BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Eating For Toddlers => Topic started by: MeAndVee on November 09, 2008, 13:53:44 pm
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My 14 month old is on a food strike. He will eat his oatmeal, a few grapes and kefir drink in the morning. Which is a lot and I am happy. But 10am rolls around and time for his milk snack and he refuses it. I chalk it up to him being still stuffed from breakfast, but when he only eats a few bites of his lunch when usually he eats a full meal I worry. Then he refuses his 3pm snack, and his 5:30pm supper, he might eat some yogurt rice when his daddy gets home, but then refuses his night time bottle. How can he function on so little food? He seems happy. Clingy in the morning and after his nap but once he wakes up he is on his way. Is it just a phase? Should i worry? What can I do to encourage eating more when he refuses even his favorite foods?
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Sounds like a classic toddler phase. My ds used to survive on half a sandwich and fresh air every day! Is he active and happy? Not losing weight or anything? Another thought is he could well be teething? This would explain some food refusal as it hurts to chew and suck, maybe try some teething gel or some pain meds if you think this is the case.
I would keep on offering, if he doesnt eat within a certain amount of time, take the food away and try next time. I wouldnt worry, it is most likely to be a phase. :) Toddlers seem to survive on very little at some point. DS eats LOADS now, but has his times where he eats very very little.
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Yes, apparently fresh air seems to pack a lot of calories! ;D
It is a phase. It's hard not to worry but keep offering.
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Yup, been through it 3 times so far. Waiting for it to strike again!
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I was thinking teeth too. DH is trying to convince him to eat some rice and egg. Not going well. Will try a little while longer then end lunch and put him down for nap. Will offer a snack when he gets up and just hope he eats more. Will try some orajel and see if that helps.
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If he is eating a good big breakfast then that is probably enough apart from afew other bites during the day, I read that the average toddler eats one good meal a day though we don't always see that in our house :P
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This has made me feel better to read this! My 15 month old will only eat fruit right now - actually for a long time. I guess, I would have to say he's officially picky. For awhile I thought it was a phase, but these phases last a long time. Breakfast is usually great - but the day goes downhill after that. I just read in another post to not give snacks in between meals and they will eat more at meals. It's funny because I think about food ALL day long, so I feel like my son should be hungry when I'm hungry - but I guess not.
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Can you do that? Really not give snacks? As it is he eats so little at meals that I feel like I should feed him whenever possible. He gets two snacks, one is milk and baby cereal {trying to get off the stuff but he is low in iron so I worry} and the other is a fruit or yogurt. He has skipped snacks before like today after nap he refused. This baby thing is way too complicated. :-\
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been there twice, it does get better, for dd1 it came at around her 4th birthday, i let the girls eat from my plate, only health snack, at the moment my dd2 mind is far to busy to eat, all she wants to do is get up and go go go
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That is so tough....I have nothing to add really....just that I once read on here that for a toddler, it's best to look at what they eat in a week, rather than a day. I try to remember that.
Have tou tried different foods? My dd's tastes really blossomed at that age...pancakes with blueberries, banana muffins, all kinds of fruits, cold cereals, (dry or with milk), french toast, grilled cheese sandwhiches.....???
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He can be really picky. Just keep on offering I guess and hope for the best. For the past week he has not been eating his after nap snack so I guess he can survive on 1 snack and 3 meals.
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I know exactly what you mean! My ds wont eat anything at all. He has some toast, yogurth, rice, milk and thats pretty much it....I go mad trying to get to him at least a few bites, but what he does seem to eat and never get sick of them are french fries ::) when is this phase going to end???????????? >:( ???
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Remember that their appetite also decreases in the second year. As long as he is active, sleeping well, meeting all his milestones he will be fine. If you are still concern, you can offer a smoothie as a snack. I usually put in some fruits, bananas, yogurt and milk and let dd and ds have it. Currently I'm experimenting by adding a veggie (spinach, carrots, etc) in it and they still love it.
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Just wanted to chime in as I have a pretty picky 17 month old. What I have found that has really helped is using a little plastic plate for him that has the separated portions on it. His has cars and trains on it which of course was a big hit for him! I put a little something on each spot and he is doing SO much better eating! I think he really likes to choose what he eats and in what order! I used to give him one or maybe 2 things on his highchair at a time and most of the time he would fuss or throw it on the floor. Now I've found out that he likes to eat his fruit first but once he gets that he'll eat or at least try his other food. His plate has 5 spots so I'll just put a little something in each spot, such as: some pieces of cheese, a cracker, bread, fruit, meat, dried fruit. He still refuses veggies but hopefully he'll come around soon! I've also realized that he is a pretty slow eater. I've been letting him sit in his chair longer and he's been eating more...I think I was getting him out too soon before.
Also, it's strange but I can always get my LO to eat something if he's not in his booster chair. Anybody else ever go through this? If he's playing or walking around the house and I have some food in the kitchen, he'll come in and take a bite of something and want more and more....whereas if he were in his booster and I offered it to him he would throw a fit?!! There have been several times where he's had a few bites of something and kept asking for more, but when I put him in his chair he wouldn't touch it.
Amy
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Amy, that's exactly how DS is here... If he's playing or watching Thomas the Train or whatever, he'll munch and munch, but if he's in the chair, NO way will he eat more than one bite of anything. I tried the plate thing a few weeks ago, but he just tried to chunk it on the floor. I found a couple more separated plates to try soon, so you're giving me inspiration to do so! One I got has Lightning and Mater, but one with cars and trains would be great. He's almost 19 months and was always a pretty good eater, but the past couple weeks have been a battle of wills. He got (still has) a virus that's causing the inside of his mouth to be really irritated and sore, so of course that's making it 10 times worse.
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Yeah my LO is like that too. Prefers to eat on the go. It is not a habit I would like to cultivate though. Messy for one and a choking hazard too. Was thinking about getting a little table and chairs for Christmas. Do you think he is still too young for that? Like will he sit long enough to eat knowing that he is free to just get up and leave?
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Yes - he will eat stuff when he's not in the highchair. If the day has gone bad (in terms of eating) - then we start dinner with a picnic. We just hang out on the kitchen floor and make sure he eats the most important thing (yogurt mixed with avocado) and then put him on the chair for his other stuff. I will get getting a plate soon and try that! I have a feeling that plate will end up on the floor...
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Today was a better day. He ate his oatmeal and yogurt cup for breakfast, had a PB&J sandwhich and grapes and kefir smoothie for lunch, had a fruit gel for snack, had mac and cheese and toast for dinner, and finaly a big bottle of milk before bed with water and juice inbetween. Hopefully this marks the end of this phase and we will stay on track for a little while atleast.
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Hi all. I have been reading through this thread and thought I could ask a couple of questions.
DD is 12.5 mos old and used to eat anything I gave her and now is on a food strike!
She basically will drink her milk and eat her cereal and fruit for breakfast and that's it.
My pedicatrician said now she only needs 16-24 oz of milk, but she is getting over 30 oz. because she won't eat anything else!
I keep introducing new foods, but she covers her face, pushes the spoon away and throws her food on the floor. UGH.
I try not to make a big deal out of it, but I know she needs to get more onto solids and I am not sure how to do it.
Give her fruit all day?