Feeding fussy toddler's..

[~KACI~]

I hope i'm not the only one who is havin this problem! At the moment i'm struggling to get kieran to eat anything at teatime. He doesn't like veg and never has even tho i offer every nite. He'll eat fruit but even turned down his favourite -apple 2nite. I had a similar problem 6months ago so saw the HV and she told me to cut out all snacks i did this and it worked. I started to introduce a afternoon snack about 3 months ago as he seemed to be gettin hungry, last week i stopped this but he's still not eatin. Its not the fact that he isn't hungry he just seems to have lost interest in what he liked and he won't even try anything new(he'll look or feel and decide he doesn't like) I am getting him weighed nxt week and just hopin he's not lost weight. I hope all that made sense,
Basically i need idea's
-foods your LO enjoys
-ways of getting him to try new food
-or just tell me this is a 'stage' and he'll grow out of it
Because 2nite he didn't eat hardly anything, i'm sure he would of ate a packet of crisps or biscuits but i refuse to give in because thats how we got into bad habits last time!!

 

[Mamafy]

I could have written your post It is a stage where they go through...apparently what I do is change Joes diet around so hes having things he hardly ever eats and give him what he wants. It gets better but havent a clue when, we have days here when Joe will eat everything in sight, then others he hardly seems to eat anything My kids all did and have all the biggest appetites you have ever seen now so it does get better at around 3-4 I think.

I have no suggestions but love to hear any myself

 

[~KACI~]

I'm just at a loss, went to toddler group today and sure start nursery nurse said that he eat if he wants to and as long as he's drinking he should be fine, still doesn't make me feel any better. Don't think i'l be happy til nxt week when see HV and she weighs him!! Kids hey! x x

 

[Mamafy]

 

[o0oCharlieo0o]

my son brendan is a pain with food right now, there is only certain things he likes and that is spag bol, roast dinner, and snacks lol! and i cant make spag bol or roast dinner every night! he loves mash and gravy but thats no good without veg, yesterday i mashed up broccoli and cauliflower into his mash and he ate that!!! i do that with carrots to, but even then sometimes he refuses to eat the meals i know he loves!! but he is hungry and would eat wotsits or biscuits but i wont give him them because i know that is what he is trying to get me to do, i just have to try sneak stuff into mash thats the only way i can get him to eat things lol! hope he gets out of it soon! it doesnt help at the moment he is teething so isnt eating much anyway bless him, try not to worry yourself to much xxx

 

[Elli21]

To be honest i think alot of kids go thru this, just wanting to eat the chocolate and crisps and all the crappy stuff.

Leigha went through it, where she'd look at something and say i dont like it, before even trying it.

So i found what she did like and hid veg in it, mash it up in mash, finely chop it in pasta, (so it looks like herbs) i made the brocolli stand up on her plate and told her it was a mini tree. It really works when you make food into a game ... well it did with leigha.

i hope he starts to enjoy his food again!

 

[Elli21]

Also, why dont you try asking him to help you make dinner, say that he'd be being a really big help. Thats an excellent way, as they eat what they have helped to cook.

 

[~KACI~]

Tried the helping make dinner and he abit more but still not enough and wouldn't touch the veg!! Mite try hiding the food, have to work something else out tho caz he doesn't like veg and pics any extra's that are in pasta sauce!! Thanks ladies x x

 

[cheeky_carrie]

Ive always found that when I give variety of different things and let them choose what they want they eat better let them put how much on the plate of each thing they want little amounts of various things is just as good as larger portions of 1 thing

I still chop my veg up really small and mix it in with the mash potatoes for my ds2 and hes just turned 8 hes a nightmare eater

 

[Wobbles]

I've not read the whole thread ...sorry so sorry if this has been suggested also I don't have a toddler but I only suggest what I am going to because I think its something I would try!

Poss messy but what about if he could dunk his foods into something? Like fruit dunked in yogurt? Veg not cooked to soft so he can dunk in gravy or sauce of some kind?! Dunk with him at first making it appear to be fun?

Just an idea anyway

 

[Tilly]

Dunking is a great idea, Bethanie loves to dip things. I find presentation makes a huge difference, sit with them to eat and show how much you enjoy it. Make it a game, give them pudding if they finish their meal (Bethanie doesn't get a pudding unless she makes a good effort with her dinner). Also, don't let them drink too much before they have their dinner.

Im having a few problems with Bethanie recently, but she is usually a great eater so I think it may be her gums rather than her being a typical toddler. Im sure I will be asking the same advice soon though!!

Oo and some foods Bethanie loves:
Toasty fingers with cheesey bites (basically bits of cheddar chopped up)
Humous and pitta/veg to dip
Olives, Salami, sweet peppers with feta - I do her a plate of different exciting looking things, she likes the colourful stuff.
Carrot, cucumber and celery sticks
French toast (bread dipped in egg and fried)- can be made a little more exciting by putting tinned tomatoes and grated cheese on top, then lightly grilling. Tastes good and I make little shapes from them or smiley faces.

Don't know if you do this too, but rather than mashing her food into a mess.. I make it look like a mini version of what we're eating, this makes her much more willing to eat up!

 

[~KACI~]

Thanx for the idea's, we have tried the dunking but he just used to lick the sauce etc off. Will try a few new things i think, btw she eats olives!!!