My Kid Just Won't Eat!

Babies taste buds are always changing if he won't eat something this week, give it a break for a couple weeks then try again. My son is the same way and he is 1.5. My daughter on the other hand will eat anything. She is 3.5 and has loved veggies since she was about 6 months old. For some added calories give him the Pediasures. or Carnation instant breakfast. My nephew's doctor told my sis in law to have him drink those and he loves them, they helped add weight and they have vitamins and stuff in them.
At 2 years old, it is all about making food appealing. Try adding a little bit of shredded carrots to his mac and cheese, the won't notice them and they are packed with good stuff. Try making faces on the plate with his food when you give it to him and make it a game of eating the body parts. My son loves it when I cut up cheese and make a smiley face with it and I cut frozen grapes in half to make eyes and I use egg slices for the hair and Macaroni and cheese for the smile. It takes a little more time, but if he eats it, it is worth it.

A., I honor you for trying to feed your son healthy, whole foods. But I'm thinking about an episode of Oprah that I saw this season, during which Dr. Oz mentioned that kids' taste buds aren't developed enough for strong flavors & textures. So for the time being, you might have to switch from whole wheat to white pastas & breads. And I'll echo what other moms have said, that when you find something he will eat, take advantage of that--and be ready for his preferences to change.

That Oprah episode was the same one that featured Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" recipe book. She uses the idea of hiding healthy foods in kids' favorites, like coating fried chicken with ground flaxseed instead of breadcrumbs. You might want to take a look at that book, and you might also want to see if any clips from that show are on Oprah's website.

Good luck!

C.

My little girl was a fussy eater she will be 3 in may. She still is a fussy eater but i have found ways to make eating fun. Go to the dollar store get some cookie cutters, my little girl likes peanut butter and jelly but would take 2 bits and thats it but now i stit her in her chair and we make it together she uses the cookie cutter to make a fish shape sandwich. What i am getting at is get him involved, make eating fun, i know at first it is messy but i enjoy it and so does she. I shop and eat lots of organic food and it does cost alot so i know that throwing food away can get to you so make things that you can store try cutting up straw berries put them in a dish and let him dip them in yogurt. Lunch meats stay fresh get the delie to cut them thick break it up and let him pick them close the lid when he is done it wont go bad for a week.

I dont want this to be the longest reply in history so i will give you 2 more great ideas then if you want i would love to tell you more you can write me back or send me a private message and i would love to give you my number.

Go to wal mart and get the sets that make juice pops insted of sugarie juice. Blend his favorit fruit with yogurt and poor the mix in the fruit pop dish and they have a fun treat that is so good for him.another one that my little girl loves to make is english muffin pizza cut an english muffin in half buy a small bottle of pizze sauce an orgainc jar costs $1.95 and can be kept refrigerated for 2 weeks then let him top it with cheese and any other items he may like peperoni is great and stay fresh for so long if your lill man dosnt like it because it is spicy try ham and pinapple.

I have tons more ideas for you to try that just may work and that can be keept for a long time so you do not put things to waste.
A.

I have a 1 year old and 3 year old, both boys, who are not huge eaters. What saves them is cheese and crackers!! They love the Mickey Mouse cheese shapes from Wal-Mart...cheese cubes...club crackers. Also the Yo-Baby organic yogurt drinks are made with whole milk and they have like 190 calories each. They like to drink those in the morning. They both are big fruit eaters too. Keep trying. Their heights and weights have been pretty much equal so I haven't worried, but I like to make sure they get their calories. Good luck!

Dear A.~
2 year olds want to see how independent they can be.... frustrating when you want them to eat! My little guy went through a phase where he didn't want what I offered. So, I would make the family meal and dish out everyone except him, and we would eat without commenting on his dinner at all. He would sit there, and soon he was asking for what was on our plate. I told him he probably wouldn't like it but would give him a taste. That way you don't waste food and you're using reverse psychology. If he's drinking milk, will he drink the supplements like "PALS"? And, if he doesn't have reflux or indigestion, (does he complain of tummy pain?) my guy really likes spaghetti and pizza. As always, every child is different, and just when you figure it out, they change. Just keep trying different things until you find an approach or a food that works! Good luck.

Hello, I am the mother of two great kids 9 and 7. My son, the 7 year old had the same issues. He is still very skinny today but he does eat a lot more than he used too. As he has become more active in sports and outside games he has a heartier appetite.

He is very picky and will not try something based on looks and smell. When he was 2 we gave him a lot of yogurt milkshakes, he loved pudding, mashed potatoes regular and sweet potatoes, scrambled eggs with cheese, regular yogurt, pancakes and jello and cereal. The above foods are what his diet consisted of from the time he started solids until he was about 4. He still isn't a big meat eater but I can get him to eat it every now and then. I hope this helps. The yogurt shakes are a good source of calories.

Hi A.
Have you tried feeding him just regular food. I know since he is so young you want to watch out for certain things like sugar, sodium etc. However, try foods like frozen waffles. They come in wheat brand also. You can also purchase the mini-waffles, so you want be wasting the food if he does not eat all of it. Sometimes finding foods that appeal to a child's taste can be difficult. I have learned that some children simply do not care for the required baby foods that are recommended. You have to try your own foods. Cook spaghetti for him, using items that have less salts and sugars. This is something that you will be able to eat as well, so it will not go to waste. Try the Beanie Weanies, chicken nuggets & french fries (baked in the oven). Try the cereals that are designed for kids. The ones that have the characters. Canned raviolies are also good. Try cutting up the veggies and giving him some dressing to dip them in. A lot of kids like the idea of being able to "dip" their foods. I know it seems like a lot right now but just take it one day at a time in feeding him different foods. Be blessed!!!

Don't mean to be harsh, but maybe its what your offering that he doesn't like. Whole wheat mac n cheese? pumpkin pie? a pot of baby yogurt? what happened to turkey slices, bologna, kraft cheese, pizza? french fries? raviollis? pudding?

I have a 7 yr old sonthat from the time he changed to table foods has avoided veggies and any fruit that isn't a banana. When I had my daughter (now 18m) I swore I was going to have her eat everything and she pretty much does. Her newest kick is feed-yourself foods. I buy the ready-jars of mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, little slices of peaches, pre-sliced apples w/ caramel dip., little cups of vanilla ice cream (no chocolate). applesauce, jello!, big fat wavy egg noodles. sundaes with bananas, sprinkles and syrup?
Both of my kides LOVE chef salads. They like the chunks of meat, cheese, croutons, etc.
There are ways to make kid fun foods fun and healthy at the same time. Slice some potatoes and bake them in the oven, slice apples and offer peanut butter, or ranch or cheese, or caramel sauce for dipping. my fav used to be celery slices with peanut butter, carrots and dresssing, cheese and crakers.
What about some of the V-8 splash drinks? Milkshakes? Some of these aren't the healthiest things but the point is to get food into him first and then readjust to healthy.
M.

Hi A. B,

Here are some web sites that might help you.

www.westonaprice.org/children/picky-eaters.html

www.mothernature.com/library/bookshelf/books/50

Hope this helps. D.

Hi A.,
My daughter was the same way !! exactly! I tried EVERYTHING!!! So what i did was let her help me prepare her food . Yes i know they are young but they are not cooking or anything .simple things like yogurt mixed with granola or after you boil the mac let him put in the cheese and stir or let him make the fruit salad after you have cut everything up. or like sandwhiches let him make them ,put on the mayo or pickels or peanut and jelly let him doit so he will want to eat.and also if he is very active he probably has a high metabolism and they burn food alot faster. well i hope this helps.K.

Dear A.:

My kids weren't overly picky, but truly I gave them so many choices on one plate as toddlers that I didn't need to worry. In other words, something on the plate was bound to appeal to them... a mini buffet if you will. Every meal was "snacky" and came pretty much right out of the fridge. A typical terrible two meal would be:

3-4 grapes
1 slice of avocado (high in fat)
2 slices of cucumber
half of a pbj
1/2 slice of deli meat
1-2 cubes of cheese.
1 dixie sized cup of juice

They ate what they ate. If they left the meat and the avocado it was such a small portion, that I would have their left overs as a snack, or I simply chucked it. I never made a big deal over what they didn't eat, nor made eating an issue. For instance, I only offered them between meal snacks as a question - not a visual offering. And even if they requested yogurt or spaghettios, it was only a small portion served with other things. Every meal was variety centered.

Also, I never worried whether anything was kid food or not... because I really had no idea where their taste buds would be at any give time. If I had it, I put one or two on the plate. At one point I had a toddler that liked marinated mushrooms, and the other liked manderine slices. Very often they surprised me as to what they preferred. Even now that they are older there are "kid foods" (like mac and cheese) that they don't/won't eat.

Another thing I did was something someone else mentioned... I made the food fun. I cut things into shapes, arranged foods into crazy faces (boats, cars, etc), and drew smiley faces with squeeze butter, catchup, and so on. I took a few extra minutes to make meals colorful and happy.

I noticed you said "glass of milk". Is it a sippy cup or a water sized glass? The amount of milk might be filling his little tummy up to the point there is no room for food. Also, I hope you are giving him milk with fat in it. Kids need that fat, unlike us adults who are better off with skim.

I truly do hope you get him eating. I can't imagine a mother in the world feeling great about having a kid that is below weight. It would panic anyone. But you need to relax. Remember, since you are obviously stressing out and he is feeding on that. This could be turning into a means for getting your attention.

Good Luck!
Y.

Two year olds are PICKY! Both my boys went through phases of Mac & Cheese and Chicken Nuggets...that's it! Vegetables were non existent though I still offered them. They would eat fruit but only without the skin. They started expanding their diet when I started letting them help prepare stuff. The rule was if they made it they had to eat it. Cookie cutters used to cut sandwiches, etc. My oldest has always been between the 5-15th percentile in weight and 45-50th in Height. For him we had him drink "shakes" in the morning carnation instant breakfast and smoothies. Don't worry about fat and calories for him right now so try a few different brands to find what he likes. He may want the same thing everynight and that is fine as long as you offer it with something else. Don't make special meals just for him, just make sure something included in the family meal is something he likes or that there a leftovers are available. This will pass with time, but he may still not like some foods. My oldest will now eat salad (but only with white balsalmic vinegar) sushi, calamari,salmon, tuna,mussels, chicken, etc. but he willnot touch beef of any kind any way or lunchmeat. Find a kid's cookbook that has pictures of different stuff and let him pick something to try. Good luck.

I agree about offering lot of kinds of fruit and making it fun. Try cleaning his favorite dump trucks and putting food in them. Also, my toddler likes to eat things he "made." This means I measure things for a green bean caserole or sweet potato bake and he puts the ingredients in the bowl and stirs them and puts them in the dish. It seems to help a lot. Good luck!

How active is your 2 year old. If you allow him to go outside run and play hard, he should work up an appetite. Did the Dr say you could allow him to drink ensure because that way he is getting the nutrients he needs. What are his favorite HEALTHY foods. Let him eat lots of that. I think allowing him to play hard will work up an appetite. Wish you the BEST....

My picky eater will always eat chicken noodle soup, fresh fruit (especially berries), vanilla or cherry flavored yogurt, and curly pasta with fresh marinara sauce. Lately she's had a taste for roasted chicken w/pineapple.

I usually sneak the veggies in the soup and sauces. And, oh, everything we eat is gluten free (i.e., rice noodles/pasta), so a little more time is spent on prepping and cooking, but it's well worth it. She's had wheat pasta in the past and totally declined it. She's also had a taste of milk and cheese and didn't care for it. Babies' bodies are naturally drawn to local, fresh and wholesome foods. Nothing boxed or processed for us.

Here is a good resource for you: http://www.cookingtf.com/children.html

Hope this helps.

~L.
www.notaboutfood.com
www.accesspilates.com

With my children I was never a believer in snacking. They were offered breakfast, lunch, and supper withnothing but water in between. I thought this gave their tummys time to empty out so they would truly feel hungry at meal time. This system worked well and they were very healthy. I do remember at certain ages they had growth spurts and would be more hungry than at other times. Some people natuarally have small appetites. Every person has individual tastes. Do you know what his favorite foods are? Will he eat better if he is with other children watching them eat? Does your doctor see any physical problem why your child would not feel hungry? AF

I've gone through this with all 3 kids. My daughter, now almost 7, now eats very well. My son, now almost 5, eats very well. My 1 year old is the new struggle. The other two started to eat more when they went to preschool that had lunch time and they saw the other kids eating. They ate better at 3, even better at 4 and terrific by 5. My baby boy is in the 10th percentile for weight and 90th for height. He doesn't look bad, either. My deal is taht they don't get ANY foods that aren't healthy foods. I also limit his milk intake (under doctor's advice) to a max of 24 oz. a day. I just keep giving foods and he eats what he eats. I also give him a liquid daily vitamin in his morning milk bottle. I will feed him anything that I'm eating because he seems to want to try what I'm putting in my mouth. Fortunately, we don't have any allergies. His favorite foods are cut up bananas and wheat cracker sandwiches with a tiny bit of peanut butter (cut into quarters). I make 4 sandwiches and use a total of about 1 tsp. of pb between the 4.

Good luck!

While I can't really offer any advice...my 2 year old girl just started this kick where she is only eating small amounts of food but chugging down tons of juice, water, and milk! She drinks somewhere between 40 and 60 ounces of liquids a day, but will only really eat about 2 cups of food in a day.
At first I thought it was the sweets, and started cutting her juice thinner and thinner with water, but even at 80% water and 20% juice she still sucks it down.
Sooo...I guess (and this is what I'm doing) you can just offer him some of your food when you eat. Don't cook especially for him, you'll just end up wasting food. Cook for you, and if he's hungry he'll eat...if not, he might at least show some interest in the food since you're eating and he doesn't have anything in front of him to turn his nose up to!

Good luck and dont feel like yu're starving him! If he's got a small appetite it'll help him not become one of the millions of overweight kids in the future!

My (almost)3 year old is the same way. I try to give her foods that I know she will eat (PB & J, oranges, apples, sometimes even cookies) just to get something in her and then at dinner time she has whatever we have, if she doesn't eat it I don't worry too much because I know she ate something that day. There was a 2 week period where all she ate was yogurt. Does your child drink alot of liquids throughout the day? If so, it may be that he isn't hungry because the liquids have "filled" him up. As far as the way food looks, many kids go through things like that. My son had major issues with the way it felt in his mouth (not a visual thing but a sensual thing). This tends to be a picky stage for kids. Just keep trying and good luck!