WWYD - is there such a thing as to much when it is healthy foods??

[Deb_in_oz]

I know this is so odd to ask, but I have an almost 3yo who is a milk and fruit- aholic.  while she does eat other food she could happily live 90% of the time on these 2 things  how much is too much?

I currently try to limit her to drinking milk 3 times a day (after she eats B/L/D, although often she wants it WITH/instead of breakfast).  she has anywhere from 4-8+ serves of fruit in a day (having had dinner she is sitting down eating her 3rd small plum in a row! and just called out for "just one more plum mom"  )  Today she has eaten:

B: usual grazing / picking (she is not a breakfast eater) that included 1 pink pancake, some rice krispies and raisins, milk and V8 fruit and veg juice (diluted), smal bowl of red grapes
S: meusli bar and some mini rice cakes
L: some wholemeal pasta, salami, assorted dried fruits, followed by milk
S: few bites of date scone and some diluted juice
D: chicken and turkey sausage, blueberry yogurt
followed by 3 plums!!  she just keeps asking "what else can i have" - this is an ongoing refrain from her  so i worry that she just never gets full from all the fruit - she is hovering here right now saying "let's see whats in the fridge"
later: will have milk

does that seem ok? some days she eats more than others - she has a range of foods she likes (beyond the fruit and milk it is largely - grilled cheese, smoked salmon, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes,homemade mac and cheese, sausages, peanit butter, yogurt, snack foods like pretzels and popcorn, ham and for carbs mostly bagels, Wholemeal pastas, crackers


seeing as my 2 are opposites i am used to alex who rarely eats fruit and has not had milk as a beverage since 20 mo old when we tried to transition milk to the cup  so this is new territory for me

anyone have similar situation? anyone a nutritionist who can tell me if there is such a thing as "too much" fruit or mik

[Layla]

Deb, just want to tag along as Isabella is a fruit & milk-aholic also. She takes after me cause I can live on fruit & especially in this season... I love stone fruit!!! The only side effect that I know of too much fruit is all that poop... she has been going like 3 times a day! I did ask my friend the other day if there is such a thing as too much dairy and she said yes... but I am not sure how much of that applies to toddlers...not sure so want to find out as well .

[Deb_in_oz]

funny thing is it does not cause liv to poop any more than usual (average of 1-2 times a day).  glad to see another mom dealing with this- do you set any limits or just let her be the judge of what si "enough"

[Layla]

I dont set limits with fruit... it hasn't got in the way of her eating habits overal. She can too go through days on eating like she's never eaten before & other times she'll live on thin air! She eats pasta, fish, beans/lentils, soups, toast with peanut butter/cheese/vegemite, crackers, porridge, weetbix, eggs, rice with veggies & a couple of other things. I do try to limit milk because she will just drink & drink & drink if it were up to her. Like for b/f she has a proper meal (this is the only consistent meal of the day ) & with it a cup of milk. Then about 1/2hr later when she sees daddy drinking milo, she will want some too.. so its only fair that I give her some. So thats already 500ml of milk in the am. Snack is always fruit & lots of it! Then she'll have another cup of milk around lunch time, followed by fruit as a snack when she has quiet time & then another cup at dinner (so thats another 500ml). She always wants more milk but I give her water follow up instead b/c I do worry that its too much dairy (like I said before I have no issues with too much fruit cause its natural, iukwim... but with milk I worry more cause we are still on full cream). She loves cheese so for lunch she might have toast with cheese & she loves youghurt... so thats even more dairy .

[Claire Anne]

Yes it seems odd to worry about too much fruit but the way I look at it, too much of anything isn’t great as you need a balance. My 2 love fruit also but I do limit it somewhat as it is high in sugar so potentially could cause tooth decay too even though it’s a better type of sugar than refined but it is sugar nonetheless! Also I remember a friend who had irritable bowel was told she was eating too much fibre (shock!!!) so I don’t want to overdo it on the fruit in case their digestive systems can’t handle it! I think they’d happily survive on raisins and grapes all day. Who wouldn’t?!!

[SiestaNoMore]

My boy loves fruit too. I don't limit it but do "hide" it until he has eaten the rest of his meal. If I give him fruit (or if he even sees it) with his breakfast he won't touch anything but the fruit.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Deb I think that's fantastic! I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[andibig]

Deb

Sasha absolutley loves fruit.Its not unknown for her to eat 4 satsumas recently.she seems to go through phases with particular fruits.At the moment its satsumas and kiwi fruit.

I don't normally limit fruit unless its getting near to a meal time and i think shes filling up before her meal.but then she can have the fruit after her meal.

Love to say shes a milk-aholic but since shes turned 2 the only way i can get milk into her is with her cereal

[Deb_in_oz]

i hope you are all right. why is it easier to trust other mommy's instincts than our own - i feel terrible actually uttering the words "no you cannot have more fruit, you need to eat FOOD" 

andrea - that is how liv is - she will eat loads of grapes, then 2 days later is al about the watermelon, then wants apples etc.  i can only think that it is relatedf to the vitamin content and maybe they max out on whatever vitamin is biggest in that fruit and then they crave a different nutrient 

alex is the same about milk - she gets it in her cereal and actually sips extra milk off her spoon and i try to explain that this woudl be the same in a cup but she says she does not like it as a drink - only has water - has NEVER accepted even juice. and then i am at the grocery store buying 6 litres of milk at a time to feed the milk monster LOL.

another - do your kids who LOVE fruit eat veggies as well ? Liv will eat a few raw veg (mostly cucumbers and tomatoes) but i think has learned from big sis to leave over all her veg at meals. i continue to offer a variety of veg every day bt they don't touch it.  (hence my appearance on the deceptvely delicious thread)

she just does not seem satisfied with food - she has had 1/2 a plain bagel, milk and when she found out we were out of plums she did not have any other fruits for breakfast - she must be really craving plums  and is now giving me her usual mantra "what else can I have. let's go check the fridge" - i feel like i am endlessly trying to figure out what the heck to feed these kids and it drives me batty (especialy the fact that they have opposite issues, so i am teling one she can't have fruit and the other i am begging to eat a grape or banana even once a week)

thanks for the support - i have been driving myself crazy in my own little bubble.  BTW Liv is also a snacker / grazer so this is an endless process through the day. i do not even try to force her to eat a whole meal in spite of dh constantly telling me to stop the snacks  it is not like she is sitting down with a bag of cheezels or something

[ryan's mum]

It's been mentioned previously but just watch for teeth decay  , chipping on the enamel .

[andibig]

Deb

I'm not sure where i read it (will find the magazine) but a Dr said if they tend to eat a LOT of fruit then not to worry too much about the veggies being limited ,if that makes sense.

Sasha is getting better with veggies but generally prefers salad veggies like cucumber and tomatoes (actually she LOVES cucumber).Shes only just started eating potatoes after not eating them since she was weaned!!!

Oh and DH is always going on about "stopping snacks".I keep trying to explain shes only 2.5 yrs old and her appetite varies from day to day but 

[N Lou]

Liv will eat a few raw veg (mostly cucumbers and tomatoes) but i think has learned from big sis to leave over all her veg at meals. i continue to offer a variety of veg every day bt they don't touch it. 

Technically, cucumbers and tomatoes are both fruits too!

Seriously though, i really wouldn't worry, like you say, they're not snacking on junk all day and they're still learning about food.  Don't let it become a big deal, eating good food should be an enjoyable time for all the family, not a stress. (i know easier said than done!)
Have fun with food, teach them where food comes from, get them excited about food and they'll be more inclined to try things that they maybe have turned down in the past.
It took 11 times of putting cauliflower on DS's plate before he would eat it - now he asks for it and is disappointed if its not on the menu!
DS gets bored at mealtimes and would never sit and eat a meal (snacked like crazy though) so we play games to keep his interest.  This works really well if its something that he's not keen on or unfamiliar with.  We play a copying game so i'll pick up a piece of carrot and he has to pick up the same, then we see who can pop it in and chew the fastest.  He really enjoys it and he then less focused on what he's eating (less likely to turn his nose up at it) and also teaches him about chewing thoroughly etc.
Okay now i'm rambling, hope some of it helps but basically i think your kids have a great diet!!! Mwah!

 

[Colin Macs Mom]

another - do your kids who LOVE fruit eat veggies as well ?

Sigh. Colin used to eat veggies just as well, but not anymore! He still loves peas, corn and sweet potatoes but that's about it. Sometimes green beans. The only sure bet really is the Gerber side dish of sweet potatoes with carrots. He'll inhale that in no time.

[Deb_in_oz]

so now i can't even count the cucumber and tomatoes as a triumph LOL  typical and isn't ti funny how they both like cucumber so much.  she does like red peppers sometimes and likes sauteed onions when we do BBQ or stop at a  sausage sizzle (her favourite meal)

[Layla]

Deb, Isabella loves cucumbers too (not too keen on tomatoes though).

I don't actually worry too much about tooth decay since we brush teeth twice a day & I know that fruit contains sugar but I rather she eats this type of natural sugar than lollies, etc... If she only ate fruit & fruit only I would worry but it doesn't effect her overall appetite so thats why I dont limit fruit so much.

I know that citrus fruits can wear the enamel away

[andibig]

LOL-realised when i logged off that cucumbers and toms are fruits.

I think Layla put it very well.Sasha did go through a period of just wanting fruit and we noticed fruit was replacing her meals.Thats about the only time I limited fruit.But generally her diet is well balanced now so don't really have any worries.

And we don't worry about her teeth as she loves brushing them

[shanaz]

Hi all

Just wanted to say my DD is the same.  Her current obsession is grapes but for about a month running up to christmas it was bananas, bananas and more bananas. Some days she'd have 4!  I was always worried that she would get constipated or something but she was fine.  She doesn't eat a massive variety of food, mainly pasta & sauce, cheese, fish fingers, cucumber (just discovered this), sometimes chopped toms, she'll sort of nibble on some steamed veggies like green beans, brocolli, carrots & baby corn but that's about it veggies wise.  She won't touch cereal at all but will eat toast with cream cheese or marmite.  I've just bought the deceptively delicious book so I think I may give some of those recipes a go.    I really try not to stress about food too much as I don't want her to get a negative relationship with food.  She's still growing and healthy so I guess she's ok!

[Deb_in_oz]

amazing how similar they all sound! - liv also does not eat cereal (other than to pick at dried cereal or eat a bite of mine  ) and is not a breakfast eater, BUT i started making the pink pancakes from the DD cookbook and those include ricotta cheese, beetroot and apples which realy boost the nutrition values in my book and both girls LOVE them.  Liv actually ate THREE for breakfast the other morning - apart from one breakfast over a year ago when dh and i celebrated she ate a whole bowl of cereal, this was her biggest breakfast since!! worth the price of the book for that - i am planning on another double batch this weekend to stock the freezer.

[Colin Macs Mom]

All hail the pink pancakes!! 

[andibig]

I'm going to have to buy that book .I wonder if its called a different name in the UK

[Claire Anne]

All hail the pink pancakes!! 

What on earth are pink pancakes?!!!!!!

[Colin Macs Mom]

Pancakes with beet puree, ricotta cheese and shredded apple. They're AWESOME! From the Deceptively Delicious book.