Super Picky 11 Month Old

My 1.5 yr. old is super picky too. If he doesn't get crackers or anything than he eats almost anything that is put in front of him.

there are a few key points to remember...
- it doesn't seem like it's a texture issue given that he will eat beef/veg soup...that has a lot of texture to it.
- there are speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and others that work on feeding specifically if it becomes or is an issue - talk to your dr....
- kids eat what they like...it will not hurt a baby to have favored foods at this point in their life. especially if he is still getting breastmilk or formula. however it is important to continue to introduce foods.
- a food has to be introduced numerous (12) times before a child may say they "like" or even tolerate it...
- introduce new foods that "go with" favored foods in minimal amounts...for example - if he likes yogurt add the tiniest amount possible of cut up fruit or crumbled graham cracker, etc. I've heard someone say once - add the least amount possible to make a difference (that could be one tiny cube or 1/4 of a graham cracker)
- my girls always seemed to like things more and be more willing to try if they were involved in the process and if I was eating it too. this can be so little as having him take some of it from a bigger bowl...serving himself. he's getting to the "me do" stage of life!
sorry this was so long! i hope this helps!

Let him feed himself. GIve him silverware (toddler sized, can find it at any store... metal, the plastic ones don't work as well. give him a plate with silverware and let him eat table foods on his own. HE should still be nursing (or bottle feeding) to get the fats and nutrients he needs to grow and be healthy, but if you keep trying to coerce him to eat solids, the more he'll reject them.

Let him eat himself. Both my boys could use a fork and spoon by a year old because we let them feed themsleves, they regulated thier intake and were experts at a spoon and fork by a year because of it.

you have a young child and my advice straight from my moms lips is to keep offering the food even if they dont want to try it once they may try another time.Dont give up and try not to get frustrated. I used a baby food grinder and tried to stay away from sweet stuff for a while.
You also should remember that you should lead by example and if he doesnt want to eat dont force it, when he is hungry he will eat.
I didnt know how diiferent it would be.. feeding my baby 6+ times a day, and now im lucky if I can get my daughter to eat 3 times a day.

I just went through the same thing and it is SO FRUSTRATING! The advice I got from just about everyone is KEEP TRYING. The food strike lasted a couple weeks but he eventually came around. He's still kind of picky, but I found that the more variety there is in his diet, the more willing he is to eat. I use different spices and seasonings when cooking meats, different sauces for the pastas, and rotate the veggies so he doesn't get tired of the same ol' thing. I discovered he REALLY likes chicken, pasta, and vegetables cooked in pesto.
Good luck! I feel for you!

Try the toddlers baby food or add a little sugar to some foods or give him foods that have colors that he likes.

I had to laugh when I read this. My daughters first sentence was "I don't like it", thought I would never see a more picky eater (she never out grew it) then her. Then it came time for my little granddaughter to start eating and I realized there is someone that is more picky then my daughter was! My granddaughter is 16 months old and will lick whatever is offered to her to see if she would like it. If she doesn't, she won't let it in her mouth at all. If you sneak something in on her, she will refuse to eat another bite of anything, even her favorite foods. She isn't crazy about vegetables so I tried sneaking a pea in her spaghetti and she swoshed it around in her mouth, eating all the spaghetti and spitting out (after gagging) the pea. She told me "ack" and wouldn't trust me to feed her for the rest of the meal. We bought the splash v8 juice to help out with her getting enough vegetables and we keep offering her new foods. Sometimes she likes them, sometimes she doesn't. We did notice that she eats a better varity of foods if we are all sitting down together and she sees we are eating the same thing. She also likes things better if she is eating off Grandpa's plate.

Good luck

my son is now 2 and i had the same problems it is a long battle but he finally is up to 23 pounds. my suggestion is to try small snacks like grapes,animal crackers,cheese. things like that. the pediatrician told me to by ensure for kids so he still gets the vitamins that he needs and not to force any foods he will not starve himself. they told me by offering several foods at one meal will make him a picky eater. and harder on me. hope this helps.

don't worry too much about finding new things to eat, if he is hungry he will get enough to eat from what u r feeding him. stay with what he likes for now. only try new things when he is ready or shows interest , avoid frustrating yrself and him. as for the gag and cough issue, u may want to discuss that with his doctor and make sure there r no other issues associated with that.

HI S.,

Have you tried cheese? My son went through a period where everything had to have cheese on it. I would make frozen veggies in the microwave and then lay a slice of American cheese on top and heat it until the cheese was melted. I did this with noodles, mashed potatoes, bread, you name it, it had cheese on top. I should've bought stock in Kraft. He did outgrow that stage thankfully.

Also, have you noticed any other stuff that your son isn't particularly fond of? Say being upside down, bath time, or tags in clothes? If so, your son might just be extra sensitive to textures. You can have him tested. If he does have sensory differences, you'll be glad you know. Sensory differences can affect the way children learn. If he's extra sensitive he can be overstimulated easily and once he's tested, there are therapists that can come and work with the both of you. They come show you exercises for him to be accustomed to the world and help you to make his environment more pleasurable. I'm a recent transplant from Illinois, so I apologize for not having any numbers to call. Just ask you pediatrician about occupational therapists. And I'm terribly sorry if this scares you. It's nothing to really worry about. It probably is only picky eating, I just want to give any info I can.

Good Luck with eating!