It's time to fix my 3 yr olds eating habits...

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Oh yes and take him shopping....let him pick new fruit/veg to try out.  I think one of Spencer's therapists said it can take a kid many many exposures to a food (even just by touching it) before they finally try it.

(Oh and I suppose it is helpful to note that the reason I stay away from things I dont want to make a habit is that S has ASD and it is very hard to undo a thing once it is done. She really doesnt get the "once in a while for fun" concept yet  )

[becj86]

L really responded to Green Eggs & Ham by Dr Seuss - he is so proud to try things now and that book has somehow got through to him that he may *think* he won't like something but he won't know until he tries. The other thing is that he desperately wants to grow 'bigger bigger bigger' as he says So I have extended my standard "Its my first job to keep you safe and healthy" to explain how eating healthy food and getting plenty of sleep is how he grows. Last night he was telling DH at dinner that he was being healthy eating his veges & chicken

[ZacsMumme]

I'm so embarrassed to post his days food

Breakfast
1-3 pieces of toast with jam, marmite or both and butter or marg.
diluted vege juice sometimes a yogurt or dairy food if he asks.

Snack
Offer 2 things:
Banana * now doesn't eat sometimes raisins instead
Crackers or fruit bar or something like that
Water

Lunch
Sandwich.
Chunk of cheese - often doesn't eat
Re offer banana - won't eat (or try apple, won't eat)
Sometimes a yogurt or dairy food if not at breakfast
Water

Snack
It at daycare he gets a homemade biscuit or rice crackers with yogurt topping and packet of something kid friendly only because (and it now this is awful) that's what the other kids get.
Water

Dinner
Refuses everything accept. He won't touch salad, goes on about texture and it's cold. He barely touches meat.
- homemade chips (now refuses. Sweet potato or pumpkin)
- toast or bread or sometimes he has a toastie with cheese and ham and sneaked in spinach
- sometimes he will eat some cheese

*I usually offer 4 things some vege (ie 2 carrot sticks, some homemade potato and other hot vege chips cooked in oven, chicken and cheese)

He just gets so upset by it. It's the same behaviour we get when we go to the pool and he is scared of the water (were doi tiny baby steps) but he's not scared of food as far as I'm aware, his body language is the same though.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Honestly I would not be embarrassed about that! Ok you are struggling with dinner but the rest is decent stuff, yk? Is his growth ok?

Maybe just focus on one area that bothers you, so you can keep it light?

[ZacsMumme]

I have read him books, I have used lots of positive talking about food, I have tried to have him help me cook (he's just not that interested), I eat with him, what he eats, I say yum yum yum, Zac what. To try - no mummy have it' I'm positive with what T eats, but Z won't try any of it (ie sausages, pumpkin. Chunks, felafel, chickpeas...) we talk about healthy food making him big and strong. He just doesn't seem to  get it He get hungry won't eat then cranky tbh he has never been that interested in food.

He 'does have a cup of milk (toddler formula only because it has iron in it) and a multi it before bath...I want to ditch this but ugh...I'm scared!

He is tall, but slim...he is fit. Dr doesn't have concern over growth. But he has been sick a lot this year so I'm concerned he is run down.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I kept S on formula once a day until she was 3.5 or so because her diet was limited...but then I wondered woild she have made that up in her food choices or not?

[ZacsMumme]

I kept S on formula once a day until she was 3.5 or so because her diet was limited...but then I wondered woild she have made that up in her food choices or not?

Exactly my dilemma too

[michaeljacknnugg]

Can you try to reduce it or dilute it a bit and see what happens?

[anna*]

Probably over simplistic here but at this age we had to cut out snacks entirely, otherwise Stan just wouldn't eat properly at meals.

[Shiv52]

Hi Sara

From what I've read another approach that is meant to help is to stop ALL chat about food. Not to even mention it. No encouragement or cajoling.  It completely takes the pressure off LOs who are having a hard time with food. And you just offer meals and snacks. No alternatives. Just set out a couple of things and he can eat what he wants. If he doesn't eat that's fine too. But no talk about food or eating at all. It's a really hard habit to break. Always make sure there is something he will eat on offer amongst the choices.

I tend to not not offer things I know mine don't eat. I used to not and say just put broccoli on a bowl on the side and M got to the stage where she used to have a fit if foods she didn't eat were on her plate. So now the meal goes on the plate. For ages that was fine then we moved to a one bite rule, so everything on the plate had to be tasted. I settled for licking or even chewing it and spitting it back out initially.

One thing I know from work is when LOs area eating less their appetite does decrease therefore it does take less to fill them so it is a good idea to get rid of snacky type foods from the house you'd prefer him not to be filling up on. I hope DH was very contrite about the junk at the weekend!!

Does he eat cereal?  Could you use the toddler milk to make up porridge or weetabix at bedtime instead of the cup of milk and then that could be transferred to brekkie?

What is the time of snack in Relation to dinner? If I let mine eat anything after 3pm they will eat nothing at dinner at 5.30/6.

Hugs xx rosa rarely eats dinner. But honestly I have let go of the worry. All we can do really is provide decent balanced meals and the rest is up to them isn't it?

[Shiv52]

Probably over simplistic here but at this age we had to cut out snacks entirely, otherwise Stan just wouldn't eat properly at meals.

No we did that at 3 with Maeve. And I've just cut Rosas. If I give her her mid morning snack at 10.30 she will not eat lunch and she needs to eat lunch as she goes to preschool at 12.45.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Good point - DS has only just got to the point where an afternoon snack doesn't ruin his dinner.

[Hedgehog17]

Same here, any snack has to be very light (eg a small box of raisins) otherwise meals are untouched.

I haven't given him an afternoon snack for ages! He only gets a morning snack if he asks, and not too close to lunchtime.

Here we get short phases of eating well, then longer ones of eating less. I think it's happening around growth spurts, so as he gets older there will be fewer of those!

I'm currently concentrating on good foods for healthy bowels as we go through potty training, so quality is more important than quantity 

Are you giving him a multi-vit and a probiotic? Those will help him bounce back after illness 

[Buntybear]

I tend to not not offer things I know mine don't eat. I used to not and say just put broccoli on a bowl on the side and M got to the stage where she used to have a fit if foods she didn't eat were on her plate.

We had this today for the first time with cauliflower. Refused to eat anything on his plate. Didn't tell us what it was though. I eventually guessed after 15 mins of cajoling and tantrums 

I agree with Shiv about totally taking the pressure off. Just give him what he wants with no pressure. If he eats chips every night for a week then at least he is eating something and it is not a battle ground to get it eaten.

[Shiv52]

I tend to not not offer things I know mine don't eat. I used to not and say just put broccoli on a bowl on the side and M got to the stage where she used to have a fit if foods she didn't eat were on her plate.

We had this today for the first time with cauliflower. Refused to eat anything on his plate. Didn't tell us what it was though. I eventually guessed after 15 mins of cajoling and tantrums 

I agree with Shiv about totally taking the pressure off. Just give him what he wants with no pressure. If he eats chips every night for a week then at least he is eating something and it is not a battle ground to get it eaten.

Sorry I was saying the opposite.  I do not cajole to favourites just to make sure mine are eating. I offer our meals and make sure there is something they will eat readily enough but I will not get into just making the same thing. I meant take the pressure off as in no cajoling. Just 'dinner time' then talk about tractors or whatever. He eats, he eats. He doesn't he doesn't. I went through a stage of not putting things M didn't eat on her plate and just left them on the table in case she wanted to try. In the end I went back to putting them on the plate. She didn't have eat the stuff initially but she did need to just leave it on her plate.  Sorry I realise my post was confusing.