Thanks for responses re: picky eating
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| Wed, 08-10-2005 - 3:05am |
I appreciate all the responses. One thing I didn't mention is that Nathan is suffering health problems because of his eating habits. He now has to take Miralax every day in order to poop. I hate to be graphic, but, well, pooping was extremely difficult and painful for him (like, it would get stuck and make him bleed). Any mother who has had to endure that situation with her child will know that it is pretty darn awful. The Miralax is supposedly safe for long-term use, but we want to get him eating some fiber. I hate to blame DH for any of it, but he was raised to think of white bread cooked in bacon fat as healthy food, and regularly has a bacon cheeseburger and a Twix bar for lunch. The boys don't get many meals with their dad, because of the hours he works, but on the weekends he makes them fried eggs and bacon (UNDERCOOKED, I might add, UGH!) and it's the only time they enthusiatically come to the table and seem to enjoy their food. I mean, aside from when we have ice-cream or cookies. And I'm not blameless. You don't have to twist my arm too hard to get me to make pancakes for dinner. (And yes, you can put applesauce in pancakes, but that changes the flavor minutely and my boys won't eat them. Tried it.)
Was it you, Michelle, who said you don't allow sugar in your house? I wish we could say the same. That was my intention when David was little, but bit by bit, it snuck into our lives and the healthy stuff snuck out. I remember that David was so skinny, his ribs showed, because he wouldn't eat the whole wheat bread I offered or drink plain water. I had to introduce white bread and juice just so he'd eat and drink. Once the candy and stuff came into our house, it was all over. I'll admit, I find setting certain kinds of limits to be REALLY tough. For what it's worth, David is a Scorpio, born with Taurus rising, in the Chinese sign of the Ox or some such thing. I'm a Cancer-Cancer-Sheep. Not that I have any reason to believe any of that...but it's no secret that my oldest child is a strong, stinging, head-butting person who will NOT take no for an answer, and well, I'm a sheep with a shell. If I say, "No, you guys didn't touch your dinner tonight, so if you want something to eat now it'll have to be some fruit or cheese and crackers..." they'll eventually wear me down. I mean, they won't get sugary dessert if they are being jerks about it, but they'll usually succeed in getting some white toast with jam instead of the fruit or cheese/crackers.
Well, I'd better get to bed. Thanks again, everyone.

Ya know, I recently found that Sara Lee makes a whole grain White bread. Add to that some Jelly that is made from real fruit without added sugar (they have some that taste like regular jelly) and you have healthy white toast with fruit.
Will your kids take chewable vitamins? There is a fiber tablet that is made of "inulin" for its fiber that is yummy. OK, Emily tells me it is "Fiber Choice". I get the sprouts version as it is cheaper. Inulin can also be good for kids with ASD as far as mood and stuff. So double whammy. Plus it is gentler than some of the other fiber supps.
Emily has real trouble with encorporesis and constipation, even with a healthy diet. Then again, even though she is my only NT she is also the only one who currently gives me a problem with healthy foods. The others are limited and typical ASD eaters, but they will eat healthy choices.
We give emily the Inulin, acidolpholus (also available in a yummy chewable) and flax oil. She will take a flax pill but it is pretty easy to sneak into food too. And she takes mineral oil when she is really having a rough time. I have heard miralax can be ok on the long term, but you are right it is best to try to get them going on thier own.
Will he drink white grape juice? That helps get things going too. As far as eating healthy, just make tiny changes slowly. Baby steps. Don't worry about if the doctor will be angry, you just do what you think is best.
Renee
Evelyn,
OHHH NOOO!!! We have lots of sugar here!!!! I think that was Renee who said that about the sugar!!! I LOVE sugar....can't do without. I'm much better now that I'm a grown up!! LOL I can bake a batch of cookies and not eat a single one!!! But I do have to have sugar, I've always loved sweets!
I forgot to also mention, that I started a mini garden last year. And it DID work for Nathan. Carrots, peas, green beans, green onions (for me). He tried the peas....swallowed them and everything. But decided it wasn't something he wanted to eat again!! But he did enjoy the carrots. He ate them raw, with the greens still attached. I washed them up good, and he liked pretending he was Bugs Bunny!! "whatsup doc?"
He doesn't eat carrots any other way, but it was nice to see him eat it and not gag or vomit!!
Michelle
Hi Evelyn,
I just wanted to echo what Renee said. My son, also not into veggies but loves most fruit also has problems with constipation etc. I am not familiar with the medication your child is taking, so this may not apply, but we also give our boy a chewable probiotic that helps keep him regular. In addition, I give him a multi vitamin and our nutritionist recommended a company called "mannatech" that is based in Canada where you can get what is essentially a "veggie vitamin." They have "glyco bears" that are a basic multi and "mannabears" that are basically dehydrated veggies in a vitamin form. They look like gummibears and my sugar fiend thinks they are candy! Unfortunately, You have to get them online. They are a little expensive. But our pediatrician and the nutritionist felt we should do it and it has helped. Plus, it gives me peace of mind that if he doesn't get enough veggies in regular food, at least he is getting this. The Website is www.mannatech.com.
I think you can also get some good multi-vitamins from the health food store that look like candy but are not. My son is only 3 so it is easier to fool him. He actually looks forward to taking his vitamins every day.
I don't know if your guy is into yogurt, but a couple of brands have the inulin that Renee mentioned. My dude loves yogurt and I give him "O Soy" by Stoneyfield Farms. If you don't like the soy, some kids have probs with it, I think "yo baby" by stoneyfield may have inulin in it too. The inulin is "a good thing" for our kids, I have found.
Also, does your boy like spaghetti or tomato sauce? I take a tiny bit of flax meal (a couple of tablespoons) and put it in spaghetti sauce to add a bit of fiber. You can't really see it. With my boy, I can sneak the flax meal into other things too, but that may not work with your child.
Of course, since your child is under a doctor's care and on medication, you will probably want to run all this by the doc first. Has your pediatrician mentioned a nutritionist? Ours did and it has helped. My nutritionist has lots of good ideas and has been kind of a good support for my frustration about this.
Good luck. This food stuff is so hard. I think I was raised with the idea that "food is love" or something like that and I guess I felt like I failed if I couldn't get my boy to eat healthily and happily. Hang in there.
Katherine
P.S.
Evelyn,
Just for fun, I hear you about the sun sign thing, although I don't know much about it. I am the Scorpio with Virgo moon. So I am the disciplinarian in our household, but am very kind and polite about it! DH is Cancer, not sure of the rest of his chart, so he is the nurturing softie. Our son is a very strong willed Aries!
Sometimes I do wonder how all these things come into play, but I was also raised in a strict Catholic family (yes, the nuns in Catholic affected my eating habits too, forcing things on us, so to this day I hate certain food because of it although my mom was great). How culture affects food is so interesting.
We just do the best we can. Just wanted to say I sympathize about how all the personalities in our families affect every little thing.
Sending you hugs.
Katherine