Picky eater & doesn't try new foods

israeli83

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 4:21 pm

My almost two year old son has been a picky eater for months! I know that many toddlers become picky eaters and it's just a stage. However, my son doesn't even want to try new foods. I'm a bit concerned about his nutrition. Yes, he's in a normal weight range and I even still nurse him twice a day! But he really only likes to eat cheese, peanut butter, oatmeal and yogurt. He snacks a lot during the day because he eats very little so he likes to eat certain fruits and corn chips and bamba snack. The snack that he LOVES to eat all the time is raisins!

I make homemade tehina and humus so sometimes he eats is. Also, sometimes he eats soup so I try to throw as many good vegetables and chicken in the soup, but he doesn't eat it all the time.

So my concern is that he's not eating enough vegetables. I tried to give him to taste salmon, chicken and ground meat and he doesn't even want to try! My older son is totally different because he likes to try new foods even though he can also get picky. So I try to show my younger son that his brother is eating these great foods but he still doesn't want to try. I sometimes just give him a piece of food from my plate to his to see if he'd be interested, but he just yells "noooooooo" and protests!

So I'm not sure what to do... how will he eat different types of foods?!

Blue jay

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 4:30 pm

You can sneak baby food peas in your meatballs and meatloaf, or muffin recipe.
Pureed carrots in tomato sauce for pizza.
Baby food yellow squash mixed into mac and cheese.

I would not fret about the lack of veggies. That is why Ha-shem made lots of fruit. Kids prefer fruit and there are so many vitamins and nutrients in them. Just keep placing veggies in front of your ds encourage him to try a "Mousy bite". Let him watch you enjoy your veggies. Keep nice dipping sauces around like ketchup and salad dressing for dipping. By the way hummos is a veggie, ( hurray for chickpeas!)it counts too! Smile

miami85

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 4:36 pm

FWIW, I have a similar issue with my son but I suspect it's a sensory thing combined with a history of reflux, which is now being treated, but he's still hesitant to try new things. He has a limited diet, but at least it's consistent. He's also an average weight and I give him vitamins so there's not really much to worry about. I am trying to get his therapists to work on this.

However, I remind myself of my brother whom my mom used to always say "grew 6ft tall on Cheerios" and I have a nephew that wouldn't go NEAR fleishings but is now almost 13 and becoming a carnivore. I know myself that I wouldn't try certain foods as a child, but like them as an adult. Taste buds do mature with age.

This is very normal, and he's not malnurished. I read something once that said, that provided with overall healthy choices a toddler will self-regulate his diet. It's not as important the day-to-day but rather the week-to-week, that if you study their eating habits over the course of the week, their nutrient intake tends to balance out. With vegetables there are ways of hiding veggies into other foods--purees etc.

Hey don't knock raisins--they are a fruit with fiber. Try to get ones with less sugar if that's a concern, but otherwise don't worry.

suzyq

Mon, Sep 22 2014, 11:40 am

At least the things he is eating are healthy. My son is a SUPER picky eater - he will only eat yogurt, applesauce, cereal, crackers and veggie straws. But he's super active and very healthy and growing regularly. So I don't stress much. I offer him everything I make and his response is usually No but you never know. Just recently, he has started eating different foods at his playgroup (though he still won't at home). It might just be a phase, or not. I have a brother who is now grown who lived on cereal, grilled cheese and chicken nuggets. And he's fine. I think it you take the stress out of it, it will make the situation easier.