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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

Food suggestions for Highly Sensitive Children

45 replies

jabberwocky · 18/08/2006 18:53

Ds had been a very picky eater from the first. I feel guilty that maybe I'm not being creative enough, but it is so hard to get him to try new things.

Any ideas?

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Carmenere · 18/08/2006 18:53

Stop fussing over him, he'll eat when he is hungry.

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threebob · 18/08/2006 19:16

How old is he?

In what way is he sensitive?

What does he like to eat?

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jabberwocky · 18/08/2006 19:24

He is 3 years old and a classic HSC. Only likes a narrow spectrum of foods, nothing complex, etc.

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Carmenere · 18/08/2006 19:26

Sorry jabberwocky, what exactly is HSC?

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threebob · 18/08/2006 19:27

He's probably a super taster, so bland would actually be better than creative.

Ds will not eat lumps in sauce, but will pick them out and eat the sauce now - which is progress.

A 1950s meat and 3 veg style diet works really well as he can choose which order to eat everything in and it's nice and dry. Dh and I can have gravy or sauce on the side.

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jabberwocky · 18/08/2006 19:28

Very sensitive to changes in environment, different foods, noises, social interactions and things of that sort. We have to move carefully in trying new things, etc. and it's really not bad except where the food is concerned.

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iota · 18/08/2006 19:29

threebob - that sounds like my ds1 ( he's 7 now and not much better)

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jabberwocky · 18/08/2006 19:29

I like the '50's idea. My main problem right now is he has reduced veggies to almost exclusively peas and french cut green beans.

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Kittypickle · 18/08/2006 19:32

I'm afraid it's something you have to ride jabberwocky and they do improve with age. DD is like this and will be 8 in January. She is never going to be the world's best eater but is now much improved. Things I found helped a bit were not making too much of an issue of it & growing veg in the garden.

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jabberwocky · 18/08/2006 19:35

I had a feeling this would be the answer...Oh, well, at least he will eat, even though it's a small selection. It took forever just to get him used to solid food.

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threebob · 18/08/2006 19:36

peas and beans are good - at least they are green.

Bob's entire veg repertoire;

carrots
swede
peas
green beans (sometimes just opens up and eat tiny bean bit!)

and of course potato and kumara.

But 3 off the list every day provides variety and he now accepts that if it's on his plate it has to stay there even if he doesn't like it.

He has lots of allergies - which is why we do it, but it could explain why children didn't have eating problems "in our parents day".

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jabberwocky · 18/08/2006 19:37

At least he will eat spaghetti with red sauce. I've been trying to puree some veggies and sneak it in the sauce. One caveat...don't use too much spinach. You'll never get the color past them!

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Mumwifefriend · 20/08/2006 21:22

Homemade fishcakes are quite bland and inoffensive to fussy eaters. Also, about the veggies: a couple of years ago I can across a wonder product called Mitzukan Rice Wine vinegar - it's tangy and sweet and a little sprinkled on salads and any veg will often get children eating it (plus it's great for mums watching their weight too)

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jabberwocky · 20/08/2006 22:45

Sounds good. I'll have to look around for some.

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aitch71 · 20/08/2006 23:12

friends of mine get their kids to eat broccoli by sprinkling balsamic vinegar on it, so you could try that if you can't find the other stuff.

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wartywarthog · 20/08/2006 23:42

well, i reckon i was a hsc (and probably a hsa now!), and i'm also a super-taster. so i can tell you what i don't like if that'll help. if not, stop reading here!

i can't take anything that tastes bitter. so that's veggies that have been overcooked (or even cooked!). brussel sprouts, courgettes, tomatoes (because of the pips) unless they're raw with salt or cooked with seasoning, cabbage, spinach. coffee without sugar, grapefruit. when i was a kid i'd happily eat raw vegetables, but as soon as they were cooked, they were ruined! salads are good, but avoid radiccio and frisee lettuce as they're bitter. iceberg lettuce is good. peas, beans (don't overcook), carrots, sweetcorn, potatoes, roast peppers - probably the only vegetables i actually like! broccoli and cauliflower if not overcooked. tenderstem can be good too, and asparagus. maybe he'll eat asparagus with a nice butter or hollandaise sauce?

don't despair though. my mum used to just make me taste everything and i'm grateful for that now. know i can eat anything that's put in front of me so won't be rude at dinner parties. and i love gourmet food. definitely not stuck on bland things.

just think you have to think in terms of bitterness and try and cut that out. bland is probably working, because it's not bitter.

anyway, that's what i suspect the problem is. sorry for rambling

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aitch71 · 21/08/2006 01:30

what does HSC and HSA actually stand for?

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aitch71 · 21/08/2006 01:34

whoops, just looked at the thread title...

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jabberwocky · 21/08/2006 02:20

WWH, thanks for all the great suggestions! Please ramble all you like. I'm up for any and all advice

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Alibaldi · 21/08/2006 02:28

Have you tried him with parsnip sliced and then simmered in milk. It's delicious and then you can mash it up like mashed potato. Balsamic vinegar on cherry tomatoes and then roasted in the oven and then mashed is good to make a home red sauce!!. I started my boys on homemade salmon fish cakes. Flaked cooked salmon mixed with mash potato and then fried. Once he's used to that you could try coating the fishcake in couscous and then frying, gives a wonderful nutty flavour.

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jabberwocky · 21/08/2006 12:24

I like the parsnip idea. He has never been big on potatoes, (except french fries ) which has always been a mystery to me as it fits the bland category perfectly.

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Alibaldi · 21/08/2006 16:32

Butternut squash is also good mashed

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sleepysooz · 21/08/2006 17:20

Have you tried mashing foods down, it does mean starting all over again, like when you're weaning, at least you can disguise tastes that way!

We have candlelit suppers when the evenings are dark enough, so the kids can't see what their eating, my 10yo ds hates any fruit and veg, but will eat dinners in this surrounding. I have ds & dd twin 2.10 yo, they eat and fight to see who's going to blow the candles out!

Good luck!

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jabberwocky · 21/08/2006 18:17

He was a loooooong time going from mashed to solids, so I'm trying to be careful as far as that goes. Interestingly, he has always liked butternut squash. I guess it's plain, but also sweet?

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sleepysooz · 21/08/2006 18:23

Does it really matter if its mashed? my ds1 stopped eating fruit and veg when I stopped mashing, just like he stopped drinking milk when took off formula!

You could treat these as seperate little dishes before dinnertime, like 1 liquidized carrot or apple or something that he generally doesn't like, they are completely different when taken that way.

I hate carrots, you could'nt feed one to me if it were my last meal, but liquidize it and do a taste test, I can't tell its carrot! (then again, I'm strange anyway