How to get my toddler to eat healthy???

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  • tissyazd
    tissyazd Posts: 221 Member
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    I have the same problem!

    However my son won't eat any veggies! He LOVES fruit!

    He doesn't like chicken, except for chicken nuggets. He will eat fish sticks all day if I let him. So trying to get him to eat meat is difficult.

    My husband managed to find a turkey dish, that my son LOVES!

    basically ground turkey with rice and tomatoes. My husband uses the Uncle Ben's garden vegetable rice...

    I can send you the recipe if you want. Just send me a message.

    I might even try the fish sticks, at least that's a little more variety than she is getting now!
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    My kids are 9 and 7, and even though we have very little junk in the house, they cannot stand veggies except a few! So I just let them eat those...oh well, eventually they will try new ones, right? I keep a stockpile of fruit in the house and they love all fruit! And I make all of their "kid" meals for them, like homemade chicken nuggets, homemade mac and cheese, homemade fish sticks, etc.. I make it healthier than the store bought stuff and they love it! My kids loved finger sandwiches as toddlers, infact they still do! I use ww bread, and Boar's Head turkey or tuna or sometimes just mozzarella cheese. They also love shrimp, so they eat a lot of that!

    Trust me, kids will not go hungry. My son still has what we call his "feeding day" where he won't eat what seems like anything for 3 days and then one day he just shovels it all in! Trust me, kids adapt...keep on doing what you're doing and resist the junk food! Its no good for anyone!
  • tissyazd
    tissyazd Posts: 221 Member
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    My kids are 9 and 7, and even though we have very little junk in the house, they cannot stand veggies except a few! So I just let them eat those...oh well, eventually they will try new ones, right? I keep a stockpile of fruit in the house and they love all fruit! And I make all of their "kid" meals for them, like homemade chicken nuggets, homemade mac and cheese, homemade fish sticks, etc.. I make it healthier than the store bought stuff and they love it! My kids loved finger sandwiches as toddlers, infact they still do! I use ww bread, and Boar's Head turkey or tuna or sometimes just mozzarella cheese. They also love shrimp, so they eat a lot of that!

    Trust me, kids will not go hungry. My son still has what we call his "feeding day" where he won't eat what seems like anything for 3 days and then one day he just shovels it all in! Trust me, kids adapt...keep on doing what you're doing and resist the junk food! Its no good for anyone!

    I'm not much of a cook, so if you have any of these recipes or know where I could get them, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!!
  • lilay
    lilay Posts: 122
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    I make my own chicken nuggets. I cut up some raw chicken breast bread it and bake it. Then I freeze some and pull them out as we need them.

    However the thing that I have found that work the best for my kids is let them help cook. My son (1 yr) and daughter (almost 3yrs) love to help make english muffin pizzas. I let them put on the cheese and their own toppings. Sometimes it is as simple as pushing the buttons on the microwave, setting the kitchen timer, or washing the vegetables involved in dinner, but most days while I make dinner they sit at our kitchen island and are somewhat involved.

    The other thing that sometimes works is if you have another little kid who is a good eater around let your kid watch them eat and sometimes they will start eating too. Don’t point out that the other kid is eating X, Y or Z just let it happen naturally.
  • tissyazd
    tissyazd Posts: 221 Member
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    I make my own chicken nuggets. I cut up some raw chicken breast bread it and bake it. Then I freeze some and pull them out as we need them.

    However the thing that I have found that work the best for my kids is let them help cook. My son (1 yr) and daughter (almost 3yrs) love to help make english muffin pizzas. I let them put on the cheese and their own toppings. Sometimes it is as simple as pushing the buttons on the microwave, setting the kitchen timer, or washing the vegetables involved in dinner, but most days while I make dinner they sit at our kitchen island and are somewhat involved.

    The other thing that sometimes works is if you have another little kid who is a good eater around let your kid watch them eat and sometimes they will start eating too. Don’t point out that the other kid is eating X, Y or Z just let it happen naturally.

    She is playing more now with a little girl who eats EVERYTHING!! But, she also eats the junk I don't want my daughter to eat. Like doritos! She eats healthy, too. But, when my daughter sees this little girl eating doritos that's all she wants and wont eat the healthy stuff too! Good idea on the english muffins, I'll try that!
  • tissyazd
    tissyazd Posts: 221 Member
    Options
    I make my own chicken nuggets. I cut up some raw chicken breast bread it and bake it. Then I freeze some and pull them out as we need them.

    However the thing that I have found that work the best for my kids is let them help cook. My son (1 yr) and daughter (almost 3yrs) love to help make english muffin pizzas. I let them put on the cheese and their own toppings. Sometimes it is as simple as pushing the buttons on the microwave, setting the kitchen timer, or washing the vegetables involved in dinner, but most days while I make dinner they sit at our kitchen island and are somewhat involved.

    The other thing that sometimes works is if you have another little kid who is a good eater around let your kid watch them eat and sometimes they will start eating too. Don’t point out that the other kid is eating X, Y or Z just let it happen naturally.

    She is playing more now with a little girl who eats EVERYTHING!! But, she also eats the junk I don't want my daughter to eat. Like doritos! She eats healthy, too. But, when my daughter sees this little girl eating doritos that's all she wants and wont eat the healthy stuff too! Good idea on the english muffins, I'll try that!
  • tissyazd
    tissyazd Posts: 221 Member
    Options
    I make my own chicken nuggets. I cut up some raw chicken breast bread it and bake it. Then I freeze some and pull them out as we need them.

    However the thing that I have found that work the best for my kids is let them help cook. My son (1 yr) and daughter (almost 3yrs) love to help make english muffin pizzas. I let them put on the cheese and their own toppings. Sometimes it is as simple as pushing the buttons on the microwave, setting the kitchen timer, or washing the vegetables involved in dinner, but most days while I make dinner they sit at our kitchen island and are somewhat involved.

    The other thing that sometimes works is if you have another little kid who is a good eater around let your kid watch them eat and sometimes they will start eating too. Don’t point out that the other kid is eating X, Y or Z just let it happen naturally.

    She is playing more now with a little girl who eats EVERYTHING!! But, she also eats the junk I don't want my daughter to eat. Like doritos! She eats healthy, too. But, when my daughter sees this little girl eating doritos that's all she wants and wont eat the healthy stuff too! Good idea on the english muffins, I'll try that!
  • lilay
    lilay Posts: 122
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    Oh, I forgot cut things into shapes. I have a whole bin of cookie cutters that I use to cut their cheese, meat, sandwiches, etc. into shapes. My daughter will not eat cheese but she will eat star shaped cheese. You can get tiny cutters at a craft store in the cake decorating section usually right by the fondant because that is what they are meant for.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    Okay, I didn't take the time to look at all the responces but here is my opinion:
    Your child doesn't need to eat 'kid' food. If you wouldn't eat it because it's not healthy....neither should your child. I've been a vegetarian my entire life (I have never eaten beef or pork, and rarely ate poultry or seafood). Beans, lentils, and some soy are the proteins I grew up eating. There are many parents out there that are raising their children either vegetarian or vegan. Just because your child doesn't want to eat meat doesn't mean that they will be unhealthy, you just need to find an alternative protein source. That being said, you're doing a great job. My daughter eats meat because it is her choice and as she grows older and fully understands that 'mommy doesn't eat things with a face' she might start to understand and if she chose to become a vegetarian I would be fine with that. Talk to your family doctor (be forwarned that many doctors do not understand that a child may not want to eat meat-mine tried to have my mother force feed me meat and boy did that backfire). Good luck, pm me if you want to talk.
  • tissyazd
    tissyazd Posts: 221 Member
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    Oh, I forgot cut things into shapes. I have a whole bin of cookie cutters that I use to cut their cheese, meat, sandwiches, etc. into shapes. My daughter will not eat cheese but she will eat star shaped cheese. You can get tiny cutters at a craft store in the cake decorating section usually right by the fondant because that is what they are meant for.

    Great idea! Thank you!!
  • mommyskis
    mommyskis Posts: 277 Member
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    My advice is don't try to force any food because you will never win a power struggle with a toddler! My youngest wouldn't eat any veggies, but I made some every night and put a few on his plate without saying anything. After a few months of this (I try not to think of the waste!) he tried some and now eats them. The key is I never, ever said anything about it, just put them on the plate. It might be worth a try with the stuff your daughter doesn't want to eat. If I do make the kids something different (my husband and I sometimes like spicy stuff so then I'll make another dish for the kiddos, but not by request) then I put a little on their plates just to try. I always tell them they don't have to eat it all, just try. Now my 6 year-old will often want what we are having too, so he's eating Mexican, Thai, etc. Like someone else said, offer choices, just make sure YOU like all the choices!
  • noneya2010
    noneya2010 Posts: 446 Member
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    All of my children went through this, including my now 4-year old who eats anything and everything. I think as long as they are maintaining weight, gaining appropriately, etc., it is ok. Just keep offering/encouraging healthy stuff and she'll come around. Maybe you can things like "if you eat this....I'll give you that...."
  • SuzMcH
    SuzMcH Posts: 343 Member
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    My son is 20 months too and will eat plenty of fruit. Just no veg. Although like someone else said I offer it to him most nights in the hope that he will try some.

    Does she feed herself ?

    With meat he is pretty fussy. If I gave him some chicken, pork, beef with potatoes and veg he would ignore it. But I make meatballs to servie with pasta and a hidden veg sauce, chicken and apple balls etc that he can feed himself and he loves them. Also instead of fish sticks I make salmon or tuna footballs so the fish is fresher.

    there is a woman who is extremely popular in UK called Annabel Karmel (not sure if she's know in US) Here is a link to her website and specifically to recipes I have found work particularly well. (I can't find the recipe for chicken and apple balls but I have it at home so if you want it let me know)

    http://www.annabelkarmel.com/
    http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/new-finger-foods/salmon-footballs
    http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/new-finger-foods/mini-meatballs
    http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/new-finger-foods/chicken-nuggets

    Hope some of this helps. Revisiting this site has given me some new ideas too.
  • Kath712
    Kath712 Posts: 1,263 Member
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    My girls are 3 and 7, so we've been there done that. We try to lead by example - whatever we are eating, we offer it to them. Sometimes, we modify it. If DH is putting some spice on our meat, he may cook the meat for the girls first, then add the spice for ours. We also often have a platter of raw veggies to snack on with dinner. My 3 year old loves to dip, so she's more likely to try new veggies if she can dip them.

    We also did the cutting foods into shapes for both of them. They've now outgrown it, but it worked at the time.

    Also, don't forget that it could take up to 15 times for a kid to like something, so keep offering foods to her. She may come around eventually.

    Mostly, I try to avoid the dinner table battles. We offer what we are having (or a simple modification). If she decides she doesn't want it, there are no other options. Time to time, my 3 year old will have next to nothing for dinner. And that's o.k. She will not starve.
  • danazsweet
    danazsweet Posts: 52
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    The way I got my kids to get more fruits and veg was put them on a fruit and vegetable whole food supplement in a gummie. They started eating fruits and veg on their own after a while. It reprograms the tastes of 70% of the children that take them. Check out www.RememberJuice Plus.com. Dr. William Sears recommends it too. It's the only one backed by research.
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
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    I think leading by example is one of the best things that you are already doing. I think a few years ago Jessica Seinfeld wrote a book about this cause, like you, she just couldn't get her kids to eat healthy. While we would like kids to crave these foods in their most natural form now, I don't necessarily think (this is just my opinion) hiding them (which is what she sometimes suggests) is the worst thing in the world either if the point is to get the nutrients in their diet. I thought the concept was clever cause I remember when I used to au pair, getting those kids to eat healthy was a full time job. Good luck!

    http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-ebook/dp/B0035C0MMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1277305514&sr=1-1
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    Hey, if you are looking for nutrition info on homemade chicken nuggets -- I'm going to follow this recipe tonight and sub milk for the butter. I'll run my recipe through a nutrition calculator and put on my diary later. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Chicken-Nuggets/Detail.aspx

    I didn't think about lentils until someone else mentioned them, but they are a good source of protein as well.
  • mmccarley
    mmccarley Posts: 3
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    I also use to worry about this issue. My little girl is 3 now and she was the same way until recently. I started cooking what I normally cook and we sit at the table as a family and eat supper at least. She loves to do this together. I put about a tablespoon of whatever I make on her plate and encourage her to eat it. I know if she is really hungry is she digs right in. The foods that I have trouble getting her to try I just tell her that she can not be excused until she eats one bite of it. She usually ends up liking it and will eat it all or come back and ask for more.

    Her pediatrician always told me that if she gets hungry she will eat but not to worry so much about it as long as she was maintaining a healthy weight.

    I also read that if you will get an icecube tray and put little healthy fingerfoods in each part of the tray that the child would usually graze and eat most of it. I tried it and it worked. I put avacado and beans, etc. in it. It was great at your childs age to use. It lets them feel like they have a say in what they are eating by being able to pick what they want from the tray. I read that some people even put tofu in it.

    One last idea, try sugar snap peas. You can eat the whole thing and it is sweet. We love them. Just make sure to take the string off the side that is thicker and hard to eat. You just snap the top and peel it down the side. It will remove that part without opening the bean and losing the peas inside. They are great to eat as a healthy snack. Good Luck!!

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