Help! Healthy ideas for a picky (toddler) eater

thatonegirl0619
thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
in Food and Nutrition
My 13 month old used to be a champion at eating healthy with me. He loved his veggies, fruit, chicken, and pork. Then all of a sudden he started refusing all of that (except the fruit). Now the only meat I can get him to eat are hot dogs, which, while I don't mind him eating once in awhile, I'd rather him not have all of the time. He also refuses veggies unless they have cheese on them, and then sometimes won't eat them. I'm ok adding some cheese on his veggies for him if that means he'll eat them. I don't mind giving him something not 100% healthy (macaroni & cheese, hot dogs, etc) because I can usually add in something a little healthier (Greek yogurt, fruit, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, eggs). But now I've found out why he turned picky. At daycare, he gets frozen chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, and fries pretty regularly. When I had our daycare start giving him meals instead of purees I asked them to give him healthier meals, and offered to send his meals with. I think now I will start sending him a prepared lunch myself. But how do I break him of this? It's tough because he's only 13 months, so I know he doesn't completely understand me, and I definitely don't understand his screaming except to know that he is not happy with what I try to feed him. I just want to make sure I'm starting him down the right path as far as healthy eating goes. When I grew up, it was always either cheeseburgers, corn, potatoes, or Mom would swing by KFC or Hardeez on her way home from work, so I had to teach myself healthy eating. I don't want him to struggle with this like I have!

Replies

  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
    Yep! It is usually other people who introduce them to things we would not like them to eat. My son was always the veggie, and fish eater until my husbands sister, and kids moved in. Now he won't eat hardly any of them. My son is 9 and was 6 when they moved in so I reason with him, and now that he is away from sugary items again. He has said other foods are starting to taste good again. i would cut back on the sweet fruit, and start with sweeter veggies like sweet potato, english peas, butternut squash, carrots. Pair them with another less sweet veggie. Stay away from cheese and pasta for awhile. Try chicken breast pieces cubed w/ the veggies. Keep the higher fat content foods, and sweet stuff to a minimum until adjust his taste buds back to the way they were. The great thing about kids that little is if they are really hungry they'll eat. Now is not the time to give into the crying for junk food. The only time I would worry is if he is losing weight (not good at this age)
    I feel your pain about others giving your toddler things you would prefer they not have.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    It's going to be tough until he's old enough that you can start to rationalize with him - "Eat two bites of X and if you still don't like it, you don't have to eat the rest." That seems to be the best way to get kids to try all kinds of new foods and find some healthy things they like along the way.

    If I were you, I'd try new preparations of what you feed him and foods you haven't fed him before. Add some cheese or ketchup or breading or dressing if that's what it takes then try scaling it back.
  • thatonegirl0619
    thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
    Yep! It is usually other people who introduce them to things we would not like them to eat. My son was always the veggie, and fish eater until my husbands sister, and kids moved in. Now he won't eat hardly any of them. My son is 9 and was 6 when they moved in so I reason with him, and now that he is away from sugary items again. He has said other foods are starting to taste good again. i would cut back on the sweet fruit, and start with sweeter veggies like sweet potato, english peas, butternut squash, carrots. Pair them with another less sweet veggie. Stay away from cheese and pasta for awhile. Try chicken breast pieces cubed w/ the veggies. Keep the higher fat content foods, and sweet stuff to a minimum until adjust his taste buds back to the way they were. The great thing about kids that little is if they are really hungry they'll eat. Now is not the time to give into the crying for junk food. The only time I would worry is if he is losing weight (not good at this age)
    I feel your pain about others giving your toddler things you would prefer they not have.

    Oh yea he will eat sweet potatoes :smile: But now when I give him cubed veggies/chicken/pieces of hamburger he'll put it in his mouth, take it back out and try to give it back. If we won't take it he tosses it to the floor and laughs... I don't want to put him to bed hungry, so I usually resort to some Cheerios and yogurt, or a peanut butter sandwich with a banana. I try to keep it as healthy as I can while still getting some food into his tummy. I quit my job to stay home with him, and will be home with him in a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping that will help get him back on track!
  • mlnick69
    mlnick69 Posts: 84
    That could be rough sending his meals to daycare with all the other kids eating one thing and he has something totally different. Maybe incorporate shapes and colors to make it more interesting for him. Like cutting up carrots to look like little French fries or spirals, arrange the food on the plate in smiley faces, sandwiches cut in hearts, stuff like that. Just an idea, hope you find something that works.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Keep trying things. Keep it fun. Sometimes they come back around. Good luck!
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    It isn't easy, but it is good that you are trying to resolve this now while he is still very young. It will be much easier to do it now vs. later.

    Check your local library for copies of books by Ellyn Satter (e.g. How to Get Your Kid to Eat: But Not Too Much & Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family: How to Raise Good Eaters).

    Good Luck.
  • bubblygoldfish
    bubblygoldfish Posts: 215 Member
    Wow, from the topic I thought you ate toddlers... :) Good luck!
  • elfin168
    elfin168 Posts: 202 Member
    children tend to go through phases. i wouldnt worry to much to be honest. i wouldnt go jumping through too many hoops for your one year old. i eat a healthy dinner with my toddler. i think if they see mum or dad eating it they are more likely to eat it themselves. nothing wrong with cheese. its high in protein and fat and calcium. all good things for a growing wee one. if you teach your child now that if he refuses to eat what is offered something yummier will be offered instead you are creating a rod for your own back. my daughter had pumpkin tonight and brocoli with cheese grated on to it. she sprinkled the cheese on herself but she is a bit older than your one. the other night i offered, and ate along side her, a dinner that included cabbage. i ate a bit of her plate and was amused to hear "hey thats MY cabbage!" if you are concerned that your child is filling up with unhealthy food at daycare and is thus not eating the healthy foods offered at home by all means send something else along. you are the parent
  • athenasurrenders
    athenasurrenders Posts: 278 Member
    While daycare probably hasn't helped, it is pretty normal for kids to go through picky eating at this age. Some speculate it's a survival mechanism - think of babies thousands of years ago wandering around and picking up wild berries; being picky could save lives. I only mention that because it might make it easier to understand and make you feel less stressed out!

    My kiddo is just a few months older, hope some of these ideas help.

    -Let him play with the food. Especially if it's something new, he doesn't know what to expect so it's normal that he would want to squish, feel, lick and sniff things before he eats it.
    -Keep trying. Apparently toddlers have to try new things 10-20 times before they get used to them.
    -Let him help with cooking. I know there's not much they can do at this age and it WILL be messy, but it makes food fun and low pressure. We make our own pizza (spread tomato puree on a whole wheat pitta and then let him sprinkle on cheese and veggies), let him wash veggies when you make a salad or any small things he can help with.
    -Also (he might not be here yet) let him 'invent' his own snacks. My daughter loves throwing bits of fruit, nuts, cereal etc into a bowl and stirring it up as though she was cooking, makes her feel very grown up.
    -Don't make a fuss. Put the food out, have nice conversations while you eat, resist the urge to say 'one more bite' and don't make a fuss if most of the food isn't touched. Don't immediately offer something else - try to wait til next snack time if possible. This is the beginning of the independence phase so refusing food can become a way of exercising power, the calmer things are, the less they will fight it.
    -Make it fun. Have a picnic on the carpet. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Add dips.


    Also remember their appetite slows down because their growth slows between 1 and 2. Their stomachs are about the size of their clenched fists so they don't need big portions.

    At this age it is most likely just a phase. Just really keep things low-pressure so it doesn't become more of an issue.

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