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My son, Ryan, is about 16 months old. He has generally been a good eater as in willing to try new things, but lately he has become extremely picky. Foods that he liked before, he has decided he doesn't want now. It seems like he has decided what his favorite foods are and that is all he wants. We gave him animal cookies for a while, but he decided that was all he wanted, so now the poor guy gets none.
What he likes and will usually eat with little or no trouble:
oatmeal with applesauce mixed in bananas, pears, peaches and a few other fruits cottage cheese cheese cream cheese and bread bread
He won't eat any meat, although he did eat Vienna sausages for a short while. He used to eat veggies, but now he turns up his nose.
We've been told that what he will eat is sufficient for his nutrition. My concern is whether we need to be encouraging him to eat a bigger selection at this age and how hard we should push him. We try to feed him broccoli, then carrots, then something else, then something else before finally giving him something we know he'll eat. I think this is a bad idea, because it's reinforcing that if he refuses and cries, he'll get his way. But we hate to send him to bed hungry.
How have the other parents here dealt with this? What about from the pediatric like standpoint?
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Why broccoli? Horrible stuff, no wonder he refuses. Are you serving the carrots raw? If so, you could try boiling them. Or vice-versa. Maybe mash them up, potato-style? Mix them with something else, that he likes?
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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I would be careful with the cheese. When I was little I would eat almost nothing but cheese and peanut butter (not together), and was probably the only four year old who had to be put on a special diet because of high cholesterol.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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I think (as a professional) that the biggest mistake is to permit long-standing malnutrition. You aren't doing that. The second biggest is to introduce food into the realm of power struggles. So long as you can avoid the former, by all means avoid the latter.
There are a lot of sneaky ways to get veggies into kids -- pureed into tomato sauce for spaghetti, baked a'la zucchini (or broccoli! ) bread, etc. [and some great suggestions above] But most importantly, if food doesn't become an issue now, then it won't be in the future. Once he's old enough, you can involve him in picking out the freshest produce, fixing meals for the family, and so forth. Believe me, that's a lot easier than being dogmatic now.
Of course, I'd defer to your family physician regarding nutrition, and I would defer to you regarding what is best for your little guy. This is just an opinion. It is, however, based on a lot of informed reading and some clinical experience.
[ December 30, 2004, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
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Broccoli was just an example. And that is one of the foods that he seemed to like up til recently. Same with the carrots. And peas. And green beans. And sausage.
Scott, are you being serious?
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If it is helpful, you should know that most children go through bizarre food fetishes or restrictions as they go from infanthood to school-age. Just preventing malnutrition and hanging in there is an awesome goal, IMHO.
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I don't know if he's the age for it, but could it be teething troubles? It seems to me that the foods he still eats are all fairly soft and mushy. Raw carrots could be pretty tough on sore gums. If that is the trouble, you may just have to wait it out.
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Thanks Sara. That's one of the things I really wanted to know. Is it too early to be having this kind of power struggle? If he's getting the nutrition he needs, should we deal with getting him a variety of foods at a later date?
BTW, he hates tomato sauce and pasta and he spit the zucchini bread right back out. His mom was very sad about that since she had baked it just for him.
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My son turned 2 in September. He started off eating pretty much anything. Now (and for the last couple of months) he refuses to eat anything that looks strange to him. The other night my wife made pizza with green peppers and tomatoes on it. He started out eating it fine but any of the vegetables he saw he refused to eat. He ate lots of them that he didn't see though. There are very few vegetables he will eat. He loves pasta, pizza, cheese, plain rice, pepperoni/sausage/ham, pickles and olives (pretty much the only vegetables he will eat), most fruit, and yogurt. He will eat almost anything if he doesn't see it first though. It's pretty frustrating and it is hard to let him eat other things as that makes my daughter think it should be okay for her as well.
I like the suggestion of pureeing stuff and mixing it into pasta sauce as that would fix the problem of seeing it.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated here as well.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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KOM, we have considered that. He actually has more teeth than typical for his age. He's got 8 teeth up front and already has molars coming in. But this happens constantly now, not just when he showing the other signs of teething. We've never actually given him raw carrots anyway.
He doesn't fall for the airplane trick anymore.
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This is prime age for food power struggles, in my experience. He has enough going on his brain to process wants and desires, but he can't communicate. Thus, the lead-in to the "terrible twos." It's great to be creative and try new ways of serving or new items, but I'd avoid burning yourself out on this particular issue. Avoid malnutrition, and once you and he can communicate, make it a fun and exciting privilege to be involved with food.
You're a great dad. Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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The trick is in how you cook it. Overcooked or undercooked broccoli is a crime. Cut it into small pieces lengthwise and steam it just until it's bright green and a knife slides easily into the stem.
Cooked this way it's irresistable. Any other way, it's disgusting.
Posts: 12 | Registered: May 2004
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We got our kids to eat broccoli by calling them "little trees" and saying, "Awww, look at the cute widdle twee!"
16 months might be a bit young for that though.
Actually, our 18-month-old-who-used-to-eat-everything has suddenly become fickle. I am interested in the advice given here also.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Make sure it is not too bland. My kids would eat old shoes if I put fresh pesto on them. Keep presenting the veggies, but don't make it an issue. If you're worried about nutrition, give him a multi.
Posts: 1021 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I read somewhere that it often takes like 30 presentations on a new food in order to get a young child to accept it. That's been proven right with my own kids.
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I always liked broccoli as a kid. Though I must admit that I liked it even more when I saw on TV that you could pour melted Cheez Wiz on it...
Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Feeding your child broccoli?! How inhumane! haha, jk.
^^Anyways, what he said. If he's already eating cheese, why not pour cheese over the broccoli.
Admittedly I don't know anything about kids, but what about reverse psychology? You could present the food and if he doesn't eat at first, you could still eat it and show him you enjoy it and maybe that'll get him to want to try it?
Posts: 298 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Indeed. I remember once when my little sister went for weeks on a diet of bread and cheese. They had to take her to the hospital to get her unplugged. I believe my little brother went through much the same thing. She's smartened up, but he still hates almost all vegetables.
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The broccoli we give him always has cheese on it. And he doesn't fall for the reverse psychology trick anymore than he does for the airplane trick.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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zgator, I would also try not to stress about it too much. My son, starting from 15 months on, was extremely picky. We were actually on WIC at that time, and before your appt. you have to keep a food "diary" of everything the child has had in the last 24 hours. I was told at one appt. that obviously I wasn't giving him adequate nutrition. I showed up the next time with a diary that showed what was offered versus what he actually ate. I was then given an apology by the nutritionist.
He did grow out of it. I just kept offering healthy foods. Today he is still somewhat picky (for example the only fruit that he truly likes are apples) but he eats almost no junk food.
Just keep trying to be low-key about it, and I'm sure things will turn out fine.
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Or, in the interests of keeping things colourful, you could try threats. Sharp pointy objects can be used as props, should the need arise. Posts: 1996 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Alas, digging holes, I wished for a son that would not be afeared of things, because he needs to be able to ride roller coasters with his daddy. That's what I got - a boy with no fear.
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Yeah, but at 33", he's only got 9 more to go before he ride the small coasters. 15 more for the big boys.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Can't help you. My girls have always been wonderful eaters. The few things they would not eat, I would not replace--they could either eat it or be hungry. But then I never served them again. I can count on one hand how many things I am talking about: jelly (for Banana, but we have "discovered" this numerous times through numerous incarnations of jelly) and olives for both, and one particularly disgusting line of Lunchbuckets. So since it's so few foods, I don't feel any need to change them.
It sounds like most Hatrack experts would disapprove of my "eat it or be hungry--the choice is yours" method, but it worked for us. As I've said, though, we've been lucky. I wouldn't say that we made eating a power struggle, because there was no fighting, no screaming or shouting. Just, "You don't like that? Okay. Don't eat it."
Banana did go through a little phase of saying "Oh, I don't like that" before even knowing what something way. Mango helped us cure that beautifully, when I served Mango, but not Banana, things like that, but we would not give to Banana. ("Oh no! You don't like eggnog! You told me so! I would not want to give you something you don't like! Maybe some other time you'll like it.")
Our biggest problem is when we eat out, because a lot of restaurants automatically bring the kids' food early. We always specifically tell them not to, but . . . The worst was the other night, when we went to Fridays. I specifically asked the waitress to bring their salad with our salad, and their meal with our meal. Their salad and meal came together with our salad, and they were completely done with all of their food before our meal arrived. Normally we would try to slow the girls down in that circumstance, but I was feeling particularly ornery, so I just let them eat away, knowing that this would make them a bit borefidgety while they waited for us to eat our meals. Every time the waitress came by, I just met her eyes and said, "I tried to warn you!" Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:It sounds like most Hatrack experts would disapprove of my "eat it or be hungry--the choice is yours" method, but it worked for us. As I've said, though, we've been lucky. I wouldn't say that we made eating a power struggle, because there was no fighting, no screaming or shouting. Just, "You don't like that? Okay. Don't eat it."
Oh, no, at least not for me. I think that's a fine way of handling things. It's when it gets emotional investment and becomes a battle of wills that I think you set up a future battleground for disordered body/eating issues.
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Boon
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posted
Well.
Dan has been my only even semi-picky eater. And he won't refuse much.
For a while, he didn't like certain vegetables. Problem was, I never knew which veggie until, about once a week or so, he'd announce "I don't like corn." Or green beans. Or carrots. Or whatever. He liked it fine the next time it was offered though.
We gave him a very simple choice. Two bites, or no dinner at all. No fuss. No arguing. He only missed one meal ever.
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Ic, I do the same thing. But as you, it helps if they're not extremely picky.
It also helps -- as was true for my kids, but is clearly not true for some of the others mentioned in this thread -- if the pickiness doesn't really manifest until after the kid is old enough to really understand "You have two choices: you can eat it, or you can not eat it. Up to you! "
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I've never had a child that would eat normal food. We only have the one and he's a freak about food. He refused baby cereal after the first time he ate it and refused baby food altogether. The only thing he eats today is Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal bars for breakfast, peanutbutter (no jelly) sandwiche, capri sun juice, Pringles and a Swiss Roll for lunch and for dinner, he usually eats a frozen pepperoni pizza or chicken noodle soup. And sometimes he'll eat vanilla ice cream.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Rainbow is a picky eater too...but she always has been, and she's always had terrible table habits. But there are some things that work when we decide to assert ourselves.
One is not putting very much food on her plate. We put almost nothing on her plate. Just a tiny bit of each food we're having for dinner. When she finishes that, we give her more. I've seen that when we load her plate up, she eats almost nothing. Another thing that seems to work sometimes is looking like we're enjoying the meal enormously and being reluctant to give her very much of it so we can have more for ourselves.
Rainbow is extremely fond of sauces and being able to dip whatever she's eating. This sometimes works for getting her to eat more, but more often than not, the sauces aren't all that good for her (duh) and that's what she gets more of than the food.
I'm more in the camp of offering only what is being served, and letting a child go hungry until the next meal time. (My husband and I aren't entirely on the same page about this, so I've let it go with Rainbow, where my son -- pre-hubby -- would never have gotten away with it.) I'm assured that there are no documented cases of small children starving to death via this method. This is not very fun with really little kids, since they just get grouchy and can't be reasoned with. But if it's really a big concern, you might set aside a day or two where you plan to have a grouchy Ryan so you can help him break his bad eating habit. That method worked great with my son on all kinds of things. Setting aside time, and making a plan, not only for breaking the habit but also for whatever we can think of he might do and how we'll respond to his response.
Good luck! I am reassured with the knowledge that somehow I survived childhood subsisting almost solely on cheerios and peanut butter. I was a horribly picky eater, yet somehow managed to survive. It helps me when I want to start forcefeeding Rainy broccoli intraveneously.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Dag, I don't know, but I frequently make peas, green beans, and lima beans, all of which I hate, because I know they're good for you, I'm not the only one eating, and I think eating a variety of different vegetables is good for my family. I season my plateful with seasoned salt, which works pretty well for me, and, with the peas and lime beans at least, I don't chew, 'cause it's the cruddy stuff inside that I really hate. Maybe something in there will prove useful to you.
You could also try cooking things you don't like in a variety of flavored mediums. I have used cinnamon schnapps to good effect. Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I've recently added zuccini and squash because I found a good way to roast or grill them. And I do tend to eat them when I make dinner for several people.
I'm with you on the insides of peas and lima beans. Yuck! It's the texture of most vegetables that gets me more than the taste.
Maybe casseroles would work. I have a mini-prep now.
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i've got a daughter that turned 2 in september. she's always been a fairly good eater. then, we've always taken the stance that if we put it in front of her, she can eat what she chooses. when she's done, we toss the rest and that's her meal. she's healthy and if she needs something, she has the option to try it. the only thing she has consistently put in her mouth and taken back out is mushrooms. other things she goes through phases.
my advice, keep offering the different types of food, but don't force feed any of it or make a big deal if they don't eat it. just give them another chance next time.
Posts: 494 | Registered: Mar 2000
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A) Children have a gazillion more tastebuds than adults, hence they tend to be a little more choosy about things because of the extreme sensitivity to taste.
B) It's the adult's job to serve healthy foods and the child's job to figure out how much to eat.
C) Most children need to see a new food 10 or more times before they are willing to even consider trying it - families that "model" eating and enjoying these foods with no pressure on the wee ones tend to report more success with the wee ones eventually trying the new food.
I tricked him into eating it. I told him if he didn't eat his brocoli then his parents would disappear........he realizes I lied now but it doesn't matter because he likes it now. But this was talking to my cousin....
quote: but don't force feed any of it or make a big deal if they don't eat it.
That's really good advice. Even now if there is something that I know I haven't liked in the past, and I want to try it again my parents make a huge deal out of it so I avoid changing any patterns because I don't feel like putting up with it.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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) bread, etc. [and some great suggestions above] But most importantly, if food doesn't become an issue now, then it won't be in the future. Once he's old enough, you can involve him in picking out the freshest produce, fixing meals for the family, and so forth. Believe me, that's a lot easier than being dogmatic now.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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The worst was the other night, when we went to Fridays. I specifically asked the waitress to bring their salad with our salad, and their meal with our meal. Their salad and meal came together with our salad, and they were completely done with all of their food before our meal arrived. ![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
Normally we would try to slow the girls down in that circumstance, but I was feeling particularly ornery, so I just let them eat away, knowing that this would make them a bit borefidgety while they waited for us to eat our meals. Every time the waitress came by, I just met her eyes and said, "I tried to warn you!" ![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
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