Digest Number 971

[Guest guest]

Dear Terry,

 

I am sincerely sympathetic to your problem, and do

have personal experience with this. I certainly did

not mean to offend anyone, and I appreciate your post.

 

My point was basically that healthy children will not

starve themselves. If only fresh, healthy food is

available for them to eat, then they will eat it...

eventually. Coercion should not be part of it. Of

course, if they know they have less-healthy but more

appealing (to them) alternatives, then they will hold

out for those, and it may take awhile for them to

adjust to the idea that those alternatives are no

longer available. Obviously, if this doesn't work

after awhile, or if serious health problems develop,

then it would be wise to seek a registered dietician

who specializes in veg diets for children.

Psychological problems may also be a contributing

factor (i.e. has the child recently been through a

stressful event (a death, divorce, move, change of

school, birth of a sibling, serious illness in the

family, etc.)?).

 

Allergies and sensitivities are often an underlying

cause of this, and they need not necessarily be food

allergies/sensitivities. Chemicals in our environment

(paint, pesticides, fuels, formaldehyde, cleaning

products, etc.) frequently cause reactions in

children, that often go unnoticed or misdiagnosed.

Some allergies manifest cerebrally, so that brain

function is actually impaired. This can result in a

myriad of symptoms ranging from low appetite (often

mislabeled as pickiness) to autism.

 

Also, with over 6,000 edible plants in the world, and

a global marketplace that makes hundreds--if not

thousands--of them available to most of us here in the

USA, we have access to a wide variety of healthy veg

foods. So, if you think your child doesn't like

vegetables, then try some of the less common ones

(like daikon, dandelion greens, rutabaga, or jicama)

or try different varieties of familiar ones (like mini

zucchini, purple cauliflower, or golden beets).

 

You could also start a garden. Even a pot or two in a

sunny window or on a porch will do. Scholastic even

makes a Root With a View gardening kit that allows

kids to watch the growth of root vegetables like

carrots, radishes, and onions. Talk to your kids

about nutrition, about the different nutrients in

different colors of plants and about the nutrients

their bodies need. So, if your child doesn't want to

eat his carrots at dinner, you can say, " That's okay,

but what are you going to eat instead to get your

vitamin A for the day? " If your child doesn't like

kale no matter how you prepare it, then you can ask,

" Then which other green leafy vegetable would you like

to try to get your vitamin K, calcium, and iron? "

Take your child to the supermarket or farmer's market

and ask him or her to help you choose foods of

different colors.

 

Since I'm not intimately familiar with the details of

everyone's situation, please forgive me if you have

already tried some/all of these suggestions.

 

Yes, all of this takes time and work, and it can be

overwhelming for all of us. I am a stay-at-home mom

with 2 kids and 5 cats and a full-time job, too. But,

as veg*ns especially, it is of the utmost importance

that we work with our children to provide them with

healthy dietary habits that will last for the rest of

their lives. Having a healthy diet can be difficult

for anyone, regardless of whether you are an omnivore,

vegetarian, or vegan. It takes a lot of time and

energy to plan and prepare food. My friends and I

often joke that we live in our kitchens!

 

I regret if anyone was offended by my previous post,

as that was not at all my intent. I do hope that you

find helpful suggestions on this list, or through

other means.

 

-Melissa

 

> Message: 2

> Fri, 24 Sep 2004 20:26:16 -0400

> " Terry Somerson " <terry

> Re: suggestion for picky eaters

>

> Melissa,

>

> Thanks for this suggestion. I know you meant well,

> and I really wish that the solution for me and other

> parents of unenthusiastic eaters was as simple as

> letting my son see me eating the kinds of foods I'd

> like him to eat. As I said to another mother of a

> picky eater who emailed me privately after the

> recent exchange on this subject, I was *so* prepared

> to be the kind of mother you obviously are. Never

> forcing my child to eat, always allowing him to

> participate in choosing and preparing foods, never

> stressing about food. Always, always providing

> wholesome, home-cooked vegetarian meals and snacks

> and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and

> eating them myself. And then my son stopped eating,

> and I'd be reading to him at night before bed

> listening to his stomach growling, knowing that he'd

> consumed a total of about three mouthfuls of food

> all day long, and not much more than that the day

> before or the day before that, and honestly, I would

> have been happy to feed him potato chips and

> twinkies if I thought he'd eat them.

>

> So all I can say is that sometimes the answers are

> not so straightforward, and perhaps a little more

> understanding and a little less Dr. Phil might be in

> order.

>

> Terry

 

 

 

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