Mom with 3 Year Old Who Does Not like Regular Food.

It seems when you child is going through something, it is a really big deal...but step back for a minute and think...is he getting the nutrients that he needs? Is he growing? Is he sleeping OK? I grew up with a brother who would only eat chicken noodle soup and hot dogs...so guess what he had every day..soup and hot dogs. Eventually, he saw the rest of the family eating differently and he decided that the other foods looked too good to pass up. I also know another child who would have the same foods for each meal every day and this continue on though middle school. He was growing and he was happy. In the long run, you do not meet many adults who are picky eaters (there are some out there) or eat only baby food. Relax. Let you child eat (as long as it is healthy..no empty calories) and let him drink his veggies!!!

I know I had the same issue with getting my kids to eat health but what I did was sit them at the table with me and then I would take a bite and then let them take a bite. If that did not work then I would try mixing his favoriet food with a little of his not so favoriet food. Even try alternating. Give hom a spoon full of what he likes and then a spoon full of something else.

My daughter wont eat anything new either. So I have started telling her she has to try 1 bite of something off my plate at dinner then she can have her dinner. Yesterday she tried a bite of carrott then as promised I gave her baked french fries and fish sticks like she wanted. At she they are getting to the age you can bargin with them so thats what I"m doing. Making a deal with her if she tries something off my plate then she can have what she wants. Just maybe she will like something some day off my plate.

As a texture driven person myself, disguising food definitely will not work. I like the smell and taste of onion but can't stand to have actual onion in anything. I can tell if there is a miniscule amount in something with just one nibble. My rule with my 4 yr old has always been that he'll eat when he's hungry. I do not prepare separate dinners for him, although usually lunch and breakfast are a fix for yourself so those meals are more catered to him. He eats what we eat at the dinner table or he doesn't eat. At 2-3 yrs I would make an effort to have at least 1 dish I knew he liked though so he would eat something. Now he is required to take 4 bites off his plate before he can be excused from the table. Other than that he gets a daily vitamin. He has always been a healthy growing boy for the most part so I don't worry about it. I do have to be sure not to allow snacks close before or after dinner. Otherwise he'll count on eating then and refuse to eat any dinner. Oh, and I absolutley do not require him to eat everything on his plate. I once spent the night at the dinner table as a kid. As I said, he has to take 4 bites (1 for each yr of his life) and then can leave the table.

I was a "texture" picky eater too as a child. For example, I hated tomatoes, (because of the "slimy" factor) but if they were ground up in a blender, I had no problem with them whatsoever (and actually really liked that). I'd try Jessica Seinfeld's book "Deceptively Delicious." That will help with the vegetable issue quite a bit. I also had an issue with meat when I was a kid. I felt like I could never get it chewed up small enough to swallow it. The easier to chew meats worked fine for me though - hamburger, fish, stuff like that. Maybe Vienna sausages would work well for him, if that's the issue he's having. I also ate TONS of peanut butter, which I imagine provided a lot of the protein I needed. If he's eating lots of yogurt, he's getting plenty of protein. (Yogurt is also easy for the body to digest). Hope this helps. Blessings to you.

Don't worry about it...he will be fine. Both of my sons had trouble adjusting to new textures. Put at least 3 things on his plate at meal time...2 that you know he likes and 1 that is new. As he sees you eating it, he will try it. Don't give up because it could take 10 times of him seeing you do it before he really takes a bite. It's frustrating, but don't worry!

Hi A.,

I do understand your frustration, and, if it helps, I am 44 so i understand your mindset.
With that being said, my oldest son when he was 3 would eat nothing other than veal parmigiana, cheese, and peanut butter. My initial reaction was to freak out a bit, but after talking to his pediatrician and coming to terms with it in my own mind, I relaxed and let it play out. All I really had to do was just remember that I am a firm believer in that what your body NEEDS, it CRAVES.
The things your son will eat are indeed giving him what he needs and. if he is healthy, i do not really see the problem. Just go back to cooking for two, each time offering a taste to him, and, make him a plate of banana slices or pieces (both of which can be dipped in the yogurt you can also serve) and a side of cheese and crackers with an oatmeal cookie for dessert for dinner and orange slices with a couple of nutrigrain bars for breakfast mix and match for lunch and switch things around a bit in general.
It seems like an easy plate to make, so, i am guessing it just comes down to your fear that if he does not eat meat, chicken, fish or veggies he is not getting what he needs but it's ok he is, and if you give him the time he needs, he will incorporate other things.
Try not to worry, and, i wish you the best of luck.
B.

My 3 year old is the same way! I had never heard of a vegetarian child until my own came along! He won't eat meat, or a ton of other foods. He lives on fruits (which I shouldn't be complaining about) and grilled cheese/mac and cheese. It's so hard making dinner, then having to make him a separate dinner. If you get any good advice, please let me know as well. I have even tried bribing my son ("I'll give you money for your bank if you just try this"), and that doesn't work either! Does your son go to daycare? The funny thing is that my son's daycare says he'll eat a little bit of chicken nuggets or fish sticks....almost like he doesn't like it, but he does because the other kids do. No matter what we try he won't eat it at home though.

I'm in the same boat with my 3 year old daughter. If you get any good advice, please forward it to me. I am so sick of trying to figure out what she will eat. Planning meals is horrible.

You are not alone! Pass on any help you receive.
Thanks.
R.

Hi A.,
While you work on getting your little one to eat regular food, I would suggest a nutritious meal shake to make sure he is getting enough nutrients. Shaklee makes a great tasting, low-fat, low-glycemic easy-to-mix drink with 19 essntial vitamins and minerals, plus a rich source of calcium and protein. (the protein source is non-soy) It comes in French Vanilla or Bavarian Cocoa and each can makes 16 servings. Good luck!

A., stop the stressing, why are you tired?? Just over your son's choices in foods that he likes?? C'mon, now, he's not going to starve himself, and actually most of the foods you say he likes are good choices. He's THREE, and I can promise you that by the time he's four or five, he'll add a few more foods to his "like" list.
Chill out, stop struggling, and ENJOY your precious little boy. He won't be little for long, and you'll blink your eyes and he'll be grown. If you stress about things, you'll deprive yourself and your child the enjoyment of parent/child bonding and relationship. Have fun, let the little guy develop his tastes on his own, with a little occasional encouragement from mom and dad.
I would never punish a child for not eating what YOU want them to by withholding any dinner, that's not sending a good message at all.
Also, don't fix separate meals, just incorporate what you know he'll eat, and occasionally offer him something different. The rule at our house has always been,take two bites, if you like it you can have as much as you want, and if you don't like it, it's okay, we'll try it again another time.
Your doctor gave you sound advice, if you don't like what he/she suggested, get a second opinion if you truly feel it's necessary.
One of our grandsons lived on goldfish crackers, bananas, hot dogs, sweet tea, milk, bologna, rice krispies, green beans, and cheese until he was almost four!! Our daughter called us all excited when he tried corn and liked it, then bacon, soon after that he decided he liked chicken noodle soup, and carrot sticks too!! So it will change, and he'll be fine.
Just relax, it'll be okay!!

It's never appropriate to send a toddler to bed without his supper. The doctor says he's fine. He likes healthy foods like fruits, vegetable juice, and yogurt. I guess I don't see the problem. I know it's a pain to fix something separate for him, though. Keep offering him new foods and be patient. Eventually he will find new favorites you can incorporate into his menu.

Just try to make sure he gets enough protein. An idea is Kefir, which is like a yogurt drink but is packed with 14g of protein per cup. My kids love it (not the plain though.)

Good luck and keep trying to offer different foods. Sometimes if you put foods in their lunch at preschool they will eat what they won't usually eat in front of you! You might be suprised... once the power struggles are not there they can explore without giving mom the satisfaction of "winning!" THREE is a tough age (at least it has been much more challenging than two ever was for each of my four kids!!!)

Good luck!

My daughter was similar but now she is eating more variety. I found that if I pound chicken and then bread it she liked it better and now she eats chicken all different ways. If he is opposed to meat, try tenderizing it and pounding it out at first-- worked for us. Good luck

Mel

One of our sons was like this to a degree. He loved potatoes so we would cook them with carrots and mash them together. I would also cook meat and puree it and mix it with the potatoes. I could maybe add a different vegtable every so often. My mom said when she was little she did not like meat if she had to chew on it a lot. She would chew all the flavor and juice out of the meat then spit out the rest. Even now she would rather have the tender, melt in your mouth meat or chicken instead of a steak that she has to chew alot. Hope this helps, good luck.

Hi A.! Don't fret too much. My son is now 9, well almost 10 and he was the same way. He was and still is such a picky eater. I heard the same thing from the Doctor that it was a "texture" thing and that he will out grow it. Granted he still doesn't like to eat meat, but he will try new things now and again. I read that the taste buds change like every 7 years so what your son dislikes now he may begin to appreciate later. As long as he is healthy that is what matters the most. Like I said my son is going on 10 and he is picky, but he is healthy. My 2 y/o daughter will eat just about anything. Go figure. Good luck and hang in there!

Sounds like your son eats pretty healthy. As long as those crackers are whole grain, and the yogurt is low in sugar. Bananas are high in calories,about 100 per banana,and it's great that he enjoys them. Do you make fresh vegetable juice? You can certainly sneak in lots of vitamins by doing so! The same goes for fruit juice! Blueberries and bananas with yogurt and honey make for a yummy smoothie! If he is approaching 3, some may disagree, but I would say it's safe to introduce raw nuts into his diet. Almonds are a great source of protein! Sweet potatoes are so full of healthy goodness too! You can just about puree anything,and I wouldn't worry too much about the meat! Lots of kids are that way at his age! Just be sure to try and provide the protein in other ways. Aside from nuts, beans are a great way to compensate for that! Dried pintos have the highest amount of protein. As long as he is healthy and happy and getting plenty of liquids, he'll be fine. Much of these foods can be prepared and frozen,so as to give you a break and make dinner time more special for the whole family. Good luck!

Hi A.,
You have tried everything I would have done except stop buying baby food all together!! Once there isn't any in the household your son truely has no choice. You and your husband sound like very caring parents, but who runs this household the parents or the child. I & everyone else knows it's cheaper and faster to shop for the same food group instead of baby food and then yours. What are u going to do when he starts pre-school.

I'd suggest NOT to fix him 'special' food and just let him pick and choose from what the rest of the family is having. The more attention you give to his 'finickiness', the more of a 'control issue' it'll become! I've seen SEVERAL cases of families trying to get their young 'un to 'please eat' when they were little (and ALL were thin or petite children), and now as adults they're FAT or at least have had weight problems. I know it's hard, but just back off. You SAID he's healthy! Be thankful for THAT!

God bless!

He needs to be desensitized to these new food textures. But while you are working on this, don't stress. This too will pass.

My kids were older when I finally desensitized them to lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. They would have to eat one bite (and it could be tiny) of the new food and then they could circle the plate before having to take another bite of the new food. They could wash it down with water and we would make a game out of who could take the tiniest bite. But, anyway, they gradually did not have to wash it down with water, took bigger bites, etc. and now they eat these veggies fine.

But since your son is younger, my thought is to start more gradually. Rave over the food you are eating that he is avoiding, maybe for a week. Then start putting a small piece of that food on his plate at mealtime. Tell him he doesn't have to eat it, but he does have to let it sit there. Then maybe see if you can get him to smell it (one week), then lick it (another week), then take a tiny bite (just one), before eating the rest of his dinner. Make a game out of these things where you are smelling yours too and see who can do it first or take the tiniest bite, etc.

This might help also - http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&...

Good luck!

I wouldn't worry too much about it. My oldest son is the same way and although it drives me crazy that he only has certain foods that he will eat, he is a very healthy 5 year old. He ate every flavor of baby food, but when he switched to table food, he would only eat a few things. He still won't try most new foods so I've stopped putting up a fight. His is definitely a texture thing from the way he describes it, so I don't force the issue. I eat much healthier now than I did as a child too. I was worried my younger son would be the same, but he was just the opposite. He started eating table food much sooner and now at 2 1/2, he thinks his brother is crazy for not eating all the different foods. I didn't feed them any differently as babies, it's just the way it turned out. My sister-in-law has 2 boys almost the same ages and they are the reverse of mine. Her oldest will eat absolutely everything you put on his plate and her youngest won't eat anything. I think as long as they are healthy and growing, they'll be okay.

My mother is a dietician and this is what she suggested to me when my son was the same way. She said to cook everyone in the family the same food and put it on the table. If your son does not eat feed him something he will eat as a snack before he goes to bed. Eventually he will be hungry enough to eat at supper time. She said to ignore it when he does not eat and make sure the snacks are nutritious and not empty calories. You don't want it to become a battle. Just relax and go with the flow. Eventually he will eat real food.

My friend has twin toddler girls, not identical, and one of them will eat *anything* that's put in front of her, but the other will only eat the same foods you mentioned - yogurt, cereal bars, some fruits, crackers, cheese. Because these are twins in the same house raised the same with the same foods offered at every meal, it makes me really think that it's some sort of genetic preference and not something the mom is doing or not doing. I also think it's really interesting that all of these kids mentioned by the other moms seem to be only eating the exactly same foods - yogurt, bananas, cheese, peanut butter, etc. It really seems like their little bodies know exactly what they need. I agree with the moms who say give your child the foods he will eat as long as they're nutritious and try not to worry, and don't make it worse by trying to force him to eat what he doesn't like. The veggie juice and veggie chips are great. By the way, my four year old is the same way and I have gradually been able to get her to add some new foods by offering them without any pressure. She will now eat eggs (scrambled and hard boiled egg whites), veggie chicken nuggets, salmon, and broccoli along with all the yogurt and cereal bars that she still eats every day. So I am hopeful that as she grows older she will continue to increase the variety of what she eats.

If he's hungry enough, he'll eat whatever you give him.Don't cater to his fussy eating habits.You're making hard on yourself...You're not a short order cook, and shouldn't be treated as such.Cut down on the snacks and set strict meal times.Eventually he'll get with the program and eat what you serve.

Have you inquired about food aversion therapy? I have had friends who have had similar problems. This has helped. Also, if he had trauma at birth or premature, this can affect his eating. (especially his tongue development)I would check on that... Good luck!

My child used to be picky until I cut her off from her regulars. I would eliminate the yogurt, bananas, oranges, nutri-grain bars, any type of cracker, oatmeal cookies, and cheese. Let's face it those are just placebos for real food. I did it and it took about two days of her picking at her food to realize she had to eat her dinner because she was hungry. Your child won't starve himself. When he starts eating his meals bring back his favorite snacks. It sucked for a while but she is 4 1/2 and eats her dinner just about every night. I have also been told she is the best eater at her school.