Having Trouble with My Daughters Eating Habits

Hello N.
i have a problem almost just like that my baby is 15 months old and she doesnt like certain things. but i actually asked my doctor about it and she said as long as she eats some kind of fruit and vegitable once a day then she is still gettin some nutrients. As long as she eats she is fine and as long as it isnt constant junk food. and it doesnt sound like it is. hope this helps some

My son is picky, but is slowly starting to come around. I offer him a new food at dinner along with one of his favorites. He gets his favorite at lunch unless he's at daycare. He's not picky there, because he wants what all the other kids have so he doesn't feel left out.

Remember that kids will not starve themselves. Their bodies know when they need to eat. It is best to continue to offer healthy food options everyday. Sometimes kids will refuse items several times before accepting the new flavor or texture. Also, it is important to make sure that you don't give her to much juice - because the sugar in drinks will fill her up too. I had to go beyond my likes as well. It can be surprising what kids will eat. My son decided he liked raw green peppers one day- which I hate, because he tried it at a friends house. Frozen peas and canned green bean (no salt added) are staples in my house as well for the kids.

Hi N.-
I don't know how far you're willing to go but there is a cookbook out there that shows you how to make very child appealing foods out of all kinds of veggies and more.

Okay, I just looked it up... I remembered the woman was married to Jerry Seinfeld. The book is called Deceptively Delicious. Her name is Jessica Seinfeld and an example of one of her recipes is brownies with carrots and spinach! There are many other recipes... maybe there's one involving chicken or pasta.

My five and two year old only get the good part of their dinner after they have eaten half their veggies. Eat the carrots and potatoes before the roast or biscuit is given.

Good Luck!

I have the same problem with my 21 month old daughter. Her doctor said as long as she's eating, just keep trying different things. Healthy snacks and Pedia-Sure is what I give her when she refuses to eat anything of substance. Try giving her nuggets with beans on the side. Try cooking the beans in different ways & try different types of beans(foodnetwork.com). Try the same thing with pasta. Even if she only eats a little, it's better than nothing. I know that's not the best but I hope it helps. Good luck!!

I am having the same problem with my 23 month old son. He always ate really healthy loved fruits and veggies. Now he won't eat either. I hope its just a stage. I was told just to keep offering it too him. It stresses me out!!!!!!

Just keep offering other foods in small amounts and she will eventually begin to try them. Buy the healthiest versions of nuggets and pasta that you can find and try not to worry too much. As long as she is developing normally and her health isn't suffering she should be fine. As she gets a little older you'll be able to communicate more on her likes and dislikes. I remember my now 24 year old daughter refusing to eat mashed potatoes as a toddler....and I make awesome homemade mashed potatoes! The problem was the texture.

Trust your instincts and know that this too shall pass.

When I offer my son something new, I just ask him to take two bites. If he doesn't like it, that's okay. More often than not, he likes it and will continue to eat it. Sometimes he will say he doesn't like something that I know he does, so the 'two bites' rule is helpful there. I would offer your daughter the healthy things before serving the nuggets or pasta. You could tell her that if she wants nuggets/pasta, she has to try this other food first. She won't starve, trust me on that one - just be patient and she will eat something when she gets hungry enough. Good luck!

Do not serve nuggets or pasta for a couple of weeks. Prepare meals that are healthy and she will eat when these other things are not available. Show her there is none in the fridge and she will have to eat something else. She has learned what works with you to get what she wants and if you continue to give in now it will escalate to other things. V.

Keep introducing a bite of this and a bite of that but don't push it. Also, showing yourt child that you enjoy the foods you are serving will help but in the long run. If you force it, you will begin to set up a struggle over food and no one wants that. At your child's age, they will eat what their body needs...just keep providing a balanced diet. Hope this helps, S.

Just a quick suggestion...we used yogurt-ANY kind from the kids promotionals to adult 'lite' versions and used it as a reward for trying other things. Sometimes we even put it in the freezer to make it similar to ice cream and have even found several frozen yogurts that my 5 year old son has come to love!
Good luck,
C. R.

I have a five year old son and a set of 15 month old twins. with my five year old I ask him to try for mommy and this seems to work, even if he doesn't like it he will still eat number of spoonfuls agreed upon. getting the babies to eat is a little trickier, even if I notice they do not like something I will still offer it to them by putting on their trays. Experts say it could take up to ten times before a taste is accepted. I leave them in their chairs if i see them nibbling occasionally on food left on the tray. eventually, they will come around and start eating some of the foods they may not have eaten two days before. When they start throwing I take them out.

N.,

I too had this very same problem with my daughter 25 years ago. She would only eat carbs. She is now a beautiful girl with over 60 extra pounds on her and lonely because she can't stand her FLUFFY body due to the constant carb diet. I spoke to a nutritionist about her because she is so miserable without a social life and she stated that she has yeast buildup and that is why she is only interested in eating carbs. I wish I could help you help your child but I could not help my own. We always fought about the choices that she made. I have two other children that are normal weight and each eats a wide varitey of foods. But this one just left for college with a box of Cheeseits for breakfast. The nutitionist said if I could put her on a diet to cleanse her body from the yeast build up she would stop craving carbs. But she is a grown woman and I can not make her eat anything.
If I knew then what I know know I would have removed all the carb foods from the house until I had her weened off the carbs. It is her particular system. I do fear for her future health. Her diet is the diet of cancer patients. She was a well child when she waslittle but she only would get strep throat as a child. Good luck to you and your daughter. I well remember the dinner time battle of the wills! Maybe if I had fought harder or smarter I would not have an obeese daughter who is sad about her social life.
Ms C.

Have you ever noticed that when you get REALLY hungry, even the strangest of foods will taste great to you? Your daughter will be the same way. As long as you give her what she wants, that's all she'll eat, and in the long run, not develop a palate for other, more healthy foods. Next meal, you can offer a plate of healthy foods, and if she refuses to eat, wrap it up and wait an hour or so. Offer again. Still no luck? Re-wrap and wait another hour. She'll eventually get hungry (and it won't hurt her to become hungry) and try (and very possibly, even LIKE!) those new foods. I wouldn't try this when you're having company, or when you have to be somewhere, because there may be a protest, and she also might be unusually cranky with lower blood sugar levels. If you take the lead, she'll follow!! Good luck :)

You said it - you give in. This senario is the beginning of her control over you. Offer her what you want her to have. If she bucks, let her. So she is hungry. She will eat what you serve her if she gets hungry enough. She won't die. If she tantrums, let her. She has got to know that what she wants to eat is not all there is in the world to eat and she must taste something else. J. Gordon

Not sure if this is what worked for me, but my son is a great eater. I had a plate that was divided into three. One larger and two small portions. I would alway place the main meal in the larger, such as meat, rice or pasta. Then, in the two smaller I would place bread, fruit, cheese, applesauce or veggies. I would place it in front of him and walk away. Most times he ate everything and sometimes one or two things. I learned what he enjoyed. The worst thing you can do is give in to the two things she likes. Give her chicken and pasta, but not all the time and along with others things, too. Eventually she'll get hungry enough. Try it for a week or two and be consistant. Good luck! S.

N., I can't express enough the importance of a healthy diet for your little girl. Something that usually works well is a "grazing tray". Toddlers and small children LOVE it!
Pull out a muffin tin and fill it with grapes, 'broccoli trees', bananas, cauliflower, carrot sticks, strawberries, blueberries, red,yellow or orange peppers cut in bit-size pieces, etc., etc. Let her graze on her own as she plays during the day. You will be surprised and pleased at what she will eat on her own! It may not happen the first day or 2, but don't force her. It will work even better if she is hungry :-).
Her taste buds will begin to crave what you give her - and that doesn't include chix fingers and pasta! She's at the perfect age to begin to form GOOD dietary habits and it will guard her body for the rest of her life.

Hi N., I know exactly how you feel! I went through the same thing when my first son was your daughter’s age. I will tell you what I wish I had done but couldn't; because just like you, I couldn't bear to think of my child being hungry. But I wish I had listened to my mother (at the time, I couldn't believe SHE knew what she was talking about!!!) Make what you would normally make for dinner and serve her very small servings. Don't force to eat anything (that can lead to eating disorders!) but she should taste just a little bit of everything. If she ends up hungry later because she didn't eat her dinner, let her have a small glass of milk. Now, I know this is easier said than done, but let me share with you my story. My oldest son is now 13 and still refuses to eat much of anything other than hamburgers and plain pasta. Not that that's not bad enough, but my little angel baby boy came along 23 months later and he ate anything!!!! That was until he started to understand what big brother was say "Ugggg gross!" too. That changed my good eater into a finicky eater! Even now when we have the chance to go out to dinner, we always have to go to the same boring places with burgers and chicken nuggets! I have started something new where we take turns picking places and when it’s my turn, I choose something different. Also, now I make dinner and if they don't like it, then they can make a p'nut butter sandwich! But save yourself the trouble you will face in the future when she'll turn into a quarreling teenager like my son! She’ll learn early on to have fun with trying new foods! Good luck! Stay strong! She won't starve. I give my boys a vitamin every day to make sure they are getting what they need...is your daughter old enough for vitamins? That may put your mind at ease! Your a good mommy...she'll be ok! J.

Its a phase thing. Keep doing what you are doing and offering different foods. I went through the same thing with both my girls. Just like you I keept offering the different foods. Try giving her a fork or a spoon with her meal. There are times If I give my younger one a utensil, she will eat it. Chicken nuggets do have protein and some iron in them. ALso if you are not giving it to her, try the whole grain pasta. Both my girls eat that. My older one who is 4 is picky, if it smells or looks funny, she wont eat it! Good luck to you.

When my baby refuses food that I know he hasen't tried before I try to take a small peice and put it in his mouth so that he can taste it.Usually if he likes it he starts to eat it, if not I don't press on.So try to put a piece in her mouth even if she refuses and let her atleast taste it.She is just probably denying it since it doesn't look like the 2 things she favors without knowing wether it's good or not.

hey N.,
we experience this problem still with my 4 yr old. He is very picky and will not touch fruits or veggies. So what we do is since he loves pasta and to dip anything, I hide veggies in the sauce by puree them in the sauce or make a sauce for him to dip the food in that contains pureed veggies and even can do with fruits for nuggets. He doesnt know he is eating the veggies or fruits and he gets all the nutrition of the veggies and fruit.
hope this helps