toddler advice

[pebbles]

we have a 6 year old & we've always tried to do the 3 bite rule. If you take 3 bites & absolutely hate it, fine you don't like it but you have to eat everything else on your plate & if they're still hungry & you don't want to put them to bed "hungry" we've offered PBJ sandwich that's it, nothing fancy.
Kids taste buds change too so even if last time they hated it, still have to try at least one bite next time....

She also wouldn't eat any meat (except chicken nuggets) until the last couple years. Now she loves pork & steak etc. I think they don't like to chew or something when they are smaller! lol

Good Luck! Whatever you do, stick to it!

 

[Radiant1]

actully he eats a lot of fruits and veggies im talking about "main" things he doesnt eat meat or anything

She also wouldn't eat any meat (except chicken nuggets) until the last couple years. Now she loves pork & steak etc. I think they don't like to chew or something when they are smaller! lol

Good Luck! Whatever you do, stick to it!

I swear my 9 yo was a vegan for the first 7 years of her life, she wouldn't touch meat not even a chicken nugget. She has now gotten to where she will eat steak, pork, fish and chicken but she has phased those in very slowly over the last two years. Basically what I did was offer her what we had for dinner and if she didn't eat her meat then she got no dessert. The only exception I made was saving out some spaghetti sauce for her before adding the meat.

"If you don't eat your meat how can you have any pudding?!" :said-in-English-accent-Pink-Floyd-style:

 

[krisx2]

If he eats fruits and veggies that's great. I wouldn't worry about not eating meat too much, because there are other sources of protein - cheese, beans, pasta and yogurt. One big one is Greek yogurt (sold under the brand name Fage and other brands) which has 20g of protein per cup! Since he'll eat fruit maybe you can mix in some fruit with that and he'll eat it. Since he eats nuggets - maybe you could try making your own nuggets at home - it's just breaded chicken breast, baked at 375 for 25 mins or so. There's also spaghetti with meat sauce, as another person mentioned. If he likes ketchup or ranch dressing you can encourage him to eat meat by dipping in the sauce.
Good luck!

 

[Dymphna]

to almost everything in this thread.

My first was picky eater and we tried to break him of it by saying he couldn't leave the table until he ate. He started throwing up in protest. So we gave up that idea and just said he had to eat or starve. No special menu, no after dinner snacks. Now he's 10 and eats what's in front of him.

But I learned from my mistake. I created a picky eater by fixing him his favorites and assuming he was too little to eat "adult food." With my other children I served them the same thing as the rest of the family from the time they started eating table food. In fact, by the time I got to number 3, I was matching the jars of baby food to what the rest of us were eating whenever possible.

 

[baileydog]

If he eats fruits and veggies that's great. I wouldn't worry about not eating meat too much, because there are other sources of protein - cheese, beans, pasta and yogurt. One big one is Greek yogurt (sold under the brand name Fage and other brands) which has 20g of protein per cup! Since he'll eat fruit maybe you can mix in some fruit with that and he'll eat it. Since he eats nuggets - maybe you could try making your own nuggets at home - it's just breaded chicken breast, baked at 375 for 25 mins or so. There's also spaghetti with meat sauce, as another person mentioned. If he likes ketchup or ranch dressing you can encourage him to eat meat by dipping in the sauce.
Good luck!

Get that cookbook by jessica seinfield? that shows how to make chicken nugguts with spinach and and all kinds of other wierd crap thats good for you but the kids dont even know its in there.
Deceptively Delicious - Get Your Kids Eating Good Food!

 

[CalvertNewbie]

Get that cookbook by jessica seinfield? that shows how to make chicken nugguts with spinach and and all kinds of other wierd crap thats good for you but the kids dont even know its in there.
Deceptively Delicious - Get Your Kids Eating Good Food!

I'm going to buy this book in order to get my hubby to eat his veggies. The only veggies he'll eat are potatoes, corn and the occasional peas or mushrooms. We're having a baby in March and I told him that baby is going to eat a lot healthier than he does.

 

[fjennell]

I think people that have never experienced a picky eater and have been lucky enough to have their kids end up eating what's in front of them don't understand. Mine never ate baby food and I think that is where it all started. She absolutely refused it. I tried forcing it. I tried mixing it with cereal. I tried everything I could think of and she would not eat it. The doctor said she'll eat when she's hungry not to worry well 6 years later the kid eats about 5 staples and that's it. No meat...wont even try a piece. (well she does eat the occasional hotdog and slim jim if you consider that meat). She does however eat lots of fruit and she does not eat a bunch of sweets. At bday parties she will eat 3 slices of pizza and not eat cake or ice cream. But about once a month or so she slowly adds something else in that she will at least try and sometimes she ends up loving it. I try to say "see you didn't know you liked it til you tried it, try other things" but it's a slow process. I think most kids will outgrow it.