Food Regression :: Not Something I Expected at Age 8

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When our children are small we are told that they will go through multiple stages of food regression. Why wasn’t I warned this would happen again to an older child? Or is it just my kid?

I thought that as a self-proclaimed foodie, that I would raise a non-picky eater. Boy was I wrong! I should probably say selective instead of picky. Still, I don’t know why now at age eight food has to once again become a struggle.

I chose the baby-led weaning method when introducing foods to my daughter. This worked well for me because it gave me the freedom to also sit down and enjoy my food. My daughter became a very independent eater and there wasn’t much that she said no to…until she did.

I remember periods of time where all I could get her to eat was Cheerios. I made many frantic phone calls to her doctor, as I was afraid she wasn’t getting enough nutrients and would become ill. In the kindest way possible, her doctor told me to chill and assured me that every child goes through some form of food regression and that I had nothing to worry about.

Time passed, and we learned the foods that she loved and those that she did not. (Hello eggs!) At eight, she is open to tasting different foods. And when I say taste, I mean she will lick something and decide from there whether or not it is worthy of her delicate palate. Many things that used to be her favorite now receive “I’m not hungry” when they are served. We haven’t quite gone back to strictly Cheerios, but our options have become quite limited.

As we work through this stage of food regression at this stage in her life, I have learned to relax a little. As long as she is being nourished, she will be okay. Eventually, she will come back to loving food as she always has, and all will be well. Until then, I feed her what she will eat, even if it’s chicken nuggets every day.

If you have concerns about your children and food regression, be sure to consult with your health care provider.

Has your child had food regression?

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