Slipper Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 My youngest has anxiety and is a very picky eater. She will eat healthy if the items are on hand - fresh fruit, raw veggies, seeds and nuts - but not a lot of protein. If something turns her away from a food, she has difficulty liking it again. Our psychiatrist told us today to quit stressing over it and suggested having her eat meal bars instead and then she can just start eating again when she's ready. Is there anyone else who does this with their kids and if so, can you tell me which brand is more kid-friendly? I hate to just buy random ones, take a bite and throw away what isn't working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I'm not sure what counts as a meal bar. My picky older that would meltdown when hungry ate Clif Kids when much younger and then Clif and Luna bars when we were on long trips or hiking. What he doesn't eat, me or hubby would finish the bar up so it wasn't an issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I have 2 that are having food issues right now. We went to see a nutritionist and she said that the meal bars are good, but she prefers things like Ensure or Boost (the 'complete' or 'plus' versions) even more. And if you can combine the two...all the better. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanin Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Would she drink smoothies or milkshakes? You can sneak an awful lot of things into them :) Greek yogurt has a lot of protein, and you could do a peanut-butter chocolate shake... yum! I've never used protein powders, but maybe you could find one that is healthy and tastes good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanin Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I am a fan of the Spunky Coconut, she has great smoothie ideas! She also has a daughter with autism, and uses smoothies to pack in nutrition and other supplements and her daughter loves them :) I saw at least one protein smoothie in there. Smoothie ideas: http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/category/drinks/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks! The cost for a nutritionist is not covered and is horribly expensive so I can't consult with one. I found a couple of meal bars that she likes. She will drink shakes and smoothies and I've been thinking about sneaking things into them. We're changing her medicine around and I'm hopeful that she will relax about eating. Mainer, I will check out that link - thanks. ETA - mostly she needs calories and protein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 We buy the protein bars at Aldi. They have a variety and are less expensive than other things out there. They do seem a bit like candy bars but they have 10 grams of protein. We have also made "shakes" and I've put in protein powder. I don't know how they would work in a smoothie. We haven't used it lately but we used to use whey powder in chocolate or vanilla which is inexpensive and easy to find. We got ours at Whole Foods or Target. We would put it in a blender with milk, ice, (usually) decaf instant coffee, and maybe a touch of sugar. My kids love the taste of coffee but I don't know if all kids would go for it I hope you find you find a good option and the right medication. These emotional things are just the hardest. :grouphug: ETA: This is a stretch, but would she eat greek yogurt with her favorite fruit in it? It's high protein. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 With one child we did chocolate protein powder into milk--like drinking chocolate milk. Another kid likes Clif bars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 If she has sensory issues along with that anxiety, don't sneak food into smoothies. It can backfire badly by eroding trust, as I learned the hard way. We do a lot of clif bars here. It's not ideal, but, it's better than nothing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Kind bars are tastier than most. Cheese in unusual forms works well for some kids. String cheese (in sticks) or grated cheese sometimes is better tolerated than other types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Ours wasn't anxiety related (still not sure what it was) but about age 7 our daughter stopped eating ALL protein, except Burger King Chicken nuggets.....the crown shaped ones. No other chicken nuggets, no peanut butter, no cheese, etc. It was bad for a while but now she is back to eating just about anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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