My 19 month old son will eat a good breakfast. But as for the rest of the day he doesn't do good at all.?

Question

Some days he will eat good a supper but for the most part he just plays. He is also very picky about what he eats. When he was a baby I let him try everything in hopes that he wouldn't be a picky eater. He loves peas, carrots and corn but I don't want to feed him that everynight. Any ideas on how to get him to eat better.

Answer 1

My youngest daughter has always been a little different when it comes to her eating habits and likes and dislikes. The summer she turned 2, she survived mostly on cucumbers and watermelon with a little pasta and chicken thrown in occassionally. At her 2 year well-child check-up, her doctor and I talked at length about her eating habits. Her doctor said to focus not so much on daily eating as much as weekly eating. She assured me that as long as my daughter was getting something from all the food groups at least some time during the week's time, she'd be fine. So, I offered her meals and snacks throughout the day, but let her pick and choose what she would or wouldn't eat. She weighed 26 pounds for 9 months, but by the time she had her 3 year well-child check-up, she was eating a large amount of food choices. All during her cucumber/watermelon phase, she was never sick, slept fine, and was perfectly happy. She'll be 10 soon and still goes through some weird eating jags now and again. I don't fuss at her about it, kust offer her healthy choices, let her choose, and she does just fine. She actually eats a lot of things most kids won't think of touching (she loves fish, broccoli, and whole wheat pasta). I suggest that it be your goal to offer your son daily well-balanced, healthy meals and snacks. Let him eat what he wants and don't make a big deal if he doesn't eat anything. It is common for kids to go through some weird eating phases and it is best not to pay much attention to it. Children will not starve themselves.

Answer 2

One of the ways I get my son to eat a variety of food is by mixing them. For example, my 14 month old boy hates green beans, but when I give him a bite that has green beans and noodles with a little bit spaghetti sauce, he eats them. Then just green beans and noodles and he ate that. Find healthy things he likes, and add other things to them. My hopes is that my son will start to eat the foods I am mixing in on their own... which he is getting better about. Let him try eating versions of what you are eating. Do you guys sit down at the dinner table to eat as a family? My little guy could care less what I am eating, but whatever daddy is eating he has to have some of... even stuff I can't usually get him to eat. I usually just make him a more kid-friendly version of what we are eating. Like instead of spaghetti noodles, noodles he can pick up and chew easier.

BTW: Even when my hubby is not home for a meal (like lunch everyday) me and my boy still sit down together for our meals and both eat. I think it helps him know it is time to eat, and he really does like to do what we do, so if we eat good, he eats pretty good. Just remember little kids need less food than we do, so if he is full, don't force him!

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

Man I wish I could get my son to eat three veggies. Other moms probably do too. Just give him healthy snacks and offer other foods for him to try. It's normal. He's super hungry in the AM but then gets tied up playing. He'll eat as he's hungry. If he was like my son- on the go but loved a sippy cup, try making him a smoothie with some yogurt and juice and fresh fruit.

Answer 4

If he loves peas and carrots why not feed it to him every night? kids know what they want and they know what there body needs. If its isn't bad for him why ont give it to him? My daughter is 23 months old and is obsessed with peanu butter sandwiches. I give her one every day for lunch. and she eats the whole thing. My son is now 4 and he went through all that. One weeks its one thing and then the next weeks its another thing. Even them skipping meals I wouldn't stress over it. Until the dr. says he is lacking somewhere don't worry about it.

Answer 5

Have you tried mashed potato and pumpkin, with his peas carrots and corn in it, with a bit of gravy mixed in ?

It is very normal for kids to be fussy at that age.

Answer 6

Many people greatly overestimate how much a toddler needs to eat. They are so used to babies that are growing so rapidly they seem to eat their body weight in food every day.

Some days a toddler is only going to eat about a half a cup of food all day. As long as what they do eat is healthy, and they are growing appropriately, healthy and thriving they are getting enough -even if it seems it isn't enough to keep a bird alive.

Also toddlers that are still breastfeeding are getting milk packed with many more vitamins than cow's milk and are particularly safe from malnutrition.

"Between ages one and five, a child's growth is in a decelerated stage; that is, they have slowed down in growth. Since growth slows down, their need for calories subsequently decreases, which in turn leads to a smaller quantity of food ingested per day. Added to the decelerated growth is a burgeoning independence which limits the variety of foods your child is willing to eat ("finicky eater"). Rest assured that toddlers do not need as much food as you might expect because of this slowing down of the growth rate. Three small meals and two snacks a day (and some will eat a good bit less) will probably be enough to fuel even the most active toddler. Please realize, too, that finicky eaters are the rule rather than the exception."
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/toddler-foods.html

* In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
o 29% of energy requirements
o 43% of protein requirements
o 36% of calcium requirements
o 75% of vitamin A requirements
o 76% of folate requirements
o 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
o 60% of vitamin C requirements
-- Dewey 2001
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Try to prepare three meals and two healthful snacks a day using the box on the previous page, "Foods to grow on," as a guideline. And don't lose it if your child practically refuses to eat one day, then eats double helpings the next. It's the long-term picture that counts. "Parents should never enter into a power struggle with their kids around eating," says Daniel B. Kessler, M.D., director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics and clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, in Tucson. "They'll only lose."

That does not, however, mean giving in to the whim of a child who wants to eat only chicken nuggets and Oreos, says William H. Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., editor of The AAP Guide to Your Child's Nutrition and director of the division of nutrition and physical activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Don't turn into a short-order cook, fixing whatever your little one demands whenever he wants it. Chances are, your baby still won't eat, and he'll just feel overly powerful and confused. Instead, if chicken and green beans are dinner and your kid refuses it, don't offer an alternative. (But be fair: If meat loaf makes him gag, don't expect him to eat it.) To handle "food jags" (a child who wants the same food morning, noon, and night), Marianne Neifert, M.D., Babytalk contributing editor and author of Dr. Mom's Guide to Breastfeeding, suggests serving a little bit of the favorite food at a meal, while also offering other choices.

Parents should realize where their power lies (prepare and offer a variety of healthful foods) and where it ends (the child decides what to eat). Leave the food there for 20 minutes, then pick it up, says Dr. Neifert. As long as your toddler keeps developing normally, a few missed meals or rejected veggies shouldn't be made into a crisis.
http://www.parenting.com/parenting/baby/article/0,19840,1051883_2,00.html?


Toddlers eat little relative to parental expectations. You need to remember that a serving size for them is only one-fourth to one-third of an adult serving size. That means one-fourth of a piece of toast is likely to fill them up -- not the whole slice! Be sure that your expectation about how much food your child needs is reasonable. Then focus on serving him foods that are healthy so you can feel secure that he's getting all the nutrients he needs. Everything he eats should count toward his daily nutritional requirement. Once you provide him with healthy foods, leave it to him to get the right amount of calories. Left to their own devices, kids will eat what they need.

To help you get a better sense of your child's nutritional needs, check out these daily requirements. On average, a one-year-old needs the following:

• 6 servings of grains (one serving = 1/4 slice bread, 1/4 muffin, 2 crackers, 1/4 cup dry cereal, 1/4 cup hot cereal)
• 1 serving of a vitamin-C-rich fruit or veggie (one serving = 1/3 cup juice, 1/4 cup chopped fruit or veggie)
• 1 serving green or orange fruit or veggie for vitamin A (one serving = 1/4 to 1/3 cup juice, 1/4 cup chopped fruit/veggie)
• 3 or more servings of other fruits or vegetables, including potatoes (1 serving = 1/4 of a whole fruit/veggie, 1/4 cup chopped, raw or cooked)
• 3 servings of milk, yogurt or cheese (one serving = 1/2 cup milk/yogurt, 1/2 ounce cheese)
• 2 servings of protein (one serving = 1+ tablespoon chopped meat, fish or poultry, 1 egg)

If your child prefers finger foods, try serving him some of these foods in manageable finger-food portions.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpnutrition/0,,p8vn,00.html