Poor eating habits

[DinaGrimes]

My daughter just turned 13 in October.  She is ~58” tall and weighs ~75 lbs.  She has not started developing yet (I was average at around 13 and my husband’s sisters were ~16 before starting).  She has always been a poor eater.  The doctors have always said not to worry; she will start eating better as she gets older.  I’ve given up waiting!!!  The following is a list of what she will eat (I am not leaving anything out):

Meat:  KFC Popcorn chicken – (has to be KFC and has to be popcorn chicken) no other meat, not even hot dogs

Vegetables:  Corn on the cob (not loose frozen or can corn) (which by the way, I don’t consider a vegetable), baked potato (but only a small amount with tons of butter) (not mashed or French fries)

Will eat:  peanut butter sandwiches (not jelly), cheddar cheese on crackers, cheerios, pop tarts, Kraft Mac and cheese (pretty much lives on this), French toast, pancakes, plain pasta, ketchup, yellow mustard, sometimes a plain red sauce

Loves:  chips, pretzels, devil dogs, cheese curls

I am very worried about her development.  She has petit mal seizures (on medication) and mild Tourette syndrome (not medicated).  

Right now I make something separate for her for meals.  I am getting very tired of making separate meals every night and would love to sit down and have all three of us (only child) eat the same meal (or most of it).  I’m thinking of bribing her!!!  Something along these lines:  Making one meal and for every separate thing on the plate that she will eat a good portion of, she will get a sticker.  She will have to earn a number of stickers to get a high price item that she has been bugging us for (it will take about 100 stickers).

What is your opinion on this method?  If she does not eat anything on the plate, should we let her have a bowl of cereal so she is at least getting something (no snacks)?

Thank you for your advice!

[Renee Radenberg]

Her weight is just below the 5th percentile and her height is between the 5-10th percentile for her age. It is frustrating when children do not 'grow out' of their picky eater stage and it runs into teenage years. Does she drink milk or like milkshakes? Suggest making milkshakes (milk, ice cream, and fruit-banana or strawberries-if accepted, blended) for additional calories and protein. Suggest giving her a chewable daily children multi-vitamin due to her eating habits. Rewarding to eat does not work in the long run. The most important aspect is to relax at meals and not to force her to eat. Let her eat what she wants no matter how limited. Slowly introduce new foods, and if she does not want it, do not make a fuss over it. Let it go and try in a few weeks. Hoped this helped you.