My 7yo will only eat chicken if it's prepared in three very specific ways. Chicken nuggets (not homemade, has to be the frozen Tyson ones), rotisserie chicken, or diced in mac and cheese. ONLY those options. Everything else and he gags. Is this a sensory thing? Is he gonna grow out of this or am I cooking two dinners for the next decade?
The Tyson nuggets thing is so real. My kid will eat those frozen ones but gags on literally any homemade chicken I make. I think it's the breading texture + temp consistency? At least you found THREE that work - some kids are way worse
lol the mac and cheese workaround is genius though. At least you found a second option besides the nuggets. Have you tried mixing rotisserie chicken INTO the mac? Sometimes they'll accept it if it's already integrated with something they trust.
lol this is my 6yo with pasta. Penne only. Tried rigatoni once and you'd think I served him dirt. Pediatrician said as long as he's getting protein it's fine, so I stopped fighting it
This is texture sensitivity and it's legit neurological stuff, not pickiness. My occupational therapist explained it to me - some kids' brains are extra sensitive to how food feels in their mouth. The fact that he has those three specific accepted textures means his sensory system found what works. Rather than fighting it, I'd just accept the Tyson nuggets are your friend for now.
Have you tried asking him why those three specifically? My 8yo can actually articulate that he hates the 'sliminess' of certain textures. Once I understood that, I could work around it instead of just being frustrated
The rotisserie chicken thing makes sense - it's got that crispy outside/soft inside combo. But yeah the mac and cheese is weird, like there's something about how the chicken chunks sit in cheese sauce that works for him?
The Tyson nuggets thing is so real. My 6yo will eat literally nothing else chicken-shaped. I've tried homemade, different brands, everything. Something about the exact texture and breading ratio just clicks for them and nothing else works. Your kid isn't weird, their brain is just locked in on that specific sensory experience.
Wait, not homemade? That's so specific it's almost funny. I wonder if it's the exact breading thickness or the way they fry industrially vs home pan. Could be the oil temperature even. Kids pick up on stuff we don't consciously notice.
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My 8yo went through this phase hard. Doctor said some kids just have more tastebuds or different nerve sensitivity. We literally just... accepted it. Bought the Tyson nuggets in bulk from Costco and moved on. He's 11 now and trying new things, but it took years. Don't stress yourself trying to 'fix' it.