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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. There is no juice/soda at all. Thanks to the two PPs - reasonable assessment and advice. She was a very healthy eater and then something happened last year and I cannot figure this out. She is a very active child - soccer, swim weekly. Walks and playgrounds. Biking. I am afraid she doesn’t know when she feels hungry (hence she asks for breakfast at school or school lunch even though she has her home lunch), and I cannot figure out how to explain it. Parenting sucks :( [/quote]

I think her high level of activity sounds great. As someone with a lot of anorexia/bulemia in my family and a touch of obesity too, I am quite careful to encourage interest in a wide variety of foods versus restrictions. 7 is a great age to buy some green bean and tomato seeds and watch them grow. Take her to a farmers market and let her pick out some foods from a few different categories. Have playful taste tests of foods - maybe with eyes closed to see if either of you can tell the difference. Can she taste differences between the apples  maybe instead of whether she likes them.

My husband is the one who does most of the cooking in our family, but cooking with a kid is magical for them - gives them pride for what is on the table. For your breakfast issue, have a conversation about balance. I wouldn’t freak out about the sugar. Tell her that her body needs carbs for energy, protein/fiber to grow strong bones/feel full and veggies/fruits for the vitamins and minerals that keep her healthy. Say it sounds like you are getting energy from your school breakfast, so let’s balance that with these elements at home. It would be useful to get eggs in her if she eats eggs (taste test some options - soft boiled and cheesy scrambled are big hits for us).

Think light touch with all this stuff. When my kids were little, my husband was extra proud of his cooking and he was controlling about getting the kids to eat a certain number of bites of vegetables in exchange for the more carb/protein rich part of the meal. Seeing people count anything they are eating ln their plate reminds me of loved ones with eating disorders. I put a stop to that and said - eat a little of this and a little of that. Pay attention to balance. At times, I’ve also used the fuel for a car analogy for eating. Your body needs the energy to burn, but it doesn’t have a limitless need. (I know, I know - the car doesn’t get fat. I just try to stay positive.)[/quote]

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