What to Feed a 17-Month Old?

I would give her for bkfst. some cheerios', and maybe a small piece of toast. Cut it up like fingers'. Even if you have to get her cheesies' and put them on her highchair tray at times. As well small pieces' of cheese, little Ritz crackers (round ones), cold meats cut up, weiners etc. Just about anything you can think of that she can hold in her hand. Once she is feeling better she will get her appetite back. Just do the best you can. As long as she's drinking enough, don't panic. Things will change shortly. Good luck mom and I wish you and her the best in the next few days!!

My 16 month old daughter loves cream of wheat for bfast. I will put sliced strawberries or whatever fruit in it and she gobbles it up. She, too, isn't a big meat eater but she loves grilled cheese so I hide sliced ham or turkey on that.

Basically just give her what you would have but cut smaller & nothing she could coke on. Trust me, if she is hungry, she will eat. Kids also STOP eating hen they are full--a marvelous quality I wish I had more of! lol

O. thought--you might want to replace the apple juice with pear or white grape--better for constipation!

Good luck!

My children went through the same thing. Part of it might be teething or just general toddler pickiness. My son is probably THE worst eater on the planet. My daughter is ok but when she is sick or teething forget it! They are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2
Earth's Best Cheddar Crackers and Alphabet cookies are really yummy (as in even mommy likes them) also the Earth Best Graham Sticks with cream cheese is always a favorite. They are fortified, check the label! 20% of most nutrients including iron.
Also, i freeze the yogurt tubes (stoneyfield or simply go gurt) They are SO yummy both kids will eat more atleast two.
For juice- check out V8 fusion. My kids love the purple one. Its got vegatables and fruit in it.
Try grapes cut in quarters- tedious but kids love em!
Lastly, check out the deceptively delicious or sneaky chef cook book. It give s some good ideas in sneaking nutrients into foods kids eat. ( esp good are the quesadillas and rice balls!)

Hi, I have twin 15 month old girls, so I'm right there with you. My girls still aren't big into eating meats (occasionally I can sneak it in something like Chicken Lasagna, spaghetti or regular lasagna). So I use other protein sources - they love black beans, cheese cubes, yogurt (I mix mine w/ applesauce to sweeten it a bit for them) & occassionally eggs (but usually not). Here's some things my girls love

Breakfast - blueberry or regular pancakes, applesauce, yougurt, cheerios, peaches, mini-quiches, pears (softened), apples, bananas, Nutrigrain type breakfast bars (if we're on the go)

Lunch - grilled cheese sandwiches or cheese quesidillas (sometimes I can sneak other veggies or a little shredded chicken in) cut into small bites, peas, carrot cubes, any of the above fruit, dinner leftovers, black beans, pieces of turkey or chicken or ham

Dinner Ideas- spagetti, lasagna, chicken lasagna, cubed sweet potatoes or carrots, peas, pasta, beef or cheese ravoili in tomato sauce, french fries (ugh, in a pinch, but they love them of course), drained chicken noodle soup (I make mine with the Ditalini shapped pasta & they love it and gobble up the bits of carrot, onion, celery and chicken with it!), fruit, black beans & rice

My girls drink whole milk all day until they get their 17-20 oz in and then water with a splash of juice (apple, prune, white grape, fruit/veggie juice, etc)

Desserts or snacks - gold fish crackers, graham crackers, club crackers, cut up fruit (grapes, apples, bananas, peaches, pears, etc), animal crackers, cheerios, crackers w/ a thin spread of peanut butter

Hope that gives you some more ideas!

Grilled cheese on whole wheat, string cheese, hot dogs (I know they're bad but my kid won't eat any other "meat"), cheese quesadillas, mac and cheese, mini pancakes (kroger brand for $1.50 a box), gerber graduates meals, carrots, green beans, corn, rice, pasta, nutrigrain bars...
That's all I can think of right now. I know it's hard! Mine threw EVERYTHING on the floor for a year!
BTW, the mini pancakes are a LIFE saver if you're in a rush in the morning! My daughter is obessed with them. I don't put anything on them, she just likes them plain. Add a piece of fruit and you're good to go! :)
Hope this helps!

It never seemed like my son was eating much when he was that age but I had to keep reminding myself & others that were feeding him (grandparents) that he would eat if he was hungry and it did not take much to fill him up, at that age they only need a few bites of a few differnt things since their tiny tummies are only the size of their fist. so what looks like only a little to us is a huge amount to their little tummy.

as long as you are giving her choices from different food groups she should be getting the nutrition she needs. Dairy products can be binding so she needs to drink watered down juice if she will not drink plain water since she is getting milk and yogurt and/or cheese. I had the same problem with my son and couldn't figure out why until I realized everyone was just giving him his favorite foods to make sure he ate and didn't make sure his diet was balanced. If he had yogurt or cheese I would reduce the milk he drank that day & he would drink more water. I never had a problem with him drinking water so that helped.

Keep in mind that kids need 10-15 exposures to a new food before they will even try it sometimes. I also found that most kids do not like meat but some are more accepting to Chicken, fish & sometimes Pork or ground beef. It may be a texture thing since chicken, fish & ground beef are softer and not as stringy as steak or a roast.

I am sure being sick has not helped. Hope she feels better soon and that some of this info is helpful to you.

Try giving her apple sauce, yogurt, pudding, soft fruit; take her to the doctor also, she may have a throat problem. My daughter got cold sores all the way down her throat and she couldn't eat or drink much of anything (just a few bites of food and a few sips of her drinks) and got really dehydrated and her sodium level skyrocketed and she nearly died; right after her first birthday. Good luck and I hope she feels better!

It sounds like she is doing well. Kids this age don't have a long attention span, and that can lead to restlessness at the table. I would serve her 4 or 5 different things in small portions. I would also feed her at least 5 times a day, making those snacks as healthy and varied as you can. The only thing you are giving her that I would read the label on is the cheese crackers - some of those (e.g. Cheez Its) have a ton of sodium and not enough cheese to make them healthy. You could look at the "Eat This Not That" book series - there is a version for kids. It's very helpful on how to choose between different brands of things - it's useful in the supermarket as it has photos of the products and therefore it's a quick reference.

If you are using more whole grains than white, which it sounds like you are, you're probably on the right track. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc., rather than their white versions. When kids have a cold, they are a little "off" anyway, and also the stuffy nose blocks their sense of smell and the mucus or post-nasal drip affects their sense of taste.

Do NOT supplement with a vitamin pill, chewable or otherwise. They are not readily absorbed, they carry warning labels, and so on. Ironic, isn't it - children's vitamins have warning labels and say to keep out of reach of children! You could consider supplementing with a liquid that is highly absorbable and totally balanced, with all of the optimal nutrient levels (not just the minimums set in 1941) - Reliv Kids' product is awesome and contains DHA and omega 3s as well as the best levels of the usual nutrients. Some other products have started adding these, but Reliv has been leading the way for years and really does the scientific work beforehand rather than just jump on the bandwagon later on and throw some ingredients into a product. This will take care of her constipation too - my friend Michelle solved her baby's problem this way and now she knows her daughter is getting everything she needs. The company feeds malnourished kids worldwide (45,000 a day!) through their humanitarian foundation alone so the products are changing lives that are compromised and will obviously be helpful for your daughter. If you want more info let me know - you buy the product thru someone who will help you the first time, and after that you can order on line.

My youngest is about to turn 2 , since she was around 14 months or so she has been eating a variety of foods. Her breakfast can be cereals (cheerios , bran flakes , weetabix for example) , or pancakes , toasted bagel or toasted english muffin witc/cheese , regular toast with something like jam or c/cheese. Lunch can be a sandwich with ham or turkey , cheese , c/cheese , jam , some fruit like grapes or strawberries , clementine , banana (she eats quite a selection of fruit) , a yogurt drink (using a straw) , some goldfish , or granola bar. Then dinner she will have what we have , a pasta dish or rice dish , salads , lasagne (Too much to put down , but anything we have within reason).

I've had this frustrating problem before and still do to some extent. Something I read on Dr. Sears I think has really helped me be at ease that they are getting enough. It mentioned buying a partition tray (be prepared to lose some food), but put in each section one of the various food groups (cheese, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, mandarin oranges) to name a few and let your toddler pick the one they feel like from time to time. Leave the tray out and let them snack on it as they go, refill with something else, and by the end of the day, you will know what they had and what to feed next time. Hope that helps. Other item you might try is oyster crackers

When my daughter was younger she didn't eat a lot of food (quantity wise) so I would do a couple things to make sure she was getting a variety of foods.

One thing is I would feed different food groups through out the day. For example: fruit and toast for breakfast, yogurt for a snack, meat and cheese cubes for lunch, cooked carrots and peas for snack, pasta and veggies for dinner. I still do this a lot for my 4 yr old and 18 month old.

Other thing is feed lots of soups. My daughter wouldn't eat meat but she would in soup. That way they get their rice or pasta, veggies and meat and dairy if it's creamy.

Good luck. Once she is feeling better she will be eating like her old self again...probably eat even more since she will have catching up to do. I know mine are always ravished after not eating from being sick.