Author Topic: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me  (Read 3681 times)

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Offline jennifer2012

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17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« on: April 30, 2012, 03:26:03 am »
Hello to all the wise ones out there.....I desparately need your help. My little man is 17months old and I can almost count on two hands the exact number of things he will eat and that is it. He will not eat any veggies unless they are pureed. He will not eat any meat- no chicken, beef, pork...nothing or pasta, he will also not eat anything we are eating and I am guilty of making him something he likes if he does not eat what I originally give him.. If I try mixing meat in with the veg he will pick up on the difference in taste and refuse to eat.  If it is a really good day he might eat 1 or 2 bites of white fish and only if there is ketchup on it. He will not try anything new and still throws everything on the floor. He also will not drink out of a cup. The few things he will eat are : scrambled eggs, cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly on ww bread, raisin toast and yogurt. He will pretty much eat all fruits as finger foods and most veggies as long as they are pureed. I cannot imagine with this limited diet he is getting all the nutrients he needs. Is this just a phase or should i be worried it has something to do with texture?
A typical day usually goes like this.....

Wake up 715
745 Breakfast
Iron fortified cereal or toast and fruit

930 Snack
1/2 granola bar or a couple crackers with peanut butter or cut up apple.

11:15 Lunch
Grilled cheese or scrambled egg or pb& jelly on ww bread
Cut up fruit
Pureed veg
Yogurt
Water

12:00 Nap (Will sleep for 2-2.5 hours)
4-5 OZ of milk


3:00 Snack
Cheerios or dried cereal or cheese
Water

5:30 Dinner
Grilled Cheese or scramble egg, or pb&j  on ww bread (basically whatever he did not have for lunch)
Pureed Veg
Cut fruit
Yogurt
Water

7:00 Bath
7:30 Bedtime 5-6 OZ warm milk

Asleep by 8
If he does not eat at dinner it is almost certain he will be up numerous times between 12-4  screaming because he is hungry and I cave in and make a bottle for him so I can sleep and not loose my mind then next day. PLease Please help me find a happle middle ground.

Offline meredith1851

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2012, 15:20:01 pm »
I'm in the same boat. DS almost 17 mths and will not eat ANY fruits or veggies unless they are pureed and only eats toast with cheese for lunch and either chicken nuggets or fish sticks with tater tots for dinner with yogurt for dessert. He will eat oatmeal or waffles/pancakes/nutrigrain bars (no syrup) for breakfast and snacks on crackers/cheese/anything crunchy. I have tried pasta and wont touch it. Anything new he rejects. Will be following this thread. (Oh and if the pureed food has tiny chunks in it he wont eat it). I really want to get off the pureed foods at this point and don't know what to do as I have put all different types/shapes in front of him and he just tosses it!

Offline ~*Nicole*~

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2012, 21:03:59 pm »
We are having the same trouble, but with different foods. DS is no fun at meal times. He takes a few nibbles and then spits things out or throws them on the floor. He isn't taking to having milk in a cup and seems to hold out for bottles. He is very low in the weight department and the doctor was a bit concerned last we saw her. DS will eat some pureed foods but even those he spits after a few bites generally. Otherwise he'll live on cheerios and other crunchy things all day. He doesn't seem to like pasta, meats, or veggies much. He'll eat fruits as long as it is cut up like finger foods.

The doctor wanted me to cut back on bottles and try to encourage more food intake but he's already not having a lot in terms of bottles and he is still not super interested in food.

Following along as well.







Offline ZacsMumme

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2012, 21:17:46 pm »
Sigh, sorry another one following along :(
We hit the fussy period at 17 months and as hard as i try Z is still in it. He was SO fussy yesterday that I make him sandwiches I know he likes and he wouldnt eat them...goes to the fridge and says 'Mar' - For marmite. I put a smear on top of the lovely cheese and pastrami sandwich then he eats the entire thing ::)

Our main issue though is dinner - Or anything to eat with a spoon other than yogurt.

Im trying not to make a big deal out of it...or trick him a bit - but so far not much success ::)
***Sara***
https://www.facebook.com/tomiandroo


DS1 - Our sensitive soul. Silent reflux.

DS2 Our cheeky chipmunk. Reflux, MSPI.

Offline jennifer2012

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2012, 18:48:23 pm »
It sounds horrible to say "I am glad I am not the only one out there with a picky eater" but I am kind of relieved it is not just my little guy and that there are other frustrated Mom's out there....Hopefully someone who has gone through this phase will respond and help us all out. Sigh.....

Offline Buntybear

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2012, 23:01:47 pm »
Hi, here is a recent thread that I found useful with my own picky DS

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=229002.0

Offline ~*Nicole*~

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2012, 13:43:23 pm »
It sounds horrible to say "I am glad I am not the only one out there with a picky eater" but I am kind of relieved it is not just my little guy and that there are other frustrated Mom's out there....Hopefully someone who has gone through this phase will respond and help us all out. Sigh.....

It's not horrible to say that...I know how you feel..... I'm glad we're in this together.


buntybear--
Thanks for sharing the link! I browsed through and did like the ideas.

I was pretty good about not offering alternatives with DD, but with DS I am not as consistent. I guess it's because I am more nervous about him getting what he needs, etc. I am concerned that DS does not seem to take in any decent quantity of anything except bottles and I know he isn't gaining weight well enough. I am sure now his growth rate is slowing down as he is 1 year, so he probably does need less calories overall, but really between 9 months and 1 year he gained no weight at all and that did concern me some.

I think I am more frustrated by the fact that he WILL taste things.....and even take one, two or three bites......but then spits them out and refuses from that point on. I suppose I should just take him down out of the highchair at that point...and at times I have....but then he's grabbing and reaching for me and crying and pointing and trying to "ask" for something and if given what he gestures to the same thing happens....a few bites, then spits out....then cries, reaches, grabs.....and is very discontent and to me seems like he is hungry but unwilling to eat enough to satisfy himself. I am thinking that HE doesn't know what he wants and is frustrated himself.....but I am not sure where to go from here. I end up carrying him around to keep him calm and can't cook dinner or clean up or help DD with anything b/c he's attached to me miserable!

This  morning so far he has:

*Nibbled on crackers
*Nibbled on apple slices
*Had a bottle 1/2 formula and 1/2 milk
*Had some diluted prune juice (milk is constipating him a little bit so working on that)
*Sucked the juice out of clementines and spit out the actual pieces

(This is from 7:00am to now 9:45 and he's still grabbing at me and crying and frustrated)

And he's not tired.....and I've tried different timings for snacks and meals....that's not it either--oh and being constipated isn't the issue....this was going on well before that started up!)

Sigh.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2012, 13:47:34 pm by ~*Nicole*~ »







Offline Hedgehog17

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2012, 09:28:40 am »
Hi Nicole - at that stage with our picky MPI DS we were spoon feeding him a stage 1 puree pouch mixed with 3.5 tsp baby porridge (gluten free) for breakfast, followed by a rice cracker or two if he wanted, then he got his milk later.

We kept mealtimes to a schedule and there was no snacking, so he was properly hungry by the next mealtime. Like you we had weight gain issues, so we were frantically worried, but this really helped and DS did start to gain  :)

He didn't really get into toast / pancakes / oatmeal until 16 mo..

*Hugs*  :-*

Offline ZacsMumme

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2012, 19:48:04 pm »
Ladies, this went down a treat with Z  thank goodness. He likes scones/toast etc. luckily I got him to have 1 bite then he was sold. It's relish but full of veges.
I posted about in recipe swap. Savory cheesecake.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=229605.msg2496177#msg2496177

http://recipefinder.msn.co.nz/article.aspx?id=765119
***Sara***
https://www.facebook.com/tomiandroo


DS1 - Our sensitive soul. Silent reflux.

DS2 Our cheeky chipmunk. Reflux, MSPI.

Offline ~*Nicole*~

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Re: 17 month old very picky about eating--please help me
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2012, 00:20:04 am »
Hi Nicole - at that stage with our picky MPI DS we were spoon feeding him a stage 1 puree pouch mixed with 3.5 tsp baby porridge (gluten free) for breakfast, followed by a rice cracker or two if he wanted, then he got his milk later.

We kept mealtimes to a schedule and there was no snacking, so he was properly hungry by the next mealtime. Like you we had weight gain issues, so we were frantically worried, but this really helped and DS did start to gain  Smiley

We are trying this out now....offering food first and trying to avoid him getting milk/formula until afterward. I do need to be more strict with mealtimes. I am going to try both of these things more consistently this week.

Sara-That looks good! I'll have to see if I can find the time to make something like that. DD would probably like it as well!