Picky 18 Month Old

Try maybe honey nut cheerios that worked for my oldest. Or maybe putting or mixing fresh fruit with the waffles or pancakes.

A. B

Maybe he is just not hungry. His appetite may be just the opposite in a month or two.

I remember the picky eatting constant fussing kitchen song & dance well. My 8 year old still is picky but, has learned to eat more foods as he is getting older. My middle child isn't picky at all & my 12 month old will eat what you will or won't eat!!!

You may want to try this. I always give my sons options in what they would like to eat. WHEN anyone has a negitive action toward something they do not like to eat I make sure the other children will not see that. Cause that caused them NOT to like it before even trying it.(child brain-If he says it's gross then I do NOT want to try it-eww)

I let them pick what they want at the store when shopping for food. Even my 12 month old gets choices. That way I buy what they want. (as in healthy good foods)

My 12 month & 3 year old loves finger foods.
Something that is easy for them to eat on their own.
We always make time to eat breakfast & dinner together as a family. This way they get to see what diffrent foods I love to eat & HOW to eat them. Anything that he can pick up on his own in small foods is what he perfers. Fruit loops, peaches, small pieces of bread with peanut butter, poptarts in halves. I also let him have his milk in a sippy cup instead of mixing it with his cereals.

Finger foods always gives the children a chance to experience food on their own. See what it looks like, feels like, smells like & the textures.

I also fix a tray with mixed fruits & healthy snacks.
It stays out on a small table in the living room
where all 3 children can come by & pick what they want to munch on. This helps for days when no one wants to eat or they just don't know what to choose.

my 3 boys don't all eat the same foods all the time.
Which makes me having to fix 3 diffrent meals.
But, I give them choices.(suitable choices)On what for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.
For me this seems to be working for now.

For my youngest-he started table foods at 6 months old.
I'm a old fashion cajun mom. I use my food processor to grind down large dinners for him to chew easier. He eats what we eat. & he only eats at the table along with the rest of us. Giving him a feeling of belonging. I don't use the baby food/age group he should eat method...I use my cajun sense...lol

Go-Gerts are my sons' FAVORITE!!!
But, I offer it only as a afternoon snack.
between 3-5 o'clock
If not that would be the only thing they would eat!!!!

Before you start cooking away also remeber to ask what would you like to eat. Offer 2-3 diffrent things. Children will get hooked on certain foods time & time over but, then again they can get bord with foods & go long periods of time before eatting anything.
I was always told my sons drs. As long as they have enough protien in their diet & as long as they feel "full-complete" then that is fine. Never force a child to eat something they do not want. This will make it harder for them to except foods later on.

I hope you & your child find the line to meet between what he wants to eat & what he needs to eat.

Be sure you're not doing the "dinner dance" with your child, where you offer him food and offer him food and he holds out until you give him some preferred snack because he knows you can't bear to let him eat nothing. Try serving him food, and letting that be the only option. If he doesn't eat it, wrap it up for later. When he gets hungry, reheat the food and give it to him again. When he's hungry, he'll eat. Now, I was a picky eater myself - there were many things I didn't like, either the texture grossed me out (mayonnaise, salad dressing, stewed tomatoes) or the flavor was too strong (I still find most fruits too tart). My mom found ways to work with my sensitivity - she'd scrape a thin, thin layer of peanut butter on bread for me, for example - but if I didn't want a peanut butter sandwich, I went hungry, and I knew that. I also knew I wouldn't get a cookie or a graham cracker if I didn't eat all my meal first. Remember, you're the parent, and while your child has a very strong will, you need to teach him that, barring allergies, it's rude to refuse food that someone has prepared for him.

(Sure sounds harsh, doesn't it? But you will all benefit in the end.) :)

Does he like cheese? My daughter learned to like eggs after I put cheese and ham on them for her.

My daughter, who is now 12, would rarely eat breakfast at all, at that age. I use to make small pig in a blanket. I would use link sausage instead of hot dog links and cut the crescent roll in half once they were done to make them smaller and easier for her to eat. You can also buy frozen corndogs that are made with breakfast foods. All you have to do in pop them in the microwave. You can remove the stick and cut into right size bites. She would eat waffles if they were toasted crispy, cut into finger foods, and a little syrup for dipping. She also liked instant breakfast drinks. Her doctor said it was fine for her to have,as opposed to nothing. She is still not a breakfast eater unless it is after 10:00 AM. She eats like a horse the rest of the day and is an HONOR STUDENT.

When they get hungry they will eat. Do not worry too much. Their eating will change every six months. You think you have it down pat and BOOM here you go again. Try lots of finger foods.

Good Luck '
S. Miller

It sounds like breakfast is the only time you're having a problem feeding him, so maybe it isn't that he's picky. Maybe he doesn't feel like eating immediately after waking up. I am this way and one of my daughter's is also. We have to be up an hour or so before our stomach can handle breakfast. If I eat immediately after waking up I feel sick the rest of the day...same with my oldest daughter. Maybe you could wait a little while and reoffer his breakfast to him after an hour or so and see if that helps.

I give my 19 month old son cereal for breakfast usually, and he loves it. I put frozen or fresh fruit on the top.

I make him an omelette if he's not feeling up to cereal, I put him on the counter and he watches me make it. It's a treat for him:)

I haven't given him Gerber stuff since he was 12 months old. I think they can have anything at this age, can't they?

Hi D.,
My little boy went through the same thing, being picky when he was around eighteen months. The pediatrician told me it's very normal, and that all children go through this phase. She told me just to keep offering different things and he would get out of it and he did. For breakfast I serve grits, scrambled eggs, toast and butter/and or jelly, cereal and milk, go-tarts (he absolutley loves these), grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. And I always serve a fruit peaches, pears, etc. For snacks I try different things. I diced up string cheese one day, peaches, pears, strawberries, pickles (dice them up small), pickled okra, asparagus,bananas, go-gurts (yogurt-to-go) or yogurt also is another snack he loves, sherbet, etc. I try and stick to healthy snacks but he also loves chips, etc. And just because he doesn't like something one day doesn't mean he won't eat it another. Supposenly it takes eighteen times of trying something and then you'll like it. I don't know if that's fact or fiction, but I never give up because i see now that he is more willing to try different things, instead of just not trying it at all. Just keep trying, he will get out of the phase.

Sincerely,
A.

Have you tried oatmeal or cherrios? Cream of Wheat is another good option.

You also might try giving him chopped veggies instead of pureed. He is more than old enough to self feed his self, and eat pretty much what you eat at the table.

For snacks, Fresh fruit is better for him than the gold fish and teddy grahams.

He should be eating a variety of foods, don't be afraid to offer it to him. If he sees you and his dad eating it he will be inclined to eat it.
Most children who are picky where taught to be picky not born that way.

Children know what "real" food is since they have not had their tastes adulterated with junk food yet. Try some real food and see how he does: whole grain oatmeal, fast cooking quinoa flakes cereal (available at any healthfood store) is very popular, and tastes great and is high in iron. Avocado is very nutritious and easy for an 18 month to eat. Fresh raw foods are the most healthy and nutritious. Any fresh fruits are a wonderful way to start the day, and you said he likes fruit. Try little squares of tofu too. Goldfish and teddy grahams are not nutritious and are basically white flour and sugar. I think he knows what is good for him! Sincerely,
B. S. RN CCM

I am sorry, but are hot dogs and chicken nuggets real and ok foods for an 18 months old or anybody for that matter?
I would concentrate on getting the baby to eat wholesome and nutritious food and worry less about snacks. He/she will have a lifetime to gorge on junk food.