Can't Get My Boys to Eat Anything Healthy...Help!!

Let them know that sweet or junky food does not help them grow healthy and strong (muscles!). Tell them if they eat food that is good for their bodies its ok to have some sweets afterward. Also tell them that you're worried their tummies won't have room for healthy food if they fill it with junk. Then don't give in. If they are really hungry, they will eat. Trust me they will NOT starve. Also remember that at this age they go through ups and downs with their appetite, sometimes what they need is a lot less than what you think they need.

Children will not starve themselves to death. Keep away the sweet stuff, just get it out of the house. Don't give in! They are testing you, and this test will last the rest of your life if you continue to give in. Believe me, you'd rather have these fights at 2 then at 15 (especially with 2 of them)

Stay strong, mom. You know the right thing to do, and you know that it is up to you to do it!!

Hunger is primal, they wont starve themselves. Eventually they will eat. I found myself starting to do the same thing, fixing something just for my two year old and I know too many parents that feed their children grilled cheese or chicken nuggets every night. I just stopped, she gets what I fix and if she chooses not to eat so be it, but she learned quickly, she had two choices, take it or leave it, leaving it is fine but nothing extra gets prepared for her.

My son is 31m and I baby-sit a little girl that is 27m, so I TOTALLY feel your pain. It always seems that if I find something one will eat, the other FLAT can't stand it. I finally got fed up with making 2 separate meals for breakfast and lunch, so I decided "what I make is what they can have to eat. If they don't like their choice, they can choose not to eat." I get really worried when my son doesn't want anything we've offered all day long, but I also know- NO KID WILL STARVE TO DEATH WHEN FOOD IS BEING OFFERED! (I don't worry as much about the little girl because her parents feed her what ever she wants at home.) My Ped has told me this more than once! He also reminds me that if he's drinking more milk, water. or juice (especially when it's hot) he may already feel full already. He said if he's drinking more fluid, he is likely getting enough calories, so not to worry. He just reminded me that TOO much fluid with out enough fiber and/or solids could lead to diarrhea.

Now- to get more "good stuff" in them so they don't know: shred veggies into other foods they eat. Carrots, zucchini, Mexican squash, banana squash, and Many, MANY more veggies can be mixed into your everyday cooking and "disappear". I shred carrots and zucchini into pasta sauce and scrambled eggs, Mexican squash into the filling for tacos and enchiladas, banana squash (and corn) into Mac & Cheese… I even add carrots and/or zucchini into the mayo for sandwiches sometimes, and my friend even shreds them into her cake, brownies, and cookies. Also, my Ped says to let my son eat as much yogurt as we can afford to let him have. He says it’s a better source of calcium as nutrients than a glass of milk. Sometimes if the think their getting a treat, you can trick them into eating the good stuff too. One more idea- we have a drawer in the fridge (as I did growing up) that is full of things like small apples, pre-portioned grades, baby carrots, string cheese, small yogurts, and sometimes cheese and cracker packs. He knows that he can have anything in that drawer at anytime before brushing his teeth for bed. Everything in that drawer is healthy- so I don’t mind if he chooses 10 things a day from that drawer. NO ONE ever ended up over weight because they ate TOO much HEALTHY food! He will often choose his own snacks from this drawer, because he doesn’t have to get my permission to eat them. All the chips, cookies, and other junk foods are either in a locked cabinet, or out of his reach.

I hope this helps~ J.

Hi G. -

I remember how hard it was at that age to teach them to eat healthy. They're going through a phase now that will pass if you try not to give in to their sweet teeth, and set a good example for making healthy choices. I'm no doctor, but I am a mom of three young boys who has been through just about everything which led me to take some parenting classes over the years :-) My advice would be to get rid of the sugary, sweet things you have in the house that they want (at least for a while) so you are not tempted to give in to their demands. Introduce foods they can snack on throughout the day that are healthier. Keep a tray accessible to them on the table that they can help themselves to (that is unless they just chuck it all on the floor) - a muffin pan works great - of things like halved grapes, nuts, carrots, chex mix, light ranch dressing, apple slices, orange segments, pretzils, etc..... Dr. Sears (www.askdrsears.com) says it's good to raise a grazer. And, if you make kid friendly food for lunch (turkey sandwich on wheat in kid size squares, PB& J) and little bite sized dinner (chicken, fish, rice, soft broccoli, corn on the cob, snap peas for example), don't give in. They may be willing to stand their ground for a day or two, but will soon realize you're not giving in and they should eat what you prepare or feel really hungry. A good book that has taught my children why it's important to eat healthy is by Dr. William Sears called Eat Healthy, Feel Great. I think you can get it on Amazon for $8. It teaches them in kid terms about green light (go foods), yellow light and red light foods.
Lastly, I recommend you give them Juice Plus. Has your pediatrician shared it with you? It's 17 whole food fruits and veggies in capsule form (also comes in gummy form which your kids would love and think is candy - little will they know how healthy it is for them!) It's an excellent insurance plan to ensure they are getting the daily nutrition they need for optimal health. Feel free to check my website at www.juiceplus.com/+cc42230. I encourage you to learn more about nutrition for your children by calling this health information line - 800-942-1260. Good luck! If you want more information about Juice Plus, feel free to contact me at ###-###-####.

C.
JUICE PLUS - 17 Whole Food Fruits and Vegetables in Capsule Form
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Ohhh boy, how we all have been there! (us mamas with toddlers that is) It can be the most frustrating and stressful time for any mother. Feeling like short-order cook that doesn't ever get the order right is very frustrating! My boys are 5yrs and 3yrs now and I still struggle with my 3 yr old to eat (healthy stuff anyways) My neighbor is going thru this same problem with her 2 1/2 yr old boy. Dinner time was/is probably the most stressful time of the day for me. I try not to let it get the better of me and I'm handling it much better now that I've figured out a few things to do to help ease the stress that my boys aren't getting what they need.
First of all, you can't force a child to eat and I imagine your twin boys are too young to be bribed. I'm at the point now where if my son takes just ONE bite of veggies, I'm ok with it. At least he got SOMETHING in his tummy. I've also tried smoothies for them. I know it may sound gross, but you HAVE to try them...they are good and healthy. I just make them with OJ, soy milk, little bit of yogurt, banana, frozen berries, and I put in a small handful of raw spinach (you can't taste it!) maybe a small piece of raw zucchini, I've used canned carrots before (they have to be soft or there will be chunks in the smoothie) I've used canned pumpkin and sweet potatoes. You can try different mixes to find one you like and one your boys like. That may help you feel a little more comfortable about them getting some veggies. If I can get one of those down my boys, I feel ok for a couple days..but of course, always offer them more veggies and fruits.
Also, you can try, if they eat it....spaghetti sauce with added carrots, veggies. Run a squash thru the cheese grater and put that in the sauce, or meatloaf.
Now, I'm probably talking about stuff they won't even eat...... there have been times that I've fed my son eggs and waffles every night because thats all he would eat. I figure, he's going to grow out of this stage and as long as he had SOMETHING in his tummy, I would be ok with it. I've tried putting him to bed without dinner...but I always feel guilty, and would rather him NOT wake up at 4a cuz he's hungry. I give him some milk or soy milk and he seems to do ok.
Limit snacks between meals, or limit the amount they eat between meals so when the next meal comes, they will be hungry enough to eat. but then again, even getting a snack down them I'm sure is less stress.
My boys have gone from only eating PB&J to not wanting any jelly, to not wanting sandwiches at all. I would cook plain noodles and just put parmesan and butter on them with a little garlic salt. Use foods that don't have too many spices because their taste palate isn't quite developed yet, some foods that seem good to us, may be too overpowering in flavor for them.
The bottom line is, you can't force your child to eat, they will eat when they are hungry, as frustrating as it is. Try to not let it stress you out. I've offered the same advice to my neighbor and sometimes NONE of it works. It depends on each child, everyone is different. What worked for me, may not work for you, but you can always try everything. The kids are going to be the judge and the ultimate deciders in what they eat....at least for this short time. It brings me back to the one saying "Don't worry, they won't be battling you on food when they are 15 years old!". They will eat, our goal is to just get thru this stage with as little stress as possible. (ha ha ....sounds good anyways!!) There will come a day when you will be able to bribe them to eat. I've succeeded in getting my 3 year old to eat at least one bite of something if he doesn't like it...but I still make smoothies and stick veggies in wherever I can. My mother-in-law gave me a juicer, and I mix apples, carrots, spinach, and sometimes squash in there with orange juice. Sounds like a gross concoction, but they drink it and its not bad!! and I am VERY happy with that!!
Each child is different and I think you'll have to try different things. Even if they eat eggs and waffles every night for a week, you know they will eventually get tired of it and move on to something else. I was just happy to get something in my kids tummies!
Hope this helps....hang in there. I know how stressful it can be!! But, you've never heard of a stubborn 2 yr old dying of starvation cuz they wouldn't eat, have you? :o)

Take care
S.

G., I feel for you. My son who is now 11 was a great eater. He would eat, whatever I was eating. Then one day he just stopped. I tried everything. He would eat fruit,yogurt and string cheese and that was it. Then one day he discovered bacon and that was added. Like you I thought to be strong and not give in until he was so hungry ,that he would eat a regular meal(but his dad would give in and make him bacon at 10pm). His Dr did physicals and said he was fine, so no help there. He would rather starve himself than eat what is sitting in front of him. I separated/divorced his dad 4 yrs ago. It has been a tough fight on all fronts.he will now eat chicken nuggets and fried/baked chicken, pork chops and steak. Broccoli and corn and of course french fries. Pancakes, waffles and cereal. will not touch a hamburger or hot dog.
I also took him to child psychologist during the divorce. The dr made a suggestion about trying new foods. He must take 3 real bites in order to know if he likes it or not and has to chew it, my son would try to just swallow and then would gag.
Sorry this is so long and I guess my point is to be persisitent and try not to give in(I know it is hard) and hopefully you have a partner who will stand by you. Good luck

K.

G..

I also had twin boys (they are sixteen now)an older daughter (18 now) and I am now raising a five year old. I went through this problem with older ones and am still dealing with it with my younger son.

I was a single mom when I was going through this with my older kids. In one sense it made it more difficult because there was no support or back up when dealing with it. Also it made it easier because there was no one to go behind my back to sabotage my efforts.

My dinner rules (it only seemed to happen then) were that they had to take at least one bite of everything on their plate before they could be excused.(The reason being for this is that children's tastebuds are constantly growing and something that they didn't like the month before is suddenly yummy to them) I would try to have something on their plate that each child would like. I put a bit more on the plate of that item and a couple bites of the questionable ones. I almost always offered them 2 vegies, a carb. and meat. Sometimes I would let them mix the meat with the carb. because one might like the meat or mac and cheese, but not together. So they usually ate all of what they liked and one bite of everything else. For dessert I only offered popsicles or fudgesicles. (you can get no sugar added ones if needed). There was a little bit of the war of the wills some nights but once they knew that the rules were not to be bent it usually ran smoothly. I did have one of my boys that was stubborn and often fought with me.

The rule if they didn't eat at least one bite of everything was that they had to get ready for bed and spend the rest of the evening in their room. I only had to enforce this a few times.

I did have one extra rule that could go along with the food being thrown on the floor. If my kids said anything negative about the food before them (ie: Yuck or EUWW) they then had to eat all of the item they were referring to. If they did not they were off to their room.

I think that at this age dinner time is more about rules and manners rather than the amount of food that they eat. If they are hungry and they know that they have to eat what is in front of them before they receive anything else, they will do so. Sometimes it just takes some time and effort before they understand the rules and that you are going to enforce them.

My older children did grow out of this stage but it seemed to go on forever. They are healthy-eating teenagers without problems with their eating habits and body image.

Hope I made sense,

Evelyn

I have a 3 yr. old and a 1.5 yr old. and i know how "they" , little stuburn kids, can be. What we do in our house is give something we know they will eat along with something that might be questionable and sometime we cover the questionable things with sause, (ranch, cheese, etc. ) as long as they are getting it in them there is no harm with doctoring it up for a while. After we get them to eat it we slowly start taking the sauce away. From my family anf friends that i have sen go through this it only last for a few years so long as you keep making them try to eat the food. If you give in and don't make them it a little them they will never like it and know they can play you and not have to eat whatever it is they are deciding is gross that day, week , month.... Good Luck.

I have the same problem with my 18 month old son. He eats a great breakfest and he snaks during the day I have noticed that if I give him the same sandwich 3 days in a row he dosen't eat it so I try to change it up but still when it comes to dinner he throws almost all his food on the floor. My advice that I have been doing is the same thing as you. If my son wants fruit or bread or something else I try dinner first and then I'll give him something I know he will eat. My thing is he is eating something and something is better than nothing. I have also tried holding his food in my hand and he comes up to me and wants a bite so I give it to him. the only thing I don't sugest is if he loves eating unhealthy things at dinner like fried foods don't give them to him. My doctor told me its ok to feed them fruit and different foods as long as they are healthy. Good luck hopefully if I didn't help I let you know that your not the only one going through this and it sucks

well i do understand your prob. i have a 3yo boy who i call the french fry boy. lol... unlike my 9 yo who always chooses a salad over fries and seafood over a chicken nugget, my baby is a junk food junky! he will eat fresh fruit some times! he loves pizza chips and everything sweet, its hard to say no no no to all the stuff he wants to eat because you know if he dont eat that, he will refuse to eat what you want him to eat. we also have tried to let him go with out eating the junk till he would eat some thing heathy first, but that didnt work either. we do get him to eat good stuff sometimes by all of us sitting at the table for dinner and not including him, we all sit down for dinner and talk loudly about how good the food is and how we are all going to get really big muscles cause we eat healthy food. he will usually come over and sit in his chair and stare us down for a min. then we offer him a lil bit of everything to taste. it works 75% of the time. i hope you have better luck than us!!!!

They won't starve!!!! Remove the sugary and fatty foods from your home! Buy healthy alternatives and if the kids don't eat it - believe me - they will eventually. They have you wrapped up and your "guilt" is probably evident to them, so they know how to play you. Kids are so smart and they know how to get what they want. It's your job to give them what they "need". You are not doing them any favors by giving in and providing foods that lack nutrition. One good option for veggies, is to juice them, with fruits. Kids love that. Put veggies in their mac and cheese (like peas or corn). Put PB on celery sticks, or low fat ranch dressing and carrot sticks out as a snack option. Put sweet summer fruits out as an option also, as opposed to cookies and candies. Change their habits now, or they will be paying for it later. Good luck!

They will not starve. Think about people in other countries and what they are willing to eat to survive. Your kids just want what they like, but if you only serve them healthy foods & don't give them junk unless they've eaten their healthy food first, they'll learn to eat it. My 6 year old is very picky, but I still give him the same dinner the rest of the family is having every night. Sometimes he hardly eats a thing, and other times he's hungry enough to eat quite a bit. I give him a multi vitamin every morning & don't worry about it. I've been doing this all his life & he's healthy & strong.

C. : )

I have 3 kids and i go throough the samething every single day. I feel like i spend 3 quarters of my time in the kitchen. My kids are not big eaters, if thier hungry they wont ask, i have to remind them and set the food in front of them. My mistake is that i will cook them whatever they want just as long as they eat. But junk food is not allowed. The only thing they are rewarded with is an ice pop and once in a great while a tottsie roll. I have come to believe that what you offer your kids is what they will grow use to. Dont offer them anything sweet. Remove it from your house for a couple weeks, or hide it. My kids use to know exactly where i put the stuff. They wont starve, trust me, i have asked doctor after doctor, and they all say, when thier hungry they will eat. My childrens treats now are gummy viatiams. They think im rewarding them but in reality they are viatiams. Keep the vegetables in front of them, keep it colorful, for some reason kids love colorful food. Just put it in front of them, they will eat it. Try carrots, my kids munch on carrots instead of chips. They love the crunch. We also do popcorn to, not the one loaded with butter, but they love popcorn. I have tons of good healthy kid friendly recipes, if you ever want them, just email me, im willing to share them with you. Good Luck!
A.!

Oooh, I've gone through this one. Dr. Phil would ask you, who's in charge?! :-) When my son decided all he was going to ask for was apple sauce, I'd tell him he wouldn't get anything else before bed (other than milk). I stayed true to my word. He eventually decided to start eating what he was given. He still goes through phases where he acts like he won't eat what he's been given but it's not because he's expecting something sweet. After dinner, if he hasn't eaten much, I will offer milk. He gets NOTHING else.

On a side note, when my son has gotten sick and I worried he wasn't eaten, the doc would tell me not to worry. They can apparently go for DAYS without food and be fine. For the health of your children, do NOT give in and feed them the sugary stuff!