Bringing daughter to a dietitian

Ranjo

I am considering bringing my daughter (age 10) to a dietitian. The purpose being to get some advice on food intake, knowledge about calories/carbs/sugar/fats and what constitutes a good diet.

Her diet is poor, but I suspect some clear advice from a professional will help her more than what is probably now sounding like sheep bleating when we talk to her.

I've googled around for dieticians for kids, but seems limited. Is a dietitian the right person to see? Any other thoughts/ideas?

Neyite

She's 10, so if her diet is poor, then that's down to what's being bought for the household is it not?

I'd be looking at a shopping and whole-family overhaul rather than just singling her out to see a dietician, as she's at a key age where bad food habits can turn into bigger issues and potentially eating disorders.

I'm not bashing you by the way. I've a very fussy eater who would eat junk all day long if he was let. He's only 5 though and his diet is down to me and his dad. When he's older and able to forage for himself then I'll need to keep the house as junk free as I can but it will probably be doing myself a favour too.

Would cooking with her work to develop an interest in healthier food choices? Maybe pick a new recipe every couple of weeks and cook it together?

ace_irl

As someone that has been to a dietitian countless times at your daughters age I can tell you now it won't be much help.

You need to have a think and try understand why her diet is bad before you can work on it. As been suggested, what food she has access to will massively impact on her diet.

Is she fussy and won't eat certain foods? Or only likes food that's not good for her? Or does she eat very little?

Depending on what is making her diet bad it could be a simple trip to the GP to discuss it or you may need to make changes to what food you buy and keep at home.

Being honest, at her age, I wouldn't go about getting her educated on calories etc, it can become obsessive to someone so young. It might be helpful for you to speak with a dietitian or nutritionist to get a better understanding of what your daughter needs, but maybe leave her out of that until you've got a better understanding.

Teyla Emmagan

What is the actual issue? I wouldn't race into discussing calories with a ten year old either. If she's only ten and you make sure the house is full of good food and she has no money to buy junk in school instead of eating her lunch then there shouldn't be an issue. Cooking is a great way to get kids involved with food and making their own decisions.

bp

I would recommend swapping out foods at home first, slowly. So maybe say sugary drinks first, soft drinks, juice, cordial and only have milk and water. Water could be flavoured with slices of orange, mint etc. As a family have a quick chat about benefit of water to skin, organs, sleep, concentration but not weight. The following week then change breakfast to porridge or something similar with low or no sugar and salt. Sweeten with fruit or honey. Good for concentration again, energy etc. Then onto bread - ditch white bread. Etc. You don't need to remove all bad things. Personally I tried brown rice and pasta but just cannot do it! Home made chips and burgers are yummy. Try Jaime Oliver Ministry of Food. Easy cooking with average ingredients

Ranjo

Thanks for responses. I expected feedback on building it into our household, I have two other kids who are getting on board though these exact exercises. I'm very careful not to make this about weight/size, but knowledge. The reason I am going this direction is that she responds well to a professional and after exhausting our own process we reckon we probably just sound like nagging now.

I'm not going to hide the subject for fear of weight obsession. That would be the result of handling this poorly. I'm also not "slinging her" to a dietitian, that's not a fair comment. I'm aiming to be as pragmatic as possible. Knowing her very well, I'm thinking that a dietitions advice would fall on willing-to-listen ears.

I'm also not hell bent on this as a next step. I'm just thinking of a more supportive way to help her, being so careful not to make it an obsession but an education & something she will fall into with happiness. To be clear, she's healthy, happy and we don't harp on to her about it too much.

@ace_irl, trip to the GP is another option to consider. It wouldn't have been my first thought as she's not sick, I'd need to have a pre-discussion with the GP so he/she knows what I'm trying to do.

Neyite

If she responds well to professional instruction would a cookery course help foster an interest in good nutrition?

Ranjo

I think so yes, good idea.

ace_irl

Hi Op,

I think you need to be a bit more clear as to why you're considering a dietitian. If she is healthy and happy then why do you feel she needs to be educated on her diet?

It kind of sounds like you've been implementing healthier changes at home and she hasn't taken to it the way you've hoped/wanted?
If that's the case then I can understand your frustration in wanting to get through to her and looking for alternative ways then just harping on to her about it.

I was dragged through all this for the better part of 16 years as a child and teenager seeing specialist after specialist and it was never helpful. It sets the tone that there is something wrong and it needs to be fixed and in all honesty nothing they said ever sunk in or made any positive impact.

At her age she is going to be like a sponge absorbing things, there are some really good cook books for the younger age bracket that could be really helpful in educating her in an engaging way. Ones that are on the Junior cert home ec syllabus are really good and simple. I still have mine and use it all the time.

Youtube is another great way to get her learning about nutrition and engaging in a way that suits her age. You could find some good tutorials and watch them with her and try to recreate the meals together.

I think it's brilliant you want to educate her in food but I think you need to adapt it to suit her and professionals really aren't the way to go when there's no actual health problem.

CPTM

Most gyms have personal trainers that have studied extensively in food and balanced diets. If you know anybody who regularly trains at a gym, maybe they could ask around. Normally there's posters up that give the background to each PT, and if one is friendly I'm sure they'd be happy to do a nixer and meet up and possibly combine a diet info session with an exercise info session.

This would have worked with me in the past, so just thought I'd throw out the idea on the off-chance.

Ranjo

@ace_irl, by happy & healthy I mean she is not suffering from any serious issues due to intake. No bulimia/anorexia/etc and day to day she is not in any negative mental space. But her diet isn't great so she's basically surviving on it, but longer term it will become an issue.

Thanks for feedback so far, taking on board: cooking classes, you tube channels I'll search for something that will resonate, more work at home to ensure kitchen full of right foods, potentially GP

Ashbx

ace_irl wrote: »

I was dragged through all this for the better part of 16 years as a child and teenager seeing specialist after specialist and it was never helpful. It sets the tone that there is something wrong and it needs to be fixed and in all honesty nothing they said ever sunk in or made any positive impact.

Firstly, I agree with most people here that its not a good idea.

But just to expand on this , OP if you do chose to go down this route, please please bring all three of your kids and not just the one child. To me, I feel like it would be telling her that there is something wrong with her and your other two kids are fine.

Romantic Rose

Neyite wrote: »

If she responds well to professional instruction would a cookery course help foster an interest in good nutrition?

Great idea. Nevan Maguire runs fantastic cookery courses for Parent-Child. I'm looking forward to doing them with my own child when she gets to that age. Expensive but cooking is a life skill that everyone should know.

mordeith

Ranjo wrote: »

But her diet isn't great so she's basically surviving on it, but longer term it will become an issue.

What is her diet?

Ruby31

Same story here. 11 year old fussy-eater. Speaking to other mum's at her school, it seems to be pretty common!

As suggested, cookery lessons worked a treat. She tried loads of different foods that she wouldn't have gone near at home.

Also cooking with them at home helps too.

shesty

For my two cents, I would also stop discussing it.Make it a non-issue, but don't offer alternatives.I'm assuming you mean she's only eating bits of things you give her and nothing else.I literally would stop all conversation on it but I would be making sure that there is no access to alternatives to fill up on like bread etc.I'd keep serving up the same stuff as everyone else, and just not discuss it.You must rember being a teenager, the more nagging the less likely you were to do something.I think she knows the message now OP, she could well be just choosing to exert her own control over this.Sitting at the table and nagging her to eat veg or clear her plate or whatever is probably like a red rag to a bull to her.It would drive me nuts anyway.No child will deliberately starve themselves.