Very Very Picky Eater, Who Is Just Not Eating No Matter How Creative I Get

Try putting out a snack tray with lots of nibbles. You can grate things like carrots, pear, apple and make little piles for him to taste. Can he eat nuts? My daughter loves pistachios, cashews, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds (all organic). She likes hummus too. And lately she likes to eat a bit of toasted bagel with cream cheese (maybe try non-dairy spread if you are trying to avoid dairy). String cheese is a possibility if you decide he can eat dairy. Can he eat butter? That is a nice high-calorie thing that you can add to bread or crackers. Sometimes my daughter will eat black olives. Blueberries and grapes are a favorite. Dried fruits, shredded coconut, granola, and popcorn. (My daughter is ALWAYS willing to eat freshly popped popcorn.) If you make the popcorn in a pan with a lid on the stove you can add some olive oil, walnut oil, or coconut oil for extra flavor and calories instead of butter.) Pear, apple, grape juice to get some extra calories down? My daughter eats best when she is distracted by other things... like when she is in the stroller or the bathtub. You might have to get creative with where you are feeding him. Hope this helps.

Hi S.:
It doesn't sound like hes allergic to milk products,or he couldn't get away with continuing to eat yogurt and drink milk.It sounds like his reaction was from the avocado.The reason he hesitates to eat for you now, is because hes Leary of getting the itchy hives,and feeling sick again. He soon will get hungry enough,to brave eating hearty again.Don't panic,your son won't starve himself. Don't try force feeding him,or you'll have a real problem on your hands.Stay calm,give him those things,that you KNOW he's not allergic to stay away from NEW foods for now and he'll put on some weight soon. I wish you and your darlin son the best. J. M

have u tried just sitting on the couch making yourself a plate to eat..no pressure on him and just eat and see if he gets curious? my son loves to steal food off plates..also there are good breakfast bars w/ chocolate chip granola ...u can find them at Trader Joe's ..when i can't get my son to eat anything he usually will eat one of those..Quaker makes chocolate peanut butter ones.
i make him clam linguini i use spinach pasta..u can get it at Wholefoods..i slurped up the noodles the first time i gave that to my son and he thought it was super funny so now he loves to do that..i know..bad manners but i've made him a good eater..
i don't have him snack much so that he'll eat his food..also they eat really well at preschool..do u have your son signed up for one?
my son watches Little Einsteins so i'll get him croissants and i always say they're from France..Einsteins shows lots of countries etc..so he likes that they're from France and will eat them..he is 3..but i've been doing this for a long time.
just don't put pressure on eating..i think if u make yourself food and sit down to eat he'll be interested..also Wholefoods sells a healthy ice cream So Delicious..made from coconut and agave..i feel good about giving my son those for a snack.

My daughter was like that until she was about 2 years old (she has acid reflux since she was 2 months old so that explained some of it). She wouldn't even drink milk, if you can imagine. We were lucky to find a doctor that actually listened to us. He suggested we keep her on Ensure while we try different thinks in different shapes and forms and her appetite would come back. Slowly slowly we introduced the nutritious foods that she needed. We would mix milk with Ensure and call it "chocolate milk" (that kept her alive and also gave her some appetite). Meanwhile, we started feeding therapy twice a week. That pushed us to be creative in what we offer but also understand that it is important to make it interesting. It's really hard work, I feel for you. Good luck!

My son had reflux and wasn't gaining weight so our dr. Said to give him pedisure in place of milk.

FYI: Kiwi fruit can be VERY allergenic... hives, swelling of the tongue/throat/mouth, tingling pain in the mouth/tongue etc.

I know this because when my daughter was about 2 years old (she loved Kiwi fruit), she typically ate Kiwi with no problem Then one day, she was eating one and started complaining of pain in her tongue and in her mouth. Well, I looked it up online, and THESE are symptoms of Kiwi allergy. I gave her Benadryl immediately... fortunately, she didn't get a severe reaction to it. But I have since stopped giving her anything Kiwi, even to this day, and she is 6 yrs. old now.

Our Pediatrician didn't even know about Kiwi allergy and had never seen a child react that way, to this fruit.
Just a head's up for you.

Try giving your son protein... eggs, chicken, Hummus, soups from scratch, Pediasure toddler drinks which are "meal" drinks containing vitamins and protein. My son is picky too, and I give him this on occasion. But my son liked home-made soups... and I would gently puree/mince up the meats in it... and my son would 'eat' it. I also gave him a straw to make it more fun to "drink" the soup, which he liked.

You can also try Toddler Formula... which is fortified with DHA'S and vitamins/iron.
BUT... since your son is allergic to "dairy" check with your Pediatrician first.

Maybe he is picky because he is allergic to things... ?

Many kids are in the 50th percentiles, but unless your Pediatrician is concerned, I would not worry.... but I know how a Mama feels.

My son, is lean and lanky and has "muscles." He is not a child with much "baby fat." That is just him... but he is very healthy. I also give him vitamins by "Animal Parade" which is all natural. Its a liquid.

If he absolutely will not eat anything.. try even pureed foods. Or the Pediasure... it is a meal type drink/replacement. IF that is, it does not contain "dairy."
(the Pediasure can be found at any grocery store in the baby section, or Toddler formula's....but check the label if it contains dairy).

AND also important is, make sure he does not get dehydrated.

All the best,
Susan

I believe your child is having a dairy and most likely a gluten intolerance as well. I would stop all vaccinations for a few years at least and also cut out dairy and wheat. If you can get him/her to an osteopath or naturopath to get food allergy tested, they would benefit. I am guessing you have allergies and/or asthma in your family. Read the book by Dr. Kenneth Bock called "Healing the childhood epidemics: the 4 A's allergies, asthma, autism and adhd.." Very beneficial. You may want to contact early intervention as well to help you. The birth to 3 programs are awesome!

I have some ideas. Try smoothies. Also try to make juice pops out of V8 Fushion juice. This way he can get some nutrients.

Something like pediasure is good because it will guarantee your child is getting the daily vitamins needed.

I am assuming he's not nursing anymore? If not, then like others have said, I'd recommend getting him on some kind of nutritional drink, whether formuala based, shaklee based or pedisure based it depends upon you, your budget and his likes. My nephew had similar situation. My sister had him in the high chair and gave him finger food to play/eat. Gerber puffs, brand called "mum-mums" from Wal-Mart, green beans (whole, not puree, split so he doesn't choke), Cheerios, Kicks, etc. He like the idea of feeding himself and having control over his food, and that helped. That, along with a supplemented drink should keep him healthy. As for him being in the 50%, really, I wouldn't worry unless your doctor is worried. As long as he hasn't fallen off his curve too much, it could just be his time to "lean out". Good luck!

How about making smoothies with him. Let him help peel the banana, hand him some protein powder to put in the blender, turn it on, etc.. it may be a long shot, but it totally works with my son!-www.weelicious.com

Hi Sophia - To give yourself the peace of mind that regardless what he eats he's getting plenty of fruit and vegetable nutrition to sustain him and help his body function properly, I suggest you try Juice Plus gummies. There's enough natural sweetness to make him consider them a treat, and they are made from 17 fruits, vegetables and grains with their nutrients in their natural combination (not man made concoctions like most vitamins). It really is the next best thing to eating fruits and vegetables. I've got three boys who have been eating them for four years and they rarely get sick, and haven't taken anti-biotics. My boys (and myself) also like the Juice Plus Complete nutritional powder which we mix into fruit smoothies, or just mix with milk or water for a "healthy" chocolate milk. It's chock full of additional plant based nutrients and soy protein that can help your son's health. For more info, listen to Dr. Sears talk about the research proving Juice Plus strengthens immune system and helps keep people healthy - 1-800-942-1260. Or check out all the science and what the doctors say at www.WeThriveOnJuicePlus.com. I wish you all the best! Feel free to ask me questions. If you're interested in learning more about it's benefits to children's health check out our Children's Research website with study results: http://www.childrenshealthstudy.com/main.shtml

Hi S.
I am in the same boat but my son is in the 5-10 percentile for his weight. I used to stress out about his poor eating habits but the doctor kept reassuring me he was fine. He was just a lanky kid (he is in the 50% percentile for height)

I used to stress/cry sometimes because no matter what I put out he would not eat it. Now I just don't stress and I don't force anything. He will eat if he is hungry. I do try to put healthy snacks around the house - so he can grab them when he is hungry.

I do give him vitamins everyday to make sure he is getting some nutrients.

Good luck!

Hi S.,

Have you heard of Shaklee? It's the #1 natural nutrition company in the U.S. and they are known for safety and purity in their products. They have a meal replacement shake that is great for situations like this. You would just mix in your son's milk and he'll get really good nutrition and you won't be so worried. It comes in vanilla and chocolate and you can mix yogurt and fruit in also. Our daughter loves them. You can really get creative and do things like freeze the chocolate one or mix in ice and make it like a shake. They also have the best vitamins for children so you can supplement his nutrition. Shaklee truly is the best choice for piece of mind. They've been around for 50yrs so it's a name you can trust. You can check out these products and more at www.greennutrition.info and register to win $200 in free products at www.freegreenproducts.info. Feel free to contact me any time with questions.

You've already got a bunch of responses but I came across this because I was posting in a similar food topic. Anyway, a smoothie a a great thing! Just don't decide to do what Steph H said and stop vaccinations! Just crazy! That just makes you open to all sorts of terrible deseases and has nothing to do with being allergic. Of course you need to find out exactly what happened there, but you say he's drinking milk still so it can't be all dairy. good luck!