How to Get My 15 Month Old to Eat Better and Come off of Lthe Constapation Meds.

I sneak spinach and other veggies in all the time. Chop the spinach up and sneak it in his grilled sandwich, it has very little taste. Sprinkle it on his potatoes (fried or mashed) or rice. Can you cut them very fine and sneak carrots and spinach in the rice? What about a beef or chicken soup with big chunks of potato and fine chopped tomato, spinach, carrots, celery, etc. I do it all the time even if it is a little, at least I get it in there. Spoon feed him and bribe him at this point.

I agree with a lot that's been said. Probiotics, some watered down juice, make sure he's drinking enough, foods that start with "P"--prunes, plums, peaches, pears, pineapple all are sweet and more palatable, plus the sugars can help get things moving, and they all contain good amounts of fiber. mix pureed veggies into sauces. My little one (18mos, but has been doing it since about 15mos) loves to dip--she'll eat just about anything if she can dip it in ranch or bbq sauce...even broccoli and cauliflower...and switch to whole grains...brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, long-cook oatmeal, whole wheat bread (there are some very good ones that taste almost like white bread if that's what he's used to).

I feed my son those bran flakes or some of the rain bran. Every morning. So he gets some fiber that way. I also give him prune juice when I feel that he isn't eating enough fibery foods.
I give him probiotics every morning. I would give him a smoothie but my son hates them.

My suggestion is to try some of the squeezable pouches. The only place in our town that sells them is Geoffreys (babiesrus). Ella's organics are our favorite, but my kids also love the Plum organics. They mix veggies and fruit together (for example spinach/pear/peas) and my kids eat them like candy even when they won't touch a regular veggie on a plate! Pears are second to prunes as far as laxative foods go. Hope this helps!

Would he drink shakes that have hidden fruit/veggies/greens in them? Also, I don't know if this is just my kids, but cantaloupe always got them pooping.

My youngest son has been on constipation meds since about 6 months. He actually eats almost exclusively fruit but still has issues. I recently switched to organic milk on recomendation of a friend and that seems to be helping quite a bit, not enough to take him completely off the meds yet but big improvements.

How about smoothies-you can use vanilla yogurt or soy milk mixed with fruits (and even veggies), and get stuff moving!

Prune juice too-healthy, and helps. Just be sure to dilute or you'll have another issue on your hands!

Or yogurt juice...and probiotics are great too.

cut out anything processed (check your cheese) no fast food!
your child will not starve and im sure your dr has told you that too. he will eat what is given to him, hes 15 months old for crying out loud. help him by standing your ground, you are the adult. im sure its not easy to watch him cry or be hungry, but go to cereal if you have to.

Smoothies with berries and Stonyfield yogurt. The yogurt has probiotics that will help the gut stay healthy and do its job, and the berries have lots of fiber. You can throw some spinach or other high fiber veggie in and the berries will mask it.

Also, my daughter went through a phase where she didn't like vegetables. We gave her "dipping sauces" (ketchup, etc.) to dip the veggies in (cooked veggies). If your son has the manual control to dip you could try that to push the veggies. You could also try fresh pears--they have good fiber and they are sweet so they might be easier for your son to accept!

My daughter got constipated for several weeks a few weeks ago. I consulted my Dr. Sears book and he recommended flaxseed oil. It worked fabulously! With prunes she had terrible gas; with flaxseed oil, she just went--no fuss! Here's the website with more info.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081100.asp

Some adults might go yuck, but try giving him prunes and prune juice. Prunes these days (especially the good national brands like Sunsweet) are extremely moist and very sweet. My daughter is 10 and has always loved them and says they're sweet as candy! If you get him to eat them now he'll continue to like them -- plus, they are loaded with terrific vitamins as well as having their famous laxative effect! It can take a few to get the effect, so you might try prune juice as well. Of course adding other things to his diet will help and variety is key, but don't forget the prunes. Yeah -- we were raised eating them and my brother and I still think they're a treat!

I'd also add: All kids are starch lovers but you can make those starches healthier. Convert the breads to whole wheat (if you aren't already). There are extra-fiber brands of bread available in regular grocery chains. Oatmeal is good, but add raisins or cut-up dried apricots, anything with fiber. Rice can be brown rice and pasta whole wheat -- he may resist at first but they are good lifetime changes. Not only do they have more fiber, they also retain more vitamins etc. because whole grains don't have the outer husk stripped away and that's where much of the nutrition is! Good luck.