A couple of months ago, I asked for ideas to help out with church. And your comments were simply amazing. I put many of them to use, and Ledger has been doing so much better! Church has been a whole new experience, and we usually only end up in the hall once, if that. We have so many of you to thank.
So I thought I'd ask for another piece of advice.
Ledger was a great eater, until his tonsils/adenoids problems really kicked in. Many people say when they have these problems, it's like plugging your nose when you eat, and its hard to taste the food. Around that time, his eating habits drastically changed, and I noticed if any of the food I gave him had a different consistency he wouldn't eat it. Now, months later, he's only eating meat, bread, and cheese. I haven't gotten any fruits or vegetables down him in months. I always give him some with every meal, and encourage him to eat it, but so far, no such luck. It's frustrating because Preslee ate everything we gave her, and ate the food that I even hated- like mushrooms. It was soo easy.
And now I'm out of ideas.
Any tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated.
Once again,
A desperate Momma
I know this may not help all that much, but don't stress too much about it. I have a 5 year old that hasn't eaten fruits or vegetables since he started feeding himself. He is extremely picky and won't try new things, even if it has stuff he does like in it. It is very frustrating. I used to cry about it all the time. I've asked the pediatrician about it and he said to not fight it. He said the harder you fight, the harder they fight you. He's told us that there are 3 things that kids can control....... when they fall asleep, potty training and eating. I feel your pain! Our 2 year old will eat anything but our 1 year old is a little picky but our 5 year old is by far the worst!! I pray a lot that he will try new things. Will he eat a vitamin? My 2 youngest love the chewy vitamins because they are a lot like the fruit snacks. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy 2.5 y/o son still LOVES the baby food puree "pouches" everything from apple/spinach to quinoa/blueberry & bananas ; ) I think the fruit masks the veggie taste & he gets a kick out of feeding himself the squeezie pouch...maybe worth a try? I also love the Jessica Seinfield cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" lots of great ideas for "hiding" the good stuff. Also check out the website weelicious dot com, tons of really great toddler friendly recipes! Good luck ; )
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the food face plate? I hear it works for a lot of kids since it makes it fun.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/s/ref=pd_sl_iv3tyzmhu_e?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aface+food+plate&keywords=face+food+plate&ie=UTF8&psrk=face+food+plate
I know I didn't like veggies when I was little the rule was I couldn't leave the table till I ate them, hard but it worked.
My little 2-year-old grandson did not get teeth until very late (after he was a year old) so....he developed some strange eating habits. He's doing a little better. We have tricked him into eating fruits/vegetables by buying "squeezy" fruit. That is what we call it. It is little pouches of fruit and fruit/vegetable mixed. He likes them because he can control how much he gets. He likes them cold. Back in the day when my son was a baby, my pediatrician said let him eat whatever he wants. If he only eats cereal 3 times a day, then let it be ok. If all he wants is mac'n cheese then let it be ok. They all change their eating habits as time goes on. Some will suddenly like stuff, then just as suddenly hate it. Try it all and one day, he'll start liking things again. Maybe try odd fruit like pineapple, mango, kiwi. My grandson also likes apple sauce cups (with cinnamon), nuggies from McDonald's and fries. He's in his junkfood phase. You just never know about food with little ones. Hang in there!!
ReplyDeleteDoes he like smoothies?? You can put almost anything into a smoothie and make it a yummy drink/treat. Or if he eats mashed potatoes, blend up cauliflower in it....hopefully that will help! Good luck! :) Also, i've heard it takes 13 attempts ( or some crazy big number) to try and get them to try something! Don't give up, he'll figure out fruits and veggies are just as yummy!
ReplyDeleteI have a picky eater too, lots of rice, "-roni and cheese" However we keep trying to put new things in front of her. Some days a piece of spinach will get on her hand and she says "UCK!" and other days she'll pick up a green bean and gobble up the whole thing. So just keep trying, depending on his mood, you may be surprised.
ReplyDeleteI try to get a lot of fruits/veggies in with the food pouches, plus they're pretty handy!
He may be discovering food for the first time all over again, so this may be a long process, but don't worry, there are a lot of kids out there that are more picky!
I have a child who will not eat fruit or vegetables until he is basically forced. However he will drink a smoothie packed with fruit and spinach (I usually do strawberries, blueberries, banana, ice, and yogurt with spinach). I also bribe him. If he eats his carrots, he gets a fruit Popsicle. Then again he is about to be 4. Bribery would never work on my 17 month old. He used to eat everything under the sun until about a month ago. Now he will hardly touch foods that he used to love if they have a weird consistency. He does however love fruit so I am not too worried. Also, back to my 3 yr old...when I make him a (fruit n cream oatmeal packets from quaker) bowl of oatmeal I mash up a banana and add it to it after it cooks. He doesn't know any different because I have been doing it for the past 2 years.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a smoothie, my kids think they are as cool of a treat as ice cream and they have no idea that they are healthy!
ReplyDeleteOh, just don't give up, he will be fine. Let him play with the food and get used to the texture in his hands for a while. Cook veggies with a lot of butter, then gradually less so eventually he actually tastes the food. Make sure he sees you guys eating at the table with him. Don't let it become a fight...with enough exposure it will come. Oh, this is hard, but eliminate snacks from the house so those aren't options for "later"- you know, like when he is hungry 5 minutes after dinner.
ReplyDeleteDoes he like popsicles?? Maybe try frozen grapes or blueberries - even fruit smoothies. Not sure if you have already tried these but I figure it is worth at least suggesting! :) Best of luck, and remember that you are a great mama!
ReplyDeleteHaving a picky eater can be so frustrating. My oldest son is extremely picky. The one thing that I have found that works great is sneaking in veggies. He will eat mashed potatoes until he is sick so I will mix half potatoes and half cauliflower. As long as he gets some veggies in I don't care how they get there. If he likes bread more than likely he will like zucchini bread. You can make it with applesauce and bananas and obviously the zucchini and voila you've suddenly served 2 fruits and a veggie. He should eventually branch out and try new things (although not as quickly as you would like) but until then you might just have to be sneaky. Oh, and if he will try smoothies they are also a great way to get in veggies that they usually won't eat like spinach and a bunch of fruit and yogurt which is great as well. Anyways, just a few things I do to make sure they are eating healthy.
ReplyDeleteI do the baby food packets that they can hold, squeeze and do all by themselves. They have fruit and veggies all in one packet so they like the taste of the veggies more because it's mixed with the fruit. We also do the Go Go squeez that are the applesauce on the go. Hopefully this helps :)
ReplyDeleteMy son was a very picky eater at that age (still is for that matter). But one thing he loved was frozen peas straight out of the freezer. Try them sometime, they are pretty yummy and now at 10 he will still eat them frozen, but will not eat them cooked.
ReplyDeleteHe would also consistently eat grapes and most berries, and now loves almost all fruits.
You could also try zucchini bread since you said he likes bread. You'd be sneaking in some veggies and he'd never know the difference. I have a yummy recipe if you need one.
My little guy doesn't love veggies, but he loves fruit. What if you were to hide pureed veggies and fruits in things like muffins, pancakes, pasta sauce, etc. Or you could try making green smoothies if he likes that sort of thing. I made these egg quiche things the other day (google south beach diet quiche cups) and put all kinds of veggies in them. Logan won't eat scrambled eggs or veggies plain but he ate these quiche cups. I also still buy the puree squeeze pouches because he loves those and they have vegetables and fruit in them. Good luck! It is hard when you have a picky eater!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry about it. He isn't going to not eat. Forcing anything will only make food a battle and that is not a battle you want to fight. You can try the sneaking spinach into cookies, or things like that. My kids love green smoothies, and one shake has 8-10 servings of fruits and veggies in them but in the end, it doesn't matter. He will grow, develop, and do just fine. I have a niece who only eats chips and cheese. Her mom gives her a multivitamin every day and then lets it be what it is. You are offering it to him and that is all you can do. Good luck, but in my opinion, not an issue to worry over.
ReplyDeleteUntil you figure out a solution, maybe chop up the veggies and cook them in his meat so he's at least getting some? Maybe you already do that though.
ReplyDeletedoctors will tell you to just keep doing what you're doing. Give him a variety on his plate and he will eat what he wants/needs. Yougurt with fruit might be a good option, and apple sauce is always great for toddlers. if he likes peanut butter try putting fruit in his sandwich. Banana bread and zucchini bread are always favorites. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this will work since he has issues with consistency but I grind stuff up in my kids food all the time. I give them mashed potatoes with pureed squash and tell them it is cheese. Also, meatloaf is a great one, you can grind carrots and all sorts of other things into it with no one being the wiser. You mentioned he likes bread, would he eat banana bread? Zucchini bread? Will he eat cream cheese? You could puree pineapple into it and put it on a bagel. Yum! I wish you luck!
ReplyDeleteOn of the things you could try is making the food look more appealing to him by making a picture out of it (e.g. http://www.vegetablefruitcarving.com/blog/tag/fruits-and-vegetables-for-kids/). This makes it fun and exciting for him to eat vegetables and fruit.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing you can try is to get him something small that he really wants and making a reward chart. Every time he eats his fruits and vegetables he gets a sticker and when he has a certain amount of stickers he gets the reward. You could increase the amount of stickers he needs after every reward and eventually he should eat the fruits and vegetables without any trouble.
Lastly it may help to prepare the food with him, by going to the shops (or even going to pick the fruits and vegetables) and showing him the whole process from the vegetables in the shop to the vegetables on his plate, while getting him really involved in preparing and picking the food.
I hope this will help you and you get him eating lots of fruits and veggies! :)
Masha
Would he drink a smoothie? You can hide lots of good stuff in there! My kids like plain yogurt, frozen fruits, and a little honey blended together. Add milk to get the consistency you like.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it would help and you may have already thought of it, but when my daughter (19 months) went on a veggie strike, I went back to purees. The ones that come in the squeeze pouches. She's not really into the strictly veggie pouches, but will suck down the veggies mixed with fruit.
ReplyDeleteMy son has an Autism disorder called PDD-NOS and with that come extreme sensitivities to sounds and touch (at least with him) He is four years old now and he only eats about five things total, some of which includes ramen noodles, cheese pizza, and macaroni and cheese. Obviously none of that is healthy and his eating habits have been a constant source of anxiety for me because I know he is not eating the food that will give him the nutrients he needs. What we have done is quit pushing him to try new foods and we let him choose what he wants to eat. Sometimes he surprises us and actually tries something new. Our fail safe is Nestlé Carnation instant breakfast mix. He gets about three or four sippy cups a day with the powder mixed with milk. It is a cheaper version of Pediasure (I know there probably aren't as many nutrients in the powder, but there is a lot of protein and a good amount of vitamins and minerals as well so we feel pretty good about sticking with the Nestlé) I know that mix is what has kept him alive! I just pray that as he gets older, he will start to grow out of the picky eater phase. Anyway, I hope this has helped or at least given you an idea of something to try. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteIf he likes smoothies, give him a "green" smoothie. I mix plain, non-fat yogurt, frozen strawberries, a whole banana, some blueberries, and about 2 cups baby spinach in a blender with a little water. Works like a charm and makes little boys think they are drinking a "treat!"
ReplyDeleteJessica Seinfeld wrote a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious, it has a ton of ways to hide veggies in kid friendly food :) I think you can get it on Amazon. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteTry hiding veggies in his meat. Example, make a mini meatloaf with shredded carrots in it. You can also make muffins or cookies healthy with fruits added or made with applesauce. Also just keep offering him new things. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHello, I read somewhere (sorry I forget where) that babies have tiny, tiny tummies so like to eat small things that tend to be high in fat and calories. We (as grown ups) want them to have veggies and fruit but in fact we should let them eat what they crave. They aren't able to starve themselves and as long as they are getting fruit juices as well as their chosen nibbles, they'll be fine. Try not to stress about it, though I bet that's hard. Good luck xx
ReplyDeleteCan you sneak fruit into a popsicle? I've had some success doing that. I have extremely picky eaters so I can't offer much in the way of success. Frozen stuff kind of takes the texture issue away and if they stick with it til their mouth is frozen the taste kind of goes away too. You might could hide good stuff in casserole dishes if he will do that, mine won't. Remember this, my pediatrician told me, it is your job to offer the food, it is their job to eat it. Meaning, keep offering good stuff but don't beat yourself up because they won't eat it. Took a lot of pressure off me.
ReplyDeleteI bet that's so frustrating! My kids don't eat a whole lot of veggies either, but they do love fruit. Have you tried the applesauce squeezable pouches? My kids think they are a treat. It's almost like a drink. I make sure to get the 100% fruit with no sugar added. They've got some that have other fruit mixed in too. I also do green smoothies a couple times a week to try and get veggies in. They like to drink them with a straw. I started out mostly fruit to get them used to it and then starting adding spinach and other veggies. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteI need these tips or tricks too! :
ReplyDeleteHave you heard of the sneaky chef? It is a cookbook and it helps you hide pureed fruits and veggies in their food. My sister uses it a lot with her little kids and they have no idea all the fruits and veggies they are eating!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy son loves the pushable baby food pouches! They have great flavorand he loves holding it himself. They are great on the go too!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.plumorganics.com/products/mish-mash-strawberry
My son has a slight oral aversion (for different reasons) but he also has a very limited diet because of being picky. He doesn't like certain textures or new food. We have worked with an occupational therapist and she gave me soooo many great tips. There are different stages that my son needs to pass. (I will try and make this short) First, tolerating the food on his tray. Second, touching it with his hands. Third, picking it up and "kissing" it. We make a big game of this and I kiss the new food and then he does it. And finally, we get him to put the new food in his mouth. Sometimes he spits the food right back out but realizes the flavor is good and picks it back up. We cheer and clap and make eating fun. I was told never force something in his mouth. Also-she said to offer him lots of "NO" foods(foods he doesn't like) at first and let him sit there with those until he at least tries them and then we offer a "Maybe" food (which is something he kind of likes). After a while we can offer a "yes" food, something he likes. Also-take the foods he loves and find things that have similar shapes, tastes and textures and add on. I hope this makes sense. It has helped my little boy tremendously.
ReplyDeleteMy little girl will not eat any veggies or fruits ether, so I have been buying the V8 splash juice and she loves it! The mixed berry is so good and so I hope that she is getting what she needs from it. And each kid is so different! My oldest ate so good and well my others have not haha Good luck Momma you are going GREAT!
ReplyDeleteMy kids LOVE muffins, so I always puree spinach or canned peas and add it to the batter. It's hard to do with all muffin recipes because it does make it sort of green, but since Ledger is so little still he probably wouldn't care. The veggies are easiest to hide though in chocolate or pumpkin, which happens to be our family favorite. Good luck
ReplyDeleteTry not to worry too much - kids can tell if food is a stress point for you and they will resist your efforts even more. I can't get one of mine to eat fruit or veggies so I give her smoothies, applesauce, zucchini bread - stuff that hides the healthy thing inside. I figure eventually she will realize what she is missing, but in the meantime she is getting the nutrients. I also stick with the "10 exposures" rule when they get old enough to communicate. They need to be able to understand that they are expected to eat two bites of whatever you are serving - without having a tantrum. Offer him steamed carrots or something and after about 10 times he will probably not mind eating them so much. Then move on to something else. Most of all, take it easy on yourself - he'll be fine.
ReplyDeletewhen i got pregnant my relief society pres bought me this book http://www.amazon.com/Child-Mine-Feeding-Revised-Updated/dp/0923521518/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354853526&sr=8-1&keywords=child+of+mine+feeding+with+love+and+good+sense she has multiple masters dealing in health and nutrition and works at the wic office as a nutritionist. I loaned the book to a friend :( so i can't tell you exactly what it says, but i read it and it talked about how to get picky eaters to not be picky any more. it also had a lot of other info that was AMAZING! If you can you should read it, maybe the library has a copy. good luck!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/activities-for-picky-eaters.html
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/picky-eaters-solutions.html
At our house with a picky 3 year old and a not so picky 7 year old we have the same issues!! I try to make lots of smoothies because the 3 year old will gobble those down!!! Other then that I'd say maybe offer a few more items that he doesn't like and less of what he does like over a few days. Sooner or later he will try some :) good luck!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son use to be an extremely picky eater (we even had an occupational therapist helping us). My highest piece of advice is consistency. And have hope. He will eat these foods one day, especially once he can start verbally communicating with you. Until then take the foods he will eat and jazz them up! I used The Sneaky Chef cook books a lot. My little guy loved meatloaf so I learned to hide veges in it, for example. You may also try smoothies and or Popsicles (homemade with fruits and veges). My oldest also has enlarged tonsils and adenoids, something we just found out last wk! It definitely explains why he doesnt like certain textures.
ReplyDeleteIt may take a yr or two but being cOnsistent does pay off. We also started using a timer around 20ish months. He has to stay at the table until he either takes a "polite bite" of the un-preferred food or until the timer goes off. It's always set for ten mins. Tears will ensue but he's just testing your resolve and eventually he will learn that it's just easier to try the food (which at first polite bites for us just meant touching the food. Then it was just smelling it etc. baby steps)
Anyway I'm getting long winded. Contact me on my blog f you want to know more of our story with picky eating! It's a saga :)
I find my little guy loves spinach smoothies. Blend up some fruit like strawberries and a banana with a little yogurt, milk, ice and a couple handfuls of spinach. You can add a little sugar to sweeten it up a bit. It really is tasty! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter went through a phase where she had a weird consistency thing. For several months I had to ball up bits of bread around every bite of any other food. That's my best idea - just wad bread around vegetables and fruit. It's a pain, but it got things in her tummy and within about a month and a half she would eat the same foods without the bread rolled around them.
ReplyDeleteI have an extemely picky eater who's two. Due to some feeding problems we have been seeing a speech therapist to help him expand his palet and be a better eater. I have recently learned a lot about this subject. One key thing to keep in mind is your role and your child's role. Your role as a parent is to set the time for meals and decide what will be served. Your child's role is decide how much to eat. Don't get these roles confused. Another thing is to not overwhelm them with choices keep the portions small and only serve 2-4 items each feeding. If he seems uninterested in a particular food, don't give up. Keep serving it, even if it goes uneaten... sometimes it takes repeated exposure for them to try things. If his apetite seems low, make sure he is getting plenty of physical exercise before meals. i.e. outside time. Hope you find what works ! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSorry my comment doesn't have anything to do with your post. I have been following your blog for a couple years now. I just saw this posted on FB and thought of you and Preslee and wanted to share it with you.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sYZt8xmBxxg
Have you tried making smoothies? You can pack a lot of fruits and veggies into a smoothie, and if you treat it like a yummy treat, maybe he will go for it. Or you could make popsicles from frozen fruit and veggie smoothies, then they would really seem like a treat! Another idea; does he like applesauce? You could try pureeing his fruits and veggies and telling him they are "sauce", like carrot sauce, strawberry sauce, etc. You can even mix any other "sauce" with applesauce to add sweetness. My daughter when through a phase when she was about Ledger's age when she ate traditional pureed baby food again for a while because she liked that they were "sauce". She actually loved to drink them with a straw! Or puree veggies and add them to things he will eat, like spaghetti sauce (will he eat spaghetti?). If so, then try sneaking in a few extra veggies that way. Another thing we do with my daughter is give her a choice between two things, like "do you want broccoli or green beans?" If they were the one who chose it, they are usually more likely to eat it. Which leads me to my last suggestion: take him grocery shopping with you and ask him to pick out one fruit and one vegetable, then have him help you prepare it when it is time to eat. Sometimes kids are more likely to eat something if they were involved with the preparation. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy tip is . . wait. My now 4 year old, ate nothing a year ago except bread and poptarts. Now, he will eat most things and yes, even likes mushrooms. He eats tons of fruit and a few veggies (those are still more of a rarity) and will often ask for an Apple over a Pop tart for breakfast or an Apple over a cookie for a treat. Now, my 2 year old who will soon turn 3? He only eats bread, tortilla chips, Fruit Loops and Cheerios BUT I do believe he has an adenoid problem which is why, when he tastes things he says YUCK so often even to foods he used to eat! Anyway, just keep putting it on the plate and eventually he'll surprise you, maybe :-)
ReplyDeleteOne trick that our brother in law did was put every bite on a toothpick because, he would say, "Food is always better on a stick" (like corndogs). Of course, you'll want to watch because toothpicks are little. I wish you the best of luck!!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe try putting condiments on the food. Like Ranch dressing on carrots or cool whip on strawberries. I have a picky eater and she loves dipping food in something and eating it.
ReplyDeleteMy 20 month old son Logan is the same way! He had lots of ear infections (never tubes...yet.) and his appetite seemed to change. He does eat fruits here and there and I faint if he eats a green bean (that is rare!) but I give him V8 to drink (like the fruit flavored ones that have servings of veggies in them) and he likes it and also he eats the gerber pouches that are sweet potato and squash. It is probably not enough veggies, but hey we moms take what we can get! Maybe also ask your pediatrician about giving him a multivitamin? I addressed this concern to my doctor and she said not to worry, at this age they are such picky eaters and I would have to agree!
ReplyDeletewhat about smoothies? we like making smoothies with lots of fruits and veggies and greek yogurt. tell him it's a milkshake? or what about those squeeze on the go apple sauce things? maybe he would think it was juice or something? I don't have picky eaters, so I don't really have any advice. good luck!
ReplyDeleteI have a cook book called Deceptively Delicious that Jessica Seinfeld put together. A friend gave it to me, but I've only glanced through it because my daughter is pretty good about eating veggies and fruits. The friend who gave it to me found it very helpful! I will never use it and it will just sit in my cupboard collecting dust. I am more than happy to mail it to you if you would like!
ReplyDeleteI try and get my daughter to cook with me. If she helps make it she usually eats it much better.
ReplyDeleteI love that he's a Red Sox fan! (I live in Boston)
ReplyDeleteI'll throw out a suggestion that works for Brynn. I get one of her favorite toys like her baby doll or stuffed animal and hold it while she eats. I tell her that when she eats a bite of vegetables or whatever it is I want her to eat, her toy will do a back flip. She loves it!!! She'll take bites just to see me flip it over. She'll laugh and laugh. I hope that helps. Good luck!! It's frustrating when they don't eat the things they need. I also remember when she was younger that every time I said a prayer to bless the food and included in that prayer that she would eat her food, she always did. When I forget to pray, it was a chore to get her to eat.
ReplyDeleteAshley, I would love a recap on ideas for these kids during church I have 3 under 3 and I don't think i've heard sacrament since my Hoot came along:( Let alone I would love to be on the inactive list for the "walk the halls" class!!
ReplyDeleteYou could try giving him fruits and veggies in a smoothie. You could do fruits in Popsicle form.
ReplyDeleteOooh I know a lot of people will disagree with this - but - buy a bottle of multivitamins and don't worry about it. He's still a little fella. He'll grow out of it.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley - I never comment on your blog....mostly because I am lazy but I do keep up on how you are doing. I wish there was a "like" button at the bottom of blog posts so I could at least let you know I like what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteAnyways....you are lucky Preslee was a good eater. I think that a lot of times that is rare. Out of my three kids I have had 2 picky eaters. I think that they are especially picky in the toddler stage of life. My Emmie seriously is going through the pickiest stage and sometimes she makes me crazy. She eats bread, cheese, and fruit....and not much of anything else. Except of course all the unhealthy snacks and junk food she manages to find.
Honestly, just tell yourself it is a stage, that he will eventually grow out of it, and do your best to offer the healthy stuff. One thing I have learned is you can't force feed a kid (and believe I have tried!).
I give Emmie a chewable gummy vitamin. I don't know if it helps but it makes me feel like somehow it is making up for all of the vitamins she is lacking.
Give it time. It is frustrating....especially since you had a child who ate everything you gave her .....but most kids are picky at some point or another.
Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!
My son will NOT eat fruit or veggies. Every once in a while he'll a few grapes. The one thing I know he will eat is green beans. He eats them straight out of the can (I put them in a bowl so he doesn't cut his hand on the can). I don't warm them up or add any seasoning/salt to them. He downs at least 3/4 of the can each time I break them out! I even love them too! Aalso, I know a family who would have their kids eat frozen peas and corn for a snack. The kids asked for it. I tried that on Jack when he was little and he ate it good for a while, not so much any more! Please update us on what works. I read all the comments and will be tring a lot of them! Thanks and good luck!
ReplyDeleteTry making a smoothie. Buy blueberries, strawberries, flax seed, and protein from Costco. I just eye the amounts but throw a banana, blueberries, strawberries, flax seed, protein, and some orange strawberry pineapple Dole juice in the blender and give that to him. Pour the left overs in a popsicle thing and put those tongue depresser in them. This way if he doesn't eat the smoothie he can have a popsicle and still have the same thing:) Hope thtat helps!
ReplyDeleteTry all of the above, but I agree, don't stress over it! He will turn out better than great!
ReplyDeletethis is going to sound horrible (i'm not a weirdo i promise). but when my 2 year old won't eat anything we play a little game. We pretend the food on his plate is a family and they all want to go to the tummy together. So with each bite the "food family" ends up in the tummy and everyone is happy. I know this sounds crazy but my 2 year old loves it. I would try this with a wide assortment of really tasty fruit (strawberries, apples chunks, grapes, and if he is into it he could dip the fruit in yogurt first). Good luck fussy eaters are hard!
ReplyDeleteI give my 17 month old a green smoothie every morning...
ReplyDeletePineapple Spinach Smoothie
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 frozen banana
2 cups fresh baby spinach
Combine in a blender on high speed until smooth and serve.
So, so good! And I feel much better during the day when I know she has some spinach and fruit in her!
Also...
Both of my girls like it when I roast broccoli and cauliflower in the oven. They also like the carrot shreds you can buy in a little bag in the produce section--dipped in ranch, of course! And a local store sells dehydrated beets and green beans with only olive oil and salt added. They are a good replacement for crackers/chips and my GIRLS adore them! Basically any fruit or vegetable I dehydrate in my dehydrator, my girls love! Maybe it is the crunch? Dehydrated bananas are the best! Check your local thrift store for a deal on a dehydrator. You will never regret it.
Good luck!
I don't know if this has already been said, however I recently went to a class with a children's nutrionist. She gave some great advice and while we are waiting until we are done with Christmas travel to fully implement the plan, I have tried a few things with great success. Parents are in charge of when, what, and where their kids eat. The kid is in charge of how much they eat. Parents should aim to serve 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day. Each meal needs to have about 3 options, one of them being a safe food your kid usually eats. You don't force them to eat anything but do give healthy options. Don't know if this makes sense, but I have already noticed more willingness for my 2 1/2 year old to try new things.
ReplyDeleteAlso,kids are really really good self-regulators (better than most adults). You can't look at what they eat in a day to determine their diet. However, if you look at a 2 week period they will eat everything they need during that period. Some days all my kid wants are veggies and other days just chicken nuggets - but if I look over 2 weeks his diet is very balanced.
One other thing I was told was not to force them to eat. Just give options. And if they don't want to eat dinner with the family, you shouldn't force them to eat the food (remember they self-regulate) but it is a good idea to have a set amount of time at the table with the family before they go and leave. We have been doing 5 minutes with our son. Sometimes he will eventually eat while sitting there and other times he just sits with us and leaves when time is up. Meal time has been more pleasant and I have really made an effort to have healthy side dishes and give him the options at the table.
Good luck!
Hey Ash....I just wanted to let you know that sometimes when you get your tonsils out you can lose some of your taste for a couple months! It happened to me and nothing tastes very good. If they irritate or nick that nerve that runs right along your tonsils it can disrupt your taste, so maybe give hime a couple months and he'll come around :) Just an idea from a nursing stand point ha ha. Hope it gets better!
ReplyDeleteIMO making a huge song and dance to get your kids to eat something is not necessary. Do your best to serve your child fruits and vegetables prepared in a tasty way and then (especially at this age) let it go. Also, try preparing them and serving them in different ways. My son loves some vegetables raw and some he prefers cooked. When he gets a little older (3ish) you can start expecting him to at least try a small bite of everything. My son went through a VERY picky stage too and I worried that he'd never eat vegetables, but now he knows he at least has to try them and he's decided that there are several that he really likes. Just be patient and consistent!
ReplyDeletecheck out ellynsatter.com. that's the basis of you decide: what, where, and when to eat and your child decides: whether and how much. she has great guidelines.
ReplyDeletei've heard really good things about the book 'my child won't eat' by carlos gonzales.
last, we are only on our first son who is 9 months. we have decided to introduce solids through 'baby-led weaning'. we skipped all purees and spoon feeding, and at 6 months began letting our son eat what we eat. the preliminary research shows it reduces pickiness with tons of other awesome benefits. maybe with your next baby read about it (there's a book called 'baby-led weaning' by gill rapley) and decide if it's something you'd like to try. we love it!
good luck!
check out ellynsatter.com. that's the basis of you decide: what, where, and when to eat and your child decides: whether and how much. she has great guidelines.
ReplyDeletei've heard really good things about the book 'my child won't eat' by carlos gonzales.
last, we are only on our first son who is 9 months. we have decided to introduce solids through 'baby-led weaning'. we skipped all purees and spoon feeding, and at 6 months began letting our son eat what we eat. the preliminary research shows it reduces pickiness with tons of other awesome benefits. maybe with your next baby read about it (there's a book called 'baby-led weaning' by gill rapley) and decide if it's something you'd like to try. we love it!
good luck!
I love the internet - it's pretty cool that we have a place to ask for help and hear what has worked for other moms! There is a lot of great advice here!! Anyway, I was going to say just what Brenna said, just keep offering the healthy stuff now and don't worry about how much of it gets eaten. As our kids have gotten older, the just one bite rule has been great. They are only required to have one taste of everything on their plate. If they don't like it we don't make a big deal out of it and if they do we get all excited about how fun it is to find a new food you like. It is low stress for them because they know I'll never make them eat a bunch of something they don't like and most of the time they do end up liking it. Good luck and try not to stress it too much. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the internet - it's pretty cool that we have a place to ask for help and hear what has worked for other moms! There is a lot of great advice here!! Anyway, I was going to say just what Brenna said, just keep offering the healthy stuff now and don't worry about how much of it gets eaten. As our kids have gotten older, the just one bite rule has been great. They are only required to have one taste of everything on their plate. If they don't like it we don't make a big deal out of it and if they do we get all excited about how fun it is to find a new food you like. It is low stress for them because they know I'll never make them eat a bunch of something they don't like and most of the time they do end up liking it. Good luck and try not to stress it too much. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about your son's condition; however I can relate. It has been four months since my last radiation treatment on my sinus area and throat, and I lost my taste buds and have dry mouth; and it makes eating very difficult. Praise the Lord my bitter taste buds came back first and not my sweet ones. I like your son eat the salty (bitter)foods, sweet foods like fruit or anything with sugar even ketchup, salad dressings, or tomato based foods, like pizza or enchiladas taste sour to me, so I can't eat them. Since, the sweet foods or candy, cakes, or cookies don't taste good I have no desire to eat them. Every few weeks I will try to eat something sweet and it is still a no go.
ReplyDeleteTry mashing his potatoes with some other vegetables in them and using mayonnaise as a dip with veggies. I know mother's will hate me for this, but I can eat chocolate covered strawberries; crazy but true. I think the two sweets cancel the sour taste out, I cannot eat just the chocolate or just the strawberries or else they taste sour but together I can finally eat fruit! Try putting dipping chocolate on some fruit and see if he can eat it. Don't know if he is having the same problem as me or not, but give it time. May the Lord bless you and your beautiful family. There are days when food just plain does not taste good to me or the textures and I have to force myself to eat so hang in there with you son.
I like to get fruits and veggies into my kids tummies by making smoothies. A spinach smoothie is a great way to get green veggies in. I use 2 bananas, half a can of pineapple chunks (with the juice), a bunch of spinach, and a hand full of ice. Blend it up and have 'em drink it. Any left overs I put in popsicle molds and it's a great treat I can give them any time without feeling guilty about it. We do lots of smoothies, and smoothie popsicles. I really like the V8 splash drinks. Lots of fruits and veggies in each one. Sometimes I'll make a smoothie out of one of those with a banana and strawberries added to it, or they just drink them straight and really like them. That's my two cents. Hope something works. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAfter I had my tonsils out (as an adult) it took 3 months for my taste to come back...and it came back slowly. It might be that they taste off because of this?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was one before I could get her to take a bite of food willingly...ugh! She will not eat her fruit or veggies and she is 2. She will eat those squeeze packs that have the fruit and veggies mixed but still feel like that is more of a snack. She loves yogurt so we have started mixing stuff to help a little with some extra immune boosts/health. This is a powder born you can put into water, juice, yogurt...anything really. It has 23 organic raw vegetables and fruits, pre and probiotics as well....great stuff! By no means is it the same as actually eating fruits and veggies but it cant hurt : ) we also add a flavored DNA and smash a chewable vitamin into her yogurt. We split it up between one yogurt in the morning and one at night. Here is a link for the power greens/probiotic....I might add this keeps my daughters bowels extremely healthy/regular! Must be refrigerated!!!! Well I can't seem to post a link...look it up on amazon....Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Kids
ReplyDelete