Good eating = Screen Time? Need Help

[Anonymous]

My 8 year old eats no vegetables and limited other foods. The ped is concerned and says he must diversify his diet - and lose a little weight as well. Just telling DS that he has to eat new things won't fly with this kid. It just won't happen and turns eating into a war.

I've followed the recs of "it's the parent's job to give DC good food and it's DC's job to eat it." Well, he's about to get fired from his job b/c he's not doing it well!

I'm thinking of having him earn his screen time by eating vegetables. Is this a bad idea? I know rewarding with dessert is generally a bad idea but I'm thinking maybe screen time would be ok?

I'm open to any other ideas anyone has as well! Thanks

[Anonymous]

I know I will be flamed for this, but on our pediatrician's advice, we allow our child to watch a show as long as she is eating. This usually takes 20 minutes or the length of 1 streamed show.

I was absolutely horrified at first. But it worked. The kid is now back on the growth curve (at 2%) and eating a few bites of fruits and vegetables at each meal.

I would not try this if there is a risk of overeating. But it might be worth saying you can play Minecraft as long as you are snacking on bell pepper strips...

[Anonymous]

If it is to lose weight just eliminate junk, eating veggies will not make them lose weight.

I say 1 bite of each veggie no matter how small and they eventually don't hate it any more. Also roast your veggies .... steamed veggies are not that good. Will he eat anything?

I also don't think it has to be a veggie it can be fruit.

I would not put reward and punishment around food, I would say 1 healthy think a night... no veggies... go for a walk.

[Anonymous]

You have to keep offering the veg whether he likes it or not, so that it becomes familiar. Offer it in different forms. For carrots, you can grate them, stream them, roast them, offer them raw with dip, or bake into a cake or muffin. Try all the different varieties with all the different veggies until there is one he doesn't absolutely hate. I agree fruits are easier and just as healthy. Mix fruits up in a smoothie, or as a topping on ice cream or yogurt, or bake into a pie. Surely there must be something healthy he eats?!

[Anonymous]

I think screen time for a kid who needs to loose weight is a bad idea. I would rack my brains for another incentive. If you feel it's your only choice, then he gets maybe 10 minutes of screen time, only after he's eaten his vegetables.

I would focus on making food fun. I would get a kid's cookbook:

http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Kids-Cookbook-Year-Round/dp/1426317174/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460138874&sr=1-12&keywords=kid%27s+cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/Honest-Pretzels-Other-Amazing-Recipes/dp/1582463050/ref=pd_sim_14_13?ie=UTF8&dpID=5114WJLZUWL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR128%2C160_&refRID=0MG5V73E85DSBDXZFG7A

And the two of you make dishes together.

This kind of habit won't change over night. So baby steps and don't get frustrated.

[Anonymous]

At 8 if the dr says he needs to lose weight then you need to just cut out other junk. Like PP said just eating vegetable won't magically make him lose weight. What does a typical dinner look like? Are you making separate "kids meals"?
Does he bring his lunch or buy at school?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry so much about what he eats so much as what he doesn't eat. No junk, no processesed foods. Only let him eat lean and clean. If it wasn't here 200 years ago you shouldn't be eating it, also lots of exercise 1-2 hrs per day.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks for the comments so far. As for dinner, I fall into the trap of "kids meals" about half of the time. Need to get better. He eats carrots - that's the only vegetable. For fruit he eats apples, bananas and strawberries. But won't eat any fruit or veg for lunch at school (I pack every day).

I'm not that concerned about him losing weight at this point -- Dr. said just to stop the upward trend. He's always been at 75th percentile but is now at 85th percentile. We don't have much "junk," it's that his portion sizes are too big -- it's a fight every morning over a HUGE bowl of cereal for example. If he was filling up on more fruits and vegs, that would be much better.

[Anonymous]

For the PP who said "if it wasn't around 200 years ago, you shouldn't be eating it." What does a day look like then? Not being rude at all, just can't wrap my head around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the PP who said "if it wasn't around 200 years ago, you shouldn't be eating it." What does a day look like then? Not being rude at all, just can't wrap my head around it.

Breakfast 2 hard boiled eggs and blueberries
Snack small Apple
Lunch grilled chicken salad
Snack almonds
Dinner grilled salmon, 2 small red potatoes and broccoli

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the comments so far. As for dinner, I fall into the trap of "kids meals" about half of the time. Need to get better. He eats carrots - that's the only vegetable. For fruit he eats apples, bananas and strawberries. But won't eat any fruit or veg for lunch at school (I pack every day).

I'm not that concerned about him losing weight at this point -- Dr. said just to stop the upward trend. He's always been at 75th percentile but is now at 85th percentile. We don't have much "junk," it's that his portion sizes are too big -- it's a fight every morning over a HUGE bowl of cereal for example. If he was filling up on more fruits and vegs, that would be much better.

Honestly, that's a pretty good starting point.

Some kids respond to texture--they like crunchy vs. cooked or soft. Or vice versa. Apples, bananas, and carrots can be incorporated into baked goods. All of these can be put into smoothies.

Think about easy dinners like Stir Fry Friday, Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, etc. that would also let you include vegetables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the comments so far. As for dinner, I fall into the trap of "kids meals" about half of the time. Need to get better. He eats carrots - that's the only vegetable. For fruit he eats apples, bananas and strawberries. But won't eat any fruit or veg for lunch at school (I pack every day).

I'm not that concerned about him losing weight at this point -- Dr. said just to stop the upward trend. He's always been at 75th percentile but is now at 85th percentile. We don't have much "junk," it's that his portion sizes are too big -- it's a fight every morning over a HUGE bowl of cereal for example. If he was filling up on more fruits and vegs, that would be much better.

Dont buy cereal anymore. Replace with fruit and yoghurt or toast or oatmeal.

[Anonymous]

We sometimes offer a dinner with one meat and two veggies and no starch item, like carrots and brocoli or peas and green beans. My kids like it perfectly steamed or boiled i.e. not mushy, served with a little dipping bowl of soy sauce. The soy sauce has a ton of sodium but they eat much more veg when they have it. They also like artichokes, served with a small dipping bowl of melted butter. Sometimes I will pretend the rest of the food is not ready and put a bowl of peas or corn on the table in front of them with a spoon. As long as they have not had to many afternoon snacks they gobble it up while I clank around in the kitchen "getting the chicken and noddles ready."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PP who said "if it wasn't around 200 years ago, you shouldn't be eating it." What does a day look like then? Not being rude at all, just can't wrap my head around it.

Breakfast 2 hard boiled eggs and blueberries
Snack small Apple
Lunch grilled chicken salad
Snack almonds
Dinner grilled salmon, 2 small red potatoes and broccoli

This is stupid and wrong.

We add vitamin D to milk now to prevent rickets:
http://i3.birminghammail.co.uk/news/health/article6242556.ece/alternates/s615/rickets-main.jpg

Sailors stopped suffering from scurvy once they were given vitamin C sources, e.g., limes to suck on. Hence the term limey:
https://storify.com/championwriter1/the-diet-of-those-that-live-the-longest

We add iodine to salt to prevent goiters:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodised_salt

Refrigeration didn't exist 200 years ago.

Two hundred years ago, people didn't eat like this PP.

[Anonymous]

I don't know about rewarding with screen time.

Build on what he does eat. He does eat some fruits, and one veg. I can't decide if I would offer one more vegetable at a time, or give him the option of two. Maybe offer something new every second night, and go back to the carrots in between. Get him involved in the choices.

What else might work for a reward? What else does he enjoy doing?

Also get him out and moving. Find things he enjoys so it isn't so... painful. On everyone.

Good luck with it OP. Changing isn't easy but he's young enough that it can be done.