What can be causing this new picky eating?

amother

Thu, Aug 10 2023, 6:34 am

My son is 11 and he used to be a great eater, but lately everything "tastes disgusting". He hates everything I make for supper. He only wants "Noodles with ketchup", "rice with ketchup" and "Ramen noodles". He says he likes "meat" but most meat/meatballs we make he doesn't like, he does like "Fake meat" but most of his siblings don't. He doesn't like "cheese"--I have wondered for years if he's lactose intolerant but never got a great answer from doctors only to "avoid it if he doesn't like it". It's not like he eats a ton of nosh either. He doesn't like most chocolate (only PLAIN Hershey's chocolate), ice cream, doughnuts or bagels. He likes tortilla chips, oranges/grapefruits, pickles.

It is so hard to make suppers when he's only interested in 3 foods. He's complaining that he's hungry. I have sensory kids, and he's not one of them. He's my most active/athletic, but he's also gaining weight.

Could this possibly be a thyroid issue?

amother

Thu, Aug 10 2023, 6:47 am

PinkFridge wrote:

If he's due for a physical, sure, schedule one.

Are you seeing any other changes? Moods, etc.?

He just had a physical, but I don't think they ordered any bloodwork. He's always moody and gets "hangry" its not a new thing though.

amother

Eggplant

Thu, Aug 10 2023, 7:01 am

Technically this sounds like the eating disorder ARFID, but it’s not usually sudden onset. Is he starting puberty? Could his hormones be messing with his taste buds?

amother

Chartreuse

Thu, Aug 10 2023, 7:04 am

amother Eggplant wrote:

Technically this sounds like the eating disorder ARFID, but it’s not usually sudden onset. Is he starting puberty? Could his hormones be messing with his taste buds.

Pandas, pans or Lyme can cause sudden onset restrictive eating

amother

Chartreuse

Thu, Aug 10 2023, 7:06 am

amother OP wrote:

He just had a physical, but I don't think they ordered any bloodwork. He's always moody and gets "hangry" its not a new thing though.

Hangry is a clue that blood sugar and cortisol might be players here

amother

Kiwi

Thu, Aug 10 2023, 7:21 am

I would check out the biology. But this could also be social at this age,something being encountered at school. I'm thinking specifically of the meat thing- he says he likes it but isn't eating ut, at an age a lot of boys are getting into meat more. So maybe the other things are too ("Seriously, you like broccoli?")

Realistically, welcome to the world of multiple meal prep. Make him his fake meat if you can do that, everyone else eats what they eat. See what happens.