control what she eats and you would not let her eat other non veggie snacks. She should be eating a big carb / protein snack after all that exercise.

I don't know if it is you or your DD that has some disordered eating but it sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed.

That’s an interesting perspective.

Really?? I think op is saying at least it's a vegetable not brownies for example. Meaning there is nutritional value in onions. How do you jump to food control? Maybe you have issues that need to be addressed?

[Anonymous]

My son is an onion lover. I never thought of his love of onions as him possibly missing a vitamin.

He doesn't eat one like an apple, but he'll cut one up and eat slices of onion on crackers with mustard. Or he'll just dip rings of onion in mustard and eat it that way. He's also been known to eat a hot dog for dinner, covered in onions and mustard of course, and then eat a second bun with just onions and mustard. He calls that his onion sandwich.

The way most little kids eat ketchup like a food on its own, my kid ate mustard that way. French fries get dipped in mustard and the same with nuggets. I don't remember when he realized that mustard + onions = the golden combination, but from then on, that was one of his favorite snacks.

What's funny is that he hates celery, which is my favorite. He says "there's no flavor! Just fibery sticks of water!"

[Anonymous]

How's the onion situation, OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned by your second last sentence where you say you "let her eat it because it's s vegetable".

It sounds like you control what she eats and you would not let her eat other non veggie snacks. She should be eating a big carb / protein snack after all that exercise.

I don't know if it is you or your DD that has some disordered eating but it sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed.

That’s an interesting perspective.

Really?? I think op is saying at least it's a vegetable not brownies for example. Meaning there is nutritional value in onions. How do you jump to food control? Maybe you have issues that need to be addressed?

A swimmer needs calories. Lots of them and an onion doesn't cut it. It's maybe a 100 calories? Whether or not she has a food control issue, we do not know. She might not be doing it intentionally but the concern is by eating something low calorie but highly flavorful (a dieter's trick), she might be depriving herself of the calories she needs as a teen.

And if it turns out the OP's child does eat enough later, it's still helpful knowledge for people concerned about a child who shows signs of eating disorders.