Okay, so I need help. Or maybe just assurance that this will naturally fix itself like many other issues have. My 2 year old won't eat hardly anything - won't even try a lot of things that I think he would like. The list of things he'll eat are fruit (any kind), PB&J, crackers, chips, toast, yogurt, cheese, and Campbells soup - eats just the noodles out of it. He will now also eat plain spaghetti noodles, but that is about it. Of course, he'll eat and loves any cookie or dessert. He has a sweet tooth. He won't eat Mac n cheese or even put it in his mouth. Won't eat meat with the exception sometimes of a very small amount of turkey lunch meat as a sandwich. If I give him a plain piece of turkey, he just takes a small bite and that is it.
I need your help with ideas. I bought the deceptively delicious cook book, but the real issue is that he won't even try half of that stuff and will spit it out when he does. The only ideas I can make work from that are the veggies in pancakes and french toast or a few of the muffins. I don't know what to do to get him eating savory meat and veggies. Would you believe he won't even eat chic fil a nuggets or hot dogs?!
Please help with any ideas or assurance that it will get better. I'm having a hard time going to a lot of effort to put the healthy stuff on his plate because it always goes untouched.
I have a 20-month-old that is also picky. She wont touch
PB&J or Mac & cheese. Maybe try those small cheese hot-dogs that come in a bag (new--cost $2.50 at Brookshires)... What about mashed potatoes & gravy ... carrots? Mine also loves any type of fruit -- which causes OTHER probs -- but her fav in the WORLD -- is french fries & Dinty Moore beef stew.
Try tator-tot casserole -- thats how mine started liking veggies!
I wouldn't make too big of a deal about it. He eats good foods, just doesn't like a big variety. Two year olds LOVE to try to control, so if you act like it is a big deal that he won't try things, he WON'T try new things. Just keep giving him new foods, let him see you and your husband eat and enjoy it, and don't make a big deal if he doesn't eat something. Eventually he'll try it, and he will not go hungry. Two year olds love to dip things - how about some ranch or hummus with veggies? Have you tried Barilla Plus pasta? It is made with lentils and flax seed, but tastes exactly like the pasta with less nutrients.
Hey,
I read your post and have to say that your son eats lots more things than mine does. We can only get ours to eat fruit (any kinds, like you) cucumbers, plain pasta- but won't eat spaghetti noodles or any noodles in soup- and things like goldfish crackers or saltines...but no PB or J. He won't eat any kind of meat...doesn't matter how it is cooked or cut up. Won't eat eggs...doesn't matter how they are made. Won't eat cheese....I have tried every kind several times. Mine won't even eat pancakes, waffles, or french toast. He won't touch a muffin or a cup cake. Or any cake for that matter. You know how kids love to eat off mommy and daddy's plates? He has NEVER wanted ANYTHING off our plates..EVER! Mine won't even touch bread...no matter what kind. So if your son eats a sandwich you are doing better than us. Oh, he will eat sliced carrots (out of a can) but won't eat fresh carrots or even carrots that have been cooked or steamed...only the ones out of the can. He recently decided he likes peanuts and cashews and we have no idea what made him decide he wanted those. He looked in the pantry and pointed to them so I gave him some and he ate them. We were shocked. But if we try to put something new on his tray he immediately tells us no no no and sometimes he will cry! It's crazy! So, anyway, all of this to tell you I totally understand how you feel. It is so frustrating, huh? We have discussed it several times with his Dr. and even with his speech therapist and because he doesn't have a texture issue or a gagging issue, they all say he is fine and will eventually start eating more things and not to worry. But that is easier said than done, ya know?
I also bought the deceptively delicious cook book...and about 20 other ones to help me with ideas but they are all geared to kids who eat normal stuff. Mine won't eat normal stuff so they are no help.
Anyway, I don't have any ideas but just wanted to commiserate with you. LOL
I hope your son starts eating normal stuff soon....mine too!
-S.
I wouldn't stress too much about it right now. Just keep offering him small samples of different and healthy foods. He is getting good protein from peanut butter and yogurt and calcium from cheese, yogurt, milk... Plain spaghetti noodles are way better for him than chicken nuggets or hot dogs and lunch meat anyway. Have you tried a sweet potato casserole??? THe brown sugar makes it sweet so he may go for it. If he doesn't want to eat new things try to at least make him lick them. My friends 2 yr old would only eat yogurt and cheese for like a year and she took him to treatment and that's what they recommended. He is doing much better now. Good luck
Your child's diet sounds great to me. He eats fruits, cheese, peanutbutter, breads. If you think your son is picky, you need to meet my four year old. He eats only about half of the foods your son eats and that's it! He has never touched pasta, potatoes, chicken, beef, pork, fish, soup. I do not make my children eat what we eat or starve. I fix them something easy and everyone sits together for a pleasent and happy meal. That is what I think is most important. Since my son is a bit older, I tell him he has to try a bite of a new food of his choice every few days and if he doesn't like it, then he doesn't have to eat it again.
I have wasted a lot of food with my toddler! I have just come to the conclusion that each day is very different as to what she will eat. This is what has worked for me:
Offer her the same food that you are eating. Most likely she will try something on the plate if she is hungry. Expect that some days he may eat a lot and some days not. We have been offering my 2 year old salmon for the longest time. Most times it would go untouched or be spit out. Finally one day she loved it! Now she its almost every time we serve it. Additionally, she went through a phase where she would only eat green beans and apples. However, we continued to just offer her whatever we were eating that day which sometimes would include both. Most night she would leave the meat untouched, but eat the apples and green beans. Howevever, we just were not concerned. Now if she wants bread or fruit. I make sure that I serve the dinner first and tell her that she needs to at least try it before I will give her fruit or the bread. She throws a fit for a bit, but eventually eats it. It ends up being more than a bite too. They will manipulate you into geting the food that they want. Anyway, good luck!
Hi D D,
I know this won't help with your current situation, but this is what I have done since my boys had teeth.
I don’t cater to individual kid meals. Our kids eat dinner with us and if they don’t like what we are having then the choice is theirs to NOT eat but that means no desert. I am not a short order cook! Once they know that you really mean this then it shouldn't be much of an issue.
My toddlers love Salmon, Pork Tenderloin, Steak, Chicken and all veggies. Eating at home, friend’s houses, or out is never an issue. Start this early :-) or they become very picky.
Good Luck!
E.
Two year olds are notoriously picky. It is frustrating to put in a lot of effort just to have him turn up his nose. Stop worrying about what your son will eat. Go through the effort for your husband. You need to keep offering new foods to the kid. Eventually, he'll try. My oldest son had to see new foods a minimum of 6 times before he'd try it. And he used to only eat the noodles in the soup, too.
I give my kids some limited choices at lunch and breakfast. Usually they have about 2 options. For example, for lunch we can heat up leftovers or make a sandwich.
Supper in non-negotiable. They may have some input in the planning stage and they are more than welcome to help prepare the meal. A two can do a surprising lot to help fix supper. Don't get upset or make it a big deal if he decides not to eat. Kids eat or they don't. I don't make mine eat and I don't fix them anything else. They will on occasion go to bed hungry because they decide they don't like what is on the table.
You can also try bribery. My grandmother gave my sister and I pennies to try new foods. A penny a bite and five extra pennies if we cleaned our plates. It didn't work for my brother. She didn't make a big deal about it. She kept putting new foods in front of us. We weren't required to eat. If we didn't that was fine, but there was no dessert.
