17-Month-old Son Won't Eat, Is a Picky Eater

YOU fix the plate with the proper foods and let him pick what HE wants from it. Do NOT give in to just the things he prefers! Soon he will learn to eat new and nutrious foods. Also, change the bottle not the milk. He is growing up and needs to learn how to drink from a glass.

I have a Grandson that took back after his Granpa Julian .He did not eat meat he was 6feet 2in. Very health.So don't worry he will eat when he is older what he like.
Grandma L.

The only advice I can add is Ketchup makes everything good! :) Any time my son doesn't like something I add a little ketchup and he'll eat it! It doesn't work all of the time, but there's no harm in trying! Good luck!

J.,
Connie,
Hello, My name is R.. I have a 4 year old daughter who just completed feeding therapy at Richmond Children's Hospital Day Program. You can see her at http://www.myspace.com/millerrenee. Her case is a little different she was totally g-tube dependent! She refused pretty much everything. However, in 7 weeks we were able to get her to eat 100% by mouth (all pureeds in her case because she doesn't have the chewing skills yet). Hope you can get some ideas from my videos! The biggest thing for Reanna is the rewards. She loves her DVD player. I reward her with each bite by letting her watch her video! You can also use toys at the table. You just don't give the reward until the bite has been taken. You would be suprised what rewards will do. You should think about joining my yahoo group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/learn_to_eat/. This group was originally designed to share her feeding progress as we were in the program. However, others have requested to join and now it is turning into more of a support group where other people can join and talk about their own challenges with feeding their children.

Sincerely,

R.

Get him off the bottle and have him use a sippy cup or straw cup instead. Give him food first and then his milk when he has eaten. That way, he doesn'f fill up on the milk too soon. Continue to offer him what you ae eating. I have read you may have to offer a food 20 times before the kid will eat it. My kids are 4 and 6. Yes, they are picky too but somehow find enough good things to eat. Some favorites:
1. stick cheese (pull apart into strings for safety)

2. Gerber graduates ravioli (no sauce and they can use their fingers. I but the meat/tomato and spinach/cheese and mix the 2. My kids still haven't figured out what is inside.

3. V-8 Fusion juice. Each 8 oz glass has a full serving EACH of fruits and vegetables. It tastes like fruit so the kids don't know. My kids like all the flavors.

4. grapes (cut into quarters)

5. yogurt

6. quesadilla w/cheese

7. chicken nuggets

8. pizza bites

9. soft taco with just meat and cheese

10. mac n cheese ( I half the butter and increase the milk and add extra real cheese)

11. Tri-color rotini (My kids call it rainbow pasta. They don't know the colors are from vegetables).

I've always liked this article and it applies to more than just peas! http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&...

Continue offering him whatever the family is eating. Do not make him anything different. I probably would cut back on his milk especially right before dinner.
This link will tell you how many calories your children should be getting in a day. He may be filling up on milk! The American Academy of Pediatricians say only 16 oz of milk per day! I put that link below also! Keep offering him whatever the family is eating. Because he doesn't like it today, doesn't mean he won't like it tomorrow!
Also, GET RID OF THE BOTTLE! He should be started on sippy cups around 6 month. The bottle becomes a safety net for food!

http://www.vitalhealthzone.com/nutrition/diets/recommende...

http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlercalcium.htm

J. i had the same prob. with my now 2yr old son and he has not got out of it all the way.His doc told me at that age they dont want to eat alot she said for me to just give him 2 things of milk a day and then water but they also get in to the stage to where they just want stuff like frys,honey buns any thing to do with white bread ... I am still trying to get mine to eat right but he's not having it..One thing i have seen he likes is small muffins that you can make at home or buy the ones in a box at the store.. Sorry i wasnt much help but thats all i can think of that his doc told me.

Don't create a monster and don't make food battles an issue! Give him whatever you are eating (although cut up smaller of course) and present it to him without any fuss- make sure there's at least one item that you know he won't refuse on the plate. When you see he isn't eating anymore or throwing it down, ask him if he is done. Even try to feed him one bite yourself. If it's a no, then say "OK, I guess you are all done/not hungry." Take the plate away and let him out of the high chair. It's his choice to eat or not, but it's your job to present healthy foods. If he's hungry, he will eat. Which one of us wouldn't want to have goodies for every meal! Stick with it and meals won't be a battle, I promise. I'm even suprised about the veggies my kids will eat at this point (not all of them, but they will experiment with most.) My sister-in-law says my niece will only eat yogurt and drink apple juice although she begs her to try other foods... she does fine at my house after she passes on one meal out of stubborness and I let her without giving in! Good luck!

(I love the first person's response, but I wouldn't comment on how good they are for eating. I would just make it a non-issue, not one worthy of praise. If they don't eat, are they a bad boy?)

My son is only 14 months old, however he does have some things he is a little leary of. I would use the applesause as a 'diversion'. I tried to feed him some cole slaw the other day and he didn't want any part of it so I dipped the spoonful of slaw into the applesauce and he ate it. I even did that with chicken and now he loves chicken. My son would also not eat cottage cheese, so I used cheese puffs and would have him dip them into cottage cheese and he loved it. Now he eats cottage cheese on his own. Sometimes I mix a little bit of fresh fruit into yogurt...(my son wouldn't eat fresh fruit, only the jarred kind).. there are alot of possiblilites.

Also when my now 15 year old was little he would only eat cereal. His ped said that as long as it wasn't a junk kind of cereal he would get the nutrition he needed, but that was like forever ago..lol.

I don't know if I've helped or not, but I wish you luck and try not to stress about it. If he's gaining weight and his iron levels are ok, you don't have too much to worry about at this point. All of my children have gone through picky eater syndrome..

Hi J.!
My son is 16 months and does the same as yours, so you are not alone! The other moms have great suggestions so I won't repeat them here. One possibility if your son isn't doing it already is that he may want to feed himself with a utensil. My son will reject food sometimes because he doesn't want to use his fingers or have me help him, but if I give him a kids fork and he gets to try on his own, he is happy to eat. Granted he still doesn't eat much because he's not very good with the fork, but at least he is not just spitting it out or throwing it on the floor! Hang in there!

I worked in a Child Development Center with chilren 12-24 months. I cannot tell you how many parents told us their children were picky and would only eat chicken nuggets, etc. The funny thing was these children would eat whatever was placed in front of them at daycare. Do not underestimate the knowledge of a toddler. They learn very quickly how to manipulate parents and parents are often too good of teachers in this area. If you offer your child dinner that everyone is eating and he has no other choices if he is hungry he will eat. It will not happen overnight because you have conditioned him to spit it out and then he knows he will get his way. Make sure everyone sits down to eat their meals together as well. Modeling eating new food is a good way to reinforce.

J.,
My #3 son is 20 months and since he was about 15 months - he will every so often become a picky - almost NON-eater as well. In hindsite - it usually is just before another tooth pops in or he just doesn't feel or act 100% good. My little boy is also a good drinker - he drinks milk and water and a little juice - almost constantly during the day. I have started giving him Carnation Instant Breakfast (1/2 a packet) in his milk a couple of times a day on the days he doesn't eat well - I know it isn't the same as a well balanced diet with veggies, fruit, and protein, but it does give him some nutrients his body needs. After a couple of days he bounces back and eats like a champion just about anything that is put in front of him. Good luck!
T.

I was just thinking be glad he eats that much and keep offering as you have been. Sometimes I wonder how my son survives on what little he would eat and still actually will only eat. I have friends with children who say the same thing so it must be very normal. I find that my son would probably eat much more if I could just get him to taste something. Wish I could be of more help. Good luck!

Wow-Our stories are almost identical right down to our age, our childs age, how many oz. of milk, the water and the trouble w/ eating. We are living on org.sweet potatoes fries & puffs, carrots, org. waffles & oatmeal and mand. oranges. How about cheese? I am looking into making my own pancakes w/ fruits and veg. snuck in the batter. I made all his food w/ org. things from the start but now he's a little stinker and it kills me that he's not getting all that good suff. I however eat junk :)
Good luck,
Val

My son is picky every now and then. He also drinks quite a bit of milk and water all day. We tried not giving him milk until about halfway through the meal. That worked really well.

As for not eating a variety of foods, don't cater to him. Whatever you are eating, is what is offered tohim (unless he SHOULDN"T have it). THere will be meals that he won't eat a thing, but when he gets hungry, he'll eat whatever you put in front of him.

When I was first told this I thought it was the most cruel thing in the world to do and my Ped. gave me Ellen Satter's "Child of Mine" book about feeding children. It really helped me understand why he was so picky.

ALso, I was told that a lot of kids have trouble eating meats because of the texture. So I gave john black beans which are PACKED with protein and nutrients. he couldn't get enough.

Hope it helps!

that sounds just about the same as my son. he is 18 months. I wouldn't cut back his milk because he does get vitamins he needs from it, and 3 bottles isn't a whole lot. i did have to stop giving it to him before he eats or while he eats, because he fills up on it. but even without it, sometimes, he flat out will not eat.
like my doctor says, he'll eat when he's hungry. and if he doesn't want to eat dinner, just make sure what he is eating is healthy. don't get him used to eatiing sweet stuff/junk.
He's just a normal 17 month old kid! Congratualtions, you have a normal kid! ;-)

I find that my child goes in spurts about what he will/won't eat. Just when I figure out what his favorite food is, he decides he doesn't like it anymore. I think that you're doing great making sure to offer different foods at each meal. One of these times he'll surprise you and eat it.

I have a picky eater also. It is hard at meal time to make sure she has something to eat with the rest of the family. My oldest child was not picky and ate everything we did, so i was not sure how to deal with a picky eater so I keep serving her the food we have and make sure i have something that she will eat. My daughter does not eat much meat. I keep giving her what she will eat and hope that eventually she will try more things. Don't become to concerened untill your son stops thriving. I would start taking the bottle away and giving him a cup that might help with him wanting more solid foods. It could be the texture of the food. the more he trys things the better just keep offering what you have and make sure you have what he will "eat" not drink and see what happens.

At his age he only needs 16 oz. of milk per day. It might help to reduce his milk intake (still three bottles but less in each so he doesn't miss a bottle) and give water after meals.

Little ones tend to like the familiar. Since everything is new, repetition is important. Don't force, but continue to offer.

I agree that he's too old for a bottle.

J. -

My first concern is that he is still taking a bottle. It is time to give him a sippy cup and do away with the bottles. The bottles are familiar and comfortable and he may not want the new foods, etc. because they are just that ... new.

As far as not eating, it is true what the drs. and others are saying .. he will eat when he gets hungry. Keep offering the healthy foods and sooner or later, he will decide he wants to eat. What he will eat now is a good base, you just need to build on it a little at a time.

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY PARENTING !!!

R.

Keep offering him what the family is eating. If you start having to make special meals for him, you're going to find yourself having to get chicken nuggets for him when everyone else is eating meatloaf.
Here are some practical suggestions.
1. Put tiny portions on his plate. We pile their plate up, they get overwhelmed. Just a bite or two of each thing.

2. If he doesn't seem to like it the first time, offer it again the next time as well. Someone told me that it takes several times for a kid to decide a new food is good to eat.

3. Don't coddle him about the food. Be firm. "This is supper. This is what we are eating as a family."

4. Do cut down on the liquids before meals. Otherwise, he'll fill up on the liquids and not be as hungry.

5. Reward him when he eats what you all are eating. "What a good boy! Look, he's eating..."

6. He's still pretty young, so I think there are still some foods he shouldn't have before age 2. Peanut butter comes to mind. I'm sure there are others. I had serious food allergies as a kid, so I was pretty careful with mine.

But I also witnessed my niece controlling what her family was going to eat by refusing to eat what was offered to her. They would even make special trips to McDonald's. I decided when I had kids I was going to be the parent, not let my kid direct what we would eat, and that they would eat what we eat. We have great eaters. When we go out to eat, they are happy to eat what we eat. My daughter's favorite restaurant is Chinese!

One more thing. Very few kids actually starve to death. Don't be anxious if they refuse to eat because you're not giving them what they want. Just encourage them to eat whatever the meal is. If they don't eat it, put it up, and offer it to them later when they are hungry.

They won't like everything, but they do need to try new foods. We read "Green Eggs and Ham" every once in a while to remind the kids that new food is not nec. a bad thing.

You fix food that you like. Make sure to fix their favorite meals every once in a while as well. "Tuesday is your night to pick what we eat. What would you like?" That gives them a say and they love to have a little control.

Good luck!

Sadly this is the age where the ability to control what goes into their mouths becomes a really big deal for the average toddler.

Mine went from a 8-month old, spinach eating machine to a 16-month old I will have no vegetables. My solution was to make sure that every time he had a meal it included those healthy options. I also didn't "freak out" if he didn't eat it. I did find that including "dippers" (like ketchup or ranch dressing) helped him to try new foods.

And, yesterday he ate a salad again!

Good Luck

I would just keep offering the foods over and over again. Eventually, he will learn to like them. Also, cut back a little on the milk and offer it after he has started to eat. I usually wait to offer it until my boys actaully ask for it that way they will get more food in them. I have 2 boys, the oldest just turned 5 and the youngest is 2 1/2. My oldest is extremely picky and always has been. My youngest started eating really well at about 10 months...he would eat just about anything you put in front of him. When he got a little bit older, he decided he wanted to eat like his big brother and started to become picky too, although there was plenty he was not willing to give up. Recently, he has realized there is so much more out there and always wants to at least taste everything we are eating. I think it depends on the kids and they just have to learn to like new tastes.

I would definitely cut back on the milk. He should drink all the water he wants but only about a third of that much milk. Keep offering the good stuff, when he gets hungry enough he'll eat it!

That last response, from Gail G, sounds a lot like what I was going to say, and I got it from a book called Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter, so I'd also recommend that you read that if you need the encouragement and the guidelines she offers. The main message of that book (to me) is a rephrasing of what Gail said, "It's his choice to eat or not, but it's your job to present healthy foods." Ms. Satter just says, it's your responsibility to decide WHAT is offered to eat and WHEN and WHERE but it's HIS responsibility HOW MUCH. Every single time. So offer him healthy foods and then don't pressure him to eat them AT ALL. He'll probably refuse a lot and try to scare you into thinking he'll starve but as another responder said, that's unlikely. And eventually he'll eat a lot of foods. Sometimes it can take quite a few exposures to a food for a kid to actually eat it--first they see it on their plate, then the next time maybe they smell it and feel it, then after a few more times they put it in their mouth but don't actually chew it, then eventually they'll eat it! Best of luck to you. That book really helped me out and I hope it helps you too. =)