does any one have any recipes for a picky 2- year old?????

Question

she wont eat anything but... vienna sausages and breakfeast bars!!
i'm scared shes going to become anemic because of low iron!! im a nurse and i know what happens to children like that! i need help...

Answer 1

Believe it or not~a child must taste something at least 15 times before they can decide if they like it or not. Also, small children have taste buds that are more sensitive than ours~so little spice, salt and tart items. Keep trying ~ I promise ~ but don't get into a POWER STRUGGLE OVER FOOD with a toddler. Parents never win if they start food fights with their kids or try to force them to eat. Feeding problems occur sometime where the parents are overly concerned about food. In families where parents are relaxed about food and take a casual approach, food problems are mild and transient. Just keep trying different foods over and over ~ but you should understand that there is no way a parent can make a child eat what that child does not want to eat. All your coaxing and nagging and fretting will not change this fact.

Here are some more tips:

Toddlers have changes in their eating habits~more then less.
Cut down on milk and other drinks that you give your toddler~
No toddler needs more than 24 ounces of milk a day and you can even cut down to 16 ounces. The idea behind this seemingly draconian measure is to make the child hungry enough to willingly try solid foods and, hopefully, find some that taste good.

Feed your toddler small portions. To a toddler~ a spoonful of mashed potatoes can look like a mountain. Better the child ask for more than be overwhelmed. A TABLESPOON PER YEAR OF AGE (i.e. two tablespoons for a two-year-old) of starches, fruits and vegetables is an adequate serving size. As for meat or chicken, a serving is the size of the CHILD'S PALM.

Feed FINGER FOODS. Although many babies at a year of age are still willing to be spoon-fed, quite a few are much too independent to tolerate this. Lots of things can be served as finger foods. For example you can spread mashed or pureed vegetable (or fruit) on thin bread with crusts removed. This somewhat unorthodox sandwich provides both the starch and vegetable. Finger foods help with self help and fine motor skill development too~~

Offer NEW FOODS but make a promise to yourself that you will not get upset if your child refuses to try them. Parents are often concerned about protein intake (although 16 ounces of milk provides adequate protein) so try putting scrambled eggs, chopped hard-cooked eggs, large curd cottage cheese, small cubes of cheddar cheese, or tiny meat balls on the child's tray.

Here are some recipes sites:

http://www.foodfortots.com/Recipes/brkfst.html
http://www.parentingtoddlers.com/recipefortoddler.html
http://www.mommysavers.com/Articles/healthy_snacks_for_kids.htm
http://www.webguru.com/wiki/Toddler_Healthy_Snacks
http://chefmom.com/askchefmom/toddlerlunch.htm
http://www.superbabyfood.com/recipes.htm
http://www.lulu.com/content/121779

Answer 2

LOL-her diet cracks me up! Seriously, don't make too big a deal over it. I know it seems like she's going to waste away or have a buffet of Vienna Sausages and Breakfast Bars or her wedding, but this, too, shall pass. If you can, see if she'll take some Ensure or other nutritional drink, which will be a nice supplement until she decides her next phase is green jello and shitake mushrooms!

Answer 3

Then as a nurse you realize the importance of a proper diet and the value of good nutrition. For starters consider a multi vitamin (I recently bought some that look and taste like gummy bears). If a child is hungry they will eat, so if your child is refusing to eat a breakfast then he sure will be hungry at lunch time. Likewise if lunch is not good dinner will taste great. It is your responsibility to feed your child healthy meals. If your child does not like the meals then it is his choice not to eat them.
Catering to your child will do nothing but wear you out at the end of the day, I think you need to make a stand.

Answer 4

Smoothies with secret ingredients. A leaf of spinach can be well hidden, tossed in the blender with a banana yogurt (or milk), berries or other favorite ingredients and served in a glass. I peeled, cut and froze bananas to make the chilly treats with less ice.

Also, cooked and mashed pumpkin or carrots mashed well and blended into pancake batter and fried on a griddle (or in a frying pan) in silver dollar sized pancakes made great finger food. I didn't bother with the syrup as my kids just ate them like cookies, sometimes with cheese cut from slices with a cooky cutter (by the budding chefs).

Letting the kids "play" with or "help" make their food helped them enjoy eating it in our house. They like stirring up dips and dipping vegetable sticks (mostly carrot and cucumber) if the vegetable sticks are floating in a bowl of ice water and they have to "fish" them out. There go the table manners!

Reverse psychology may be effective. Sometimes, when I think they might not like something, I only bring my own serving to the table and begin eating it with relish. "You won't like this so I'm not giving it to you." "Well, OK, I'll share mine, but only a little." "You want some more? I'll get you a plate in the kitchen."

Good luck.

Answer 5

I found that hunger erases most forms of pickiness. Salt and sugar thrill the taste buds and not being so hungry let's them complain about what's in front of them. Keep to a steady regimen for when they eat and then make up some good tasting healthy food to put in front of them first. Let them take up the hunger pangs with that before giving in to other, less healthy fare.

Answer 6

try cooking macaroni and cheese and put the vienna sausages in with it
try making fun foods like pigs in the blankets its small sausages with biscuits wraped around them
try like green beans with season salt and bacon
cut hot dogs into halves so they look like viennas
i hope this helps
cereal bars are a good source or fiber and there good for your child thats what my 16 month old eats every morning thats all she will eat for breakfast but i make fun fingers just for her for lunch and also dinner i do what it takes to get her to eat food

Answer 7

http://www.recipeladies.com/kidscooking.html
has some really fun recipes and things she can help make. i wouldn't worry to much unless she is eating only those foods long term. my niece went through a stage where she ate the butter off bread and left everything else, lasted like 3 days. she is fine and has healthy eating at 24 now.

Answer 8

i know how you feel. my son's been that way since he was 18 mos and now he's 3. here's what he eats:

pizza
hotdogs
little smokies
vienna sausage
cheese
yogurt
pepperoni
salami
mac and cheese
crackers
milk
grapes
strawberries
bananas
rice
sometimes eggs
poptarts

there's probably a FEW more things but even if i shove it down his throat or smack him, he just won't eat anything else. he really would rather starve. oh yeah, and i tried all those ideas out there where they say oh mince up veggies really small and hide it in this or that...blah blah blah.....yeah. doesn't work!!! not for my kid!

Answer 9

i am a cna as a nurse you no that means very little but i was having a similar prob with a two year old and asked i doc i worked with he said this is normal but try mac and cheese with bits of meat if this doenst work find a supplement that tastes like candy it may work for you

Answer 10

A 2-year old young lady would naturally expect variety and colour in her daily diet.
A good website, at which to find quite a variety of baby-recipes, from moms all the world over, please visit :
http://www.babyfoodreview.com/recipes.html
Cheers !