She use to be a really good eater and would try everything. Now she has become very picky and only wants to eat cheese, crackers, peanutbutter sandwitches, and fruit. I can't get her to eat any veggies or meats. Sometimes I can slip ham into a grilled cheese and she will eat it. Or I can put some pasta sauce on it with spagetti. But most of the time she spits it out. She is too young to try and reason with menaing I can't say take 3 bites and then you can have some cheese. I also tried mixing the veggies with something that has more flavor and she still spits it out. Now she doesn't even want pasta. Could this just be a phase or are there any other foods I can give her that can give her the vitamins she needs? I don't want to teach her she can fuss and refuse foods until I give her something she wants. I am at a lost for what dinner foods I can give her.
2006-09-29 06:44:54 · 17 answers · asked by AB11 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
This is probably just a phase. My oldest does the same thing. She's four no and still hates meat. Don't worry about what she's eating. Kids get stuck in food ruts all the time. If you are worried about nutrition, try getting her some pediasure. Or any other supplement drink for kids. As long as she's not losing weight, she will be just fine. My daughter ate nothing but cottage chees and applesauce for almost a week once! I wouldn't bother hiding the foods anymore if shes catching on. One trick I have is to mash up cooked carrots and add them too chunky pasta sauce. My husband doesn't even notice that one! If she won't eat what's for dinner, I give my daughter 2 options. A peanut butter(high in protein) sandwich or a grilled cheese sandwich. We make stew and roast a lot. She hates them both. So on those days she has a peanut butter sandwich, and geen beans. She also won't eat potatoes unless they are fried. I gave up on that one! Good Luck and fear not, your girl won't wither away!
2006-09-29 06:58:45 · answer #1 · answered by glitz_and_glitter 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Put only fruits and veggies and meats in front of her and if she doesn't eat a few meals then she will definitely be hungry for the next one and eat what's in front of her. Sounds harsh but it's the only way i can think of- my 13 month old gets toast or cereal in the morning and a meat, cheese, veggie and fruit for lunch. Fruit for snack. Eats what we eat for supper as long as it isn't spicy. Which is always a pretty balanced meal (I just don't personally eat lunch- never been hungry for it). and for snack she can have veggies or cottage cheese or a hunk of cheese with some wheat thins. If she doesn't eat then she doesn't eat... but eventually she'll be hungry and eat what's there for her to eat. You might want to call your dr. or call your local wic office and ask to speak with a nutritionalist. She won't grow healthy this way. :(
Just adding to my answer a bit... I saw someone mention peanut butter.One day I was out with my daughter who at the time was a little over a year old and she was hungry so i stopped at a gas station and thought rather than potato chips i'd give her those PB cracker sandwich things. She was terribly allergic to peanuts and had to be in the hospital for days. They say not to introduce peanuts to children until about 3 years old. Just thought I'd make sure you knew risks involved. On the contrary to what I just said, my friend gives her daughter peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all the time and she's 15 mos old.
2006-09-29 06:55:04 · answer #2 · answered by momofthreemiracles 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would try to give her a multivitamin and see if that makes her crave certain things less. She might want cheeses because she's craving calcium.
It's okay if she doesn't eat meat if you can get her to eat protiens in other ways, and it sounds like if she's eating peanut butter and cheese she's probably doing all right.
To increase the veggies, try one of the following 2 things.
if she likes peanutbutter, spread it in celery with raisins on top (ants on a log).
If you can get her to eat fruits, you could sneak veggies into it! I have a juicer and make carrot/orange/apple juice every day and it's so sweet and good. Another good idea is a waldorf sald, made of the following:
2or3 shredded carrots (this salad should be mostly carrots)
small diced apple
handfull of diced celery
handfull of crushed walnuts
handful of raisins
mix it all with a cup of vanilla yogurt, a squirt of lemon, and a spoon of honey, and you have a sweet and crunchy salad! Every kid in my family has loved it!
2006-09-29 06:55:31 · answer #3 · answered by Emily O 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Definitely give her vitamins, if she's being picky. My son is 2 1/2 and still doesn't care much for most meats and veggies. He loves green beans, so we give him a lot of them. Don't give up, just keep trying all the time and you'll be suprised how she'll like things later. If you are really concerned for her health, talk to your doctor. I'm sure she'll be fine and yes, this is just a phase.
2006-09-29 07:03:31 · answer #4 · answered by Emjay 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So you more less give her what she wants to eat? Do you feed her what you eat for dinner? If not, then that's the problem. We sit at a table as a family at dinner time. Our child eats what we eat for dinner, or she doesn't eat at all. You have to start them out young though. She's never went to bed hungry. She's alway ate what we put in front of her. I definately DO NOT go out of my way to make something seperate for her to eat if she won't eat what we are eating.
As for meats, don't worrry too much about that. Kids usually don't start eating meats regularly until they are 2-3 years old.
2006-09-29 06:54:06 · answer #5 · answered by jevic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With my kids dinner was dinner (breakfast and lunch, same.) The rule was one bite of everything. The rule was this is dinner, when it's done, it's done. No snacks after. Sounds pretty tough, huh. One is 6' 9" 30 yrs, the other 5' 11" 26 yrs -- both alive, healthy, perfect weight, and well.
2006-09-29 06:56:35 · answer #6 · answered by reynwater 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I want to know too! My son is doing the same, he is 3.5 now though. He used to love everything, now he refuses veggies, and meat only sometimes. If there is even a little piece of veggie in his food, he'd spit it out. HELP!
2006-09-29 06:51:20 · answer #7 · answered by mom_of_ndm 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At that young age, there is only one way to make sure she eats nutritiously and that is to only offer her healthy foods. It might prompt fussing for a short time, but if she is hungry she will eat what you offer and she will grow accustomed to what you give her.
2006-09-29 06:56:59 · answer #8 · answered by sisoyme 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is different with every kid, but with my son I would take a bite of it first and say hmmmmm. Than I would ask if he wanted a bite and most of the time he was glad to take a bite since Mommy thought it was so good.
2006-09-29 06:48:46 · answer #9 · answered by kristi.burkhart 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
offer her a full variety of different veggies and see what she wants and she does not want. all kids are picky eaters and there are things they like and things they hate to eat good luck
2006-09-29 11:17:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋