is my 11 month old getting enough nutrition?

Question

e few months ago when my son was eating baby food, he ate anything you gave him. i was very dilligent about giving him a varioty of fruits and veggies and meats. no sugar or hardly any salt. now that he's eating toddler food fron gerber and "grown up food" off our plates, he won't come near a veggitable unless it's potato. he still drinks about 16 ounces of formula a day, so i know he's getting nutrition from that, but how do i get him to eat more than breads, meats, and mashed "taters", and applesauce?

Answer 1

option 1: grind it up and mix it in.

option 2: offer him the foods you know he needs and nothing else until he eats it. here is the hard part: if it doesnt go on his plate it doesn't go on your plate. he should feel like he is eating what you are eating. if he doesn't eat these fruits and veggies at lunch, he will be hungrier for what you offer at dinner. if he wants a snack, offer the food he didn't eat from his last meal. don't give up, he won't starve.

the formula is a good fall back for now, but he won't be on it forever. MAKE SURE that when you get him off of formula that you don't replace drinking a meal- with drinking juice and milk all day. dont be afraid that he won't get enough calories without drinking his meals.

offer him good foods and lots of water like parents across the world do, once their children are finished nursing.. he will eat, grow and be happy.

if he doesn't like your food and you give him applesauce and taters for dinner...again, we both know what he will eat tomorrow for dinner, and next week too.

Answer 2

I'd simply persevere. They say you have to put new foods in front of a toddler around 15 times before they'll recognise them as food. That means 15 times of taking it away or picking it patiently off the floor (since he doesn't remember your lovingly cooked veg, they're all new again now!)

My son likes cooked peas to eat with his fingers - and chopping up his own banana with a blunt knife (though he is a little older) He's obsessive about grapes and strawberries too - sweet fruit is often a good place to start over.

How about trying dried fruit as a treat (rather than at the table) say an apple ring or dried apricot in his pushchair (careful because they can choke) Perhaps the change of place might take the pressure away?

Good luck.

Answer 3

Try mashing the vegetables & spoon feeding these, or try peas & carrots (most kids still like peas & carrots!) to be eaten with their fingers. Experiment with different stuff...try broccoli or caulifower, asparagus spears, grapes, super ripe peaches, watermelon, etc. Summer is the BEST time to experiment with veggies & fruits!

If you are seriously concerned, discuss the matter with your pediatrician - he or she may recommend an pediatric vitamin.

BTW, potatoes aren't vegetables, they're starches.

Answer 4

my son was the same way so what i did i would mash up his food for him and feed it to him or get finger food , now he is two and he eat like a pig some time . lol ,children are just picker some time , just try one food at a time

Answer 5

children can be pickey hes getting plenty even w/out veggies keep tring new foods and veggies smushed bannanas or lil cut up beans of any sort you will soon figure out whats fav. on his list. good luck!

Answer 6

Children go through that stage, just keep offering him nutritional foods and he'll eat it when he's ready.

Answer 7

The best indication that he is healthy is his growth. His height and weight. For example, my daughter is in the 73% percentile for height and weight. So I know that she is taller and heavier than 70/100 babies. You know.....healthy.