Picky Eater - Riverton, UT

This is normal. And, no, there is nothing you can control about whether or not he's a picky eater or not. This is an area in which he expresses his freedom and personality. However, he is learning how to eat. It's important for you to be a role model. Keep introducing new foods to him. I would keep meal time at the table. Eat w/ him. Snack time can be elsewhere. Maybe set out some things that he can graze on. Now that he's mobile, the world is more interesting than eating. And his hunger levels are changing. Make sure he's getting vitamins (polyvisol). As long as he's not losing weight, he's fine. When he's older you can start enforcing rules with eating.

You've had a lot of great advice already. I would just add that eating is one of those areas that you don't want to become a battlefield. Don't develop associations between eating and emotion. This is one of the few areas kids feel they can control, so they try to do just that. The best advise I ever got is to always offer them healthy options and let them decide what to eat. Kids will not starve themselves. Just make sure he doesn't get unhralthy snacks in between. And don't allow yourself to become a short-order cook. Make healthy food and if they don't want it, they don't have to eat it. They will eat enough when they are ready. The other suggestions about getting him involved in the food preparation is also really good. Just try not to worry so much about it - (easier said that done, right?) You'll find that kids go through phases & if you don't make it into something to fight about, it soon will pass. Good luck!

L.,

Keep trying! The taste buds on kids this age are changing all the time and my doctor advised me to just keep trying. I have an 18 month old daughter and some days she likes things and some days she doesn't.

One thing I have learned (with my 4 year old son especially) is that I am not going be a "short order cook". What I make for meals is what we have to eat until the next snack or meal. I prepare things that are appropriate for a toddler palate and my kids have learned that if they don't eat what is offered they will be hungry until later. Sometimes this isn't reason enough to eat and they don't mind to be hungry for a while. If this happens I make sure their next snack or meal is a food they will eat without question. This way they follow-up with a positive eating experience.

We had a really hard time with food and my 4 year old. He wouldn't eat anything and didn't care one bit that he was hungry. We talked with him very calmly and specifically what we expected of him and he has been doing much better over the last year. I give him a very small amount of what is offered and he knows he has to eat everything on this small plate. This amount is not enough to fill him up but when he is finished he can choose what he would like more of. What this has done is open his eyes to many foods he didn't realize he liked. He is willing to try just about anything and most of the time he likes it! If we have a similar problem with my 18 mo old daughter we will begin this process a lot earlier.

My 18 mo old has started to throw the food she doesn't want. Most of the time this is when she isn't hungry enough to try something. If this behavior happens we take her out of her high chair right away and tell her that is not how we act and if she wants food she has to sit and eat nice. Sometimes she wants to be put back in and will eat and sometimes she runs away and eats at the next meal or snack. As she gets older we will have her sit quiet while the rest of us eat but this is a little advanced for an 18 mo old.

I guess through all of my ramblings my suggestion is to keep trying and stay consistant. Let your daughter know what is expected and praise often. Good luck!

Please check out the web site www.kidseatgreat.com Dr. wood has some great ideas on kids eating patterns. Good Luck!

Nutritionals you can trust www.jerrbiz.usana.com

Hi L.,
This is one of the most common complaints on the sight and with my friends who have kids. I have 2 step sons that are in their mid twenties now and went through this when they were younger and now have a son of my own who is 9. They all had their phases of being picky eaters, my oldest was continually allowed to control everyone around him by having separate meals made, throwing fits when he didn't get what he wanted...he is still that way today, he is 27.

With my next step son and my youngest I did what some call tough love but I learned about it in a course about child rearing, don't give in on this particular item. Fix a meal and that is it. If they don't like it they don't have to eat it but they don't get to fix something else. They will eventually eat when they are hungry enough. My petiatrician says they won't starve themselves.

You can also make cooking fun where they participate, my 9 year old has been cracking eggs, stirring, helping pick fruit and veggies out at the market... since he was 18 months, not always the cleanest thing to do but they have fun doing it, want to try the foods they helped make, they learn about measuring, weight, responsibility, participation....

Also keep in mind it takes a lot of times for something to taste good to a kid, they may have to try it 15 different times, before their taste buds say it is good so have at least one item you know they have liked before. If they don't like it now then don't eat it but nothing else will be made. It didn't take long for my younger step son and my son to be fine with whatever we had.

It is only the last couple generations that have had the luxury of saying 'I don't like this I want something else'. My son loves the stories of how in pioneer days they ate whatever was shot that day with very simple biscuits and were happy to have it. He said he feels lucky we have so many choices.

Make it fun and don't be manipulated because it teaches really bad habits that last a life time.
S. M

L.,
Well Mom...who's in charge of this little mans eating habits? Him or you? Think about this for a moment then come to your senses and realize that he will eventually get quite hungry if you are not offering him anything else. You aren't doing that are you? Why shouldn't he become a picky eater if he knows he can get anything he really likes by "waiting Mom out" knowing sooner or later you'll give in and give him what he wants. It will only take you a couple of days of being very consistent to wean him off the picky eaters list. Whatever you are preparing for his meals that is what goes...nothing else!! Nothing!! Oh and by the way..shut the Baby Einstein off, make mealtime an important quality filled family/table time. Blessings!

I have 2 boys 8 and 5 and I learned the hard way of food allergies. My oldest is allergic 2 the whey protein in dairy and had hives and other horrible reactions to eggs and cheese and ice cream. He is a very picky eater.

My youngest as a baby had excema and was allergic 2 oats and barley. He always refused 2 eat breads and cereal and I never forced it. He knew his body better than me. He is the best eater ever.

I look at how I was with offering food 2 them when they were babies and it was so different. I didnt expose my oldest 2 much (picky) and I overexposed the youngest(great eater).
All you can do as a parent is offer the food.

My boys go through stages of eating and not. I have to remember when they are hungry they will eat and they are learning 2 listen 2 their bodies. I dont want to force that they have 2 finish all the food on the plate because in this society it enforces over eating. That is a whole other subject anyway. Good Luck and be patient.

Just keep reintroducing the food every few days. He just needs to develop a taste for it, then he won't spit it out. But he needs to taste it to develop a taste for it. Just keep doing what you're doing.

Just keep offering it to him, don't give into just his favorites. It is normal for kids to like one thing one week and change their mind, he at least likes it to begin with. Just keep offering healthy alternatives, then bring back the ones he ate a while ago back later on. He is still young but as he gets closer to two you can be more tough on eating what is served with no exceptions, also maybe have him help with the choices. Give him three choices of healthy stuff and see what he picks. Kids change their mind all the time, doesn't mean he will be picky. Picky kids refuse to try anything.
My daughter loved carrots, now she hates them..go figure and she is six. She will eat asparagus, brocolli and peas so I am fine with her new "dislike" of carrots. I am sure it wil change again, hee hee.

I know a great kids' nutritional system.

I'm assuming you're concerned with him getting good nutrition?

We have a product called IsaFruits. You can make is as a juice, or slip it into his juice. He will get a full 30 servings of fruits without the sugar and chemicals/pesticides.
I actually put it in pancakes the otherday. :)

http://jill_reeder.isagenix.com/us/en/nutrition_isafruits...

We also have wonderful kids' vitamins! They are full of fruits and vegetables. They are above and beyond anything else out there. They are on sale buy 3 get 1 free.

http://jill_reeder.isagenix.com/us/en/isakids_essentials....

Good Luck!

This is very normal for kids his age, my son does the same thing, but all in all he still ends up getting all the nutrition he needs and that's what's most important anyhow. I also asked my mom about it and she said that all of her kids did the same thing about that age and only one of them ended up being even a little bit picky. Now that we're all grown up none of us are picky anymore.

Just go with the flow! This is a toddlers way of having a little bit of control over their lives. When my oldest was that age and for what seemed like a long time afterward she would only eat edamame and yogurt. seriously. Her pediatrician said as long as she was growing not to worry and some day she will just start eating. Well, she did and now at 5 1/2 she is a great eater and will try anything. My son is 3 1/2 and is still has some picky moments. My 10 month old will eat anything(for now). So, long story longer, don't fret, as long as he is growing. Worse case talk to you ped about a vitamin. Good luck!

From the time my son was old enough to sit up, I had him work with me int the kitchen. If I was cutting peppers, I'd pop a small piece into my mouth. I found him wanting to taste too. I would ask him questions about what he was tasting like if he could taste the sweetness in the peppers and that it is crunchy etc. When I cooked with onions we would talk about the aroma etc. He became quite a little eater and wasn't picky about much of anything. He is still really good to this day and he is twelve now. Good luck.

I went through something very similar with my son when he was about that age. What I came to find out with mine was the food he was being "picky" about where actaully causing him tummy upset. He would eat other foods just fine so I was baffled for a long time. Once that food had caused him some tummy trouble he would not even fathom trying it again. I think the memory stayed with the taste. There was not any obvious signs of these foods bothering him so of course it took over a year and lots of trying to finally figure that out. It helped out alot once he could tell me when he got a bit older. Maybe one day he will try these things again, but even though my sons diet is very basic by traditional standards, they are "good for him" foods and he eats plenty of them. Hopefully this will help.