A Taste of Success: Experiences Meeting with a Pediatric Dietitian

Beyond Picky Eating: Seeing the Pediatric Dietitian

If you’ve been following along, you might remember that my oldest son had a frenectomy (tongue and lip tie removal) and turbinate reduction. While his sleep is much better, his eating is not. He has always been a picky eater. We were under the impression that after his tongue and lip healed he would have more mobility in his mouth. This would make it so he didn’t feel like he was going to choke.

Wrong and Right.

He can eat more food and has started eating a variety. But he doesn’t want to. He wants to drink milk and eat corn chips all day. (I love a corn chip too, just not as my only food.)

Instead of continuing to be frustrated with each other I found a local Pediatric Dietitian to help us overcome food and taste aversions.

Pediatric Dietitian to the Rescue

On our first visit we talked about the foods that he eats. She asked lots of questions and we tried to determine a rhyme or reason as to what he will or will not eat.

I think my favorite part was him lounging in an over sized chair with his legs crossed emphatically saying he would not eat bread, but he would eat hamburger buns if it was with a hamburger, but not at the same time as the hamburger. She tried to figure out the difference, but all she got was nope. Not doing it. Finally someone else understood our dilemma.

Her assessment was that he was probably a super taster with food aversions.

Phew I was not crazy. And he was not crazy.

Our next visit was super helpful for me. He was given a pile of paper food to sort. They went into a no, maybe and yes pile. I was about 60% No, 20% Maybe and 10% Yes. His yes pile included milk, tortilla chips, and chocolate variations.

It was incredibly helpful for me to visually see what he was willing to try. I was surprised and we were able to give some of those foods a chance.

We had already implemented a food incentive chart. When he completed the chart he was able to get a big prize. The most recent was the Exploding Kittens Party Pack. (I’ll include the chart in my freebies section.)

Next Steps- Giving More Choices

After our third visit we reviewed the new foods he had tried. About 15!!!! He will absolutely try new foods which is great. But to eat the foods as a meal doesn’t happen. This last week he went to VBS at grandma’s house and ate dinner at the church. He tried a soft-shelled taco with “Greasy taco meat”, a hotdog with a bun and ketchup, and lemonade.

This visit was spent celebrating trying new foods and reminding him that over half of what he tried he rated as 3 out of 5 or higher!

But I discovered he wants more choice over what he is going to eat for lunch and dinner. We usually make meals and dish them up. Lots of days we ask, but he just agrees to whatever is presented. (I think because he is busy doing something else and isn’t really paying attention.)

Our game plan is to create a morning menu that he can check off at the start of school. Then we can put it in the kitchen and that is what is made for lunch.

Another idea is to have a checklist with foods he regularly eats. Then when he checks off all of those for the day or week he is finished eating them. For example chips with 10 check boxes. Then when the boxes are checked off he has to eat something else. I like the idea, but it feels like too much work when we don't do well with checking off lists at our house.

I’ve included our sample menu, along with a blank that you could use too!

Menu- Blank, 1/4, and full page in my Freebie section.

You’ve Got This

If you found this page because your child is a picky eater, I’d recommend seeing a pediatric dietitian. If that is too expensive or there aren’t any local to you getting food cards and sorting was incredibly helpful. Here is a link to the food cards we used. Dairy Council Cards. Hopefully making a menu and giving more choices will prove helpful too.

I’m a strong willed person and I totally understand not wanting to be told what I am going to eat or do.

Keep brainstorming. Just by wanting to help with your child’s eating you are showing your love and concern. You’ve got this!