Need help to tackle 3.5yo eating issues

[Aishi]

Ds was diagnosed with CMPI after a long struggle quite late at 8 mo. He has been on soya milk since then and we have unsuccessfully trialled cows milk a few times As a result we ended up with lots of bad habits ...still.drinking milk in a bottle, eating cereal wo milk, wont touch custard, yoghurts or rice pudding which makes me wary of stopping bottle cold turkey if he wont drink from a cup.

My plan is to talk to him about bottle fairy needing bottles for poorly babies and encourage him to take a sip from cup every day and build up like that until i think CT will work. And to only offer cereal with milk and leave it up to him whether he eats it or not. Fruit and snack at usual time if he doesnt have cereal?

same one bite approach for custards, yoghurts etc.

Wdyt could this work? would you offer reward for any success even if its chocolate on a daily basis?!

Guess i just need reassurance. Its hard to let go of the control and leave it up to ds...

Tia ladies xx

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

DD2 has been on soy milk for ages...but we dont rely on it for her calcium needs, we give a separate supplement for that and then make sure her diet is as varied as it can be. She actually never had milk on cereal until recently.

I would be really hesitant to set up a food reward for eating...I am more of the mind to offer them good food and let them control the eating of it.

[Aishi]

Hmmm think i agree with not using food as a reward...i.could try stickers...

I just want him eating normally so its not a battle....im worried dd is going to notice and will want to copy him...

Thanks for replying!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

What does he eat currently?

[Buntybear]

He won't eat soy yoghurt/custard? How is the rest of his diet? If he eats a good diet I wouldn't be too fussed if he doesn't like milky things tbh. It is only natural to be wary when there is an allergy/intolerance involved. Olly is the same. I have only just got him to like soy ice cream 

[Aishi]

Thanks.BB think his diet is ok but nope no soya products either...he did when we first went on.soya but after a tummy bug he became intolerant to.soya too and hasnt tried those since

ok so his diet:

breakfast: cheerios wo milk, brown bread toast, fruit
Snacks fruit and/ or crackers
Lunch: curry(any meat, occasionally lentils, chickpeas) with chapatti or quinoa/bulgar wheat/ couscous/brown rice/barley
snacks fruit and/ or nuts.or breadsticks/ ricecakes etc
Dinner: pasta (once a week) or fish fingers or scampi with potato waffles or chips etc

He has lots of fruit but doesnt have much veg: only peas and sweetcorn, sometimes carrots
Sometimes beans with dinner
Egg only as french toast

Milk in bottle 8-14oz but its his main source of calcium...written out like that his diet does seem ok but im worried about amount of dairy especially if i stop bottle and he refuses it out of a cup...

[Buntybear]

So he is still on soy milk? I would start offering soy yoghurt, custard, ice cream then. May everyone have them as their puddings so you are all having the same? they are really nice anyway 

Olly loves soy cheese too 

His diet looks great. Much like Olly's TBH. He won't have milk on his cereal. In fact he wouldn't eat cereal full stop until the last few months but I found a GF chocolate stars one he will eat. I do insist he has a cup of milk with it though. I try not to be fussed that he won't have it on the cereal!

No advice on getting rid of the bottle sorry.

[Lemonthyme]

What about other sources of calcium?  Like tinned salmon, mush it up and mix into fishcakes?

Actually apart from the dairy or soy, his diet isn't bad.  Green vegetables are also a source of calcium.  You could put spinach into the curry or pasta?  Have you tried tofu?  You could make something similar to mutter paneer but with tofu instead?

[Aishi]

His diet does seem.ok except for dairy...i did try hiding spinach in pasta but he wouldnt eat it...i.could try in curry...maybe better hidden there

Tofu he will only eat if i fry it till crispy...that cant be good weekly can it?

[Lemonthyme]

To be honest, if you're frying in oil not saturated fat, why not?  Kids need calories.  A healthy diet for an adult isn't necessarily a healthy diet for a child.

[Aishi]

Thats good to know! I use veg oil but could i make it healthier using a diff type of oil?  any ideas?

[Lemonthyme]

Hey veg oil is fine.  Things like rapeseed oil and sunflower oil are pretty high in monounsaturates.  Also remember tofu is naturally very low in fat compared with meat.