Read about it in the link and just purchased on ebay for a whopping $3.97. :smile: Thanks.
Parenting help/advice needed
- Thread starter Omaha Cy
- Start date
Read about it in the link and just purchased on ebay for a whopping $3.97. :smile: Thanks.
Here are some good references.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a539839/giving-your-toddler-a-balanced-diet
http://www.earthsbest.com/node/364 This one gives size examples. It isn't as much as I thought it was supposed to be.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a539839/giving-your-toddler-a-balanced-diet
http://www.earthsbest.com/node/364 This one gives size examples. It isn't as much as I thought it was supposed to be.
The first recipe made me laugh. Z hates Mac and Cheese so far. She's graduated to her own fast food chicken nuggets though. She loves the Burger King ones.
I almost bought her a purple potato and had her eat it....but I thought if I wouldn't try it yet that wasn't fair.
Yea, all you can really do is keep offering new foods and try not to get frustrated when it doesn't work. My kids are 1 and 3. Some days they will gobble down whatever veggies and new foods we put in front of them. Some days they will act like they can't stand a food that was their favorite just the week before. The fact that you're trying this hard and putting thought into it probably means you're kid will be just fine with regards to the eating thing.
My boy could eat mac and cheese by the truck load. So with any luck that will be a good starting point for introducing other things.
Hearing some of these stories makes me feel fortunate to have a 13 month daughter that eats about anything we put in front of her. She likes everything from fruits vegetables and meats, not sure we have given her a food yet that she flat out won't eat. There are certain foods she will eat more of then others such as taco meat or mac and cheese but never got a report back from day care that she refused something or had her throw a fit about it at home.
I think you are on the right track about mixing/hiding foods in stuff they like to eat. The thing we're waiting on is more teeth to come in because she only has 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom so unless its soft or in really small pieces she doesn't have much to chew with to really introduce her to anything more solid than she is already eating. Was really impressed when we transitioned off the bottles to the sippy cups and whole milk that she just 1 day did not want a formula bottle so we offered her a sippy cup with whole milk and she drank that without hesitation. We were like "wow that was way too easy" look as we figured she would not just move completely off the bottle that easily.
I think you are on the right track about mixing/hiding foods in stuff they like to eat. The thing we're waiting on is more teeth to come in because she only has 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom so unless its soft or in really small pieces she doesn't have much to chew with to really introduce her to anything more solid than she is already eating. Was really impressed when we transitioned off the bottles to the sippy cups and whole milk that she just 1 day did not want a formula bottle so we offered her a sippy cup with whole milk and she drank that without hesitation. We were like "wow that was way too easy" look as we figured she would not just move completely off the bottle that easily.
Oh you should actually. Some of those funky looking potatoes have a lot more flavor than the standard white ones you usually see.
Similarly, one day our Hy-Vee randomly had purple cauliflower so I picked some up on a whim. MNCyGal was skeptical, but it was really good (and looked a lot prettier on the plate).
You guys put way more thought into what you feed your kids than we do lol, we just throw stuff at the tray and he hoovers it up. I would definitely say start getting rid of the bottles, start cutting 1 out a week or something and just give him milk in a sippy cup when he eats.
Sometimes kids have an aversion to the taste of foods, but sometimes it's the texture. This cookbook will help texture issues for sure.
One other thing to remember is that children's taste buds are much more sensitive to flavors than adults. Everything is amplified in taste (sour, sweet, salty) in their mouth.
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Here's what I think is sort of the ideal path of attack for this:
- Model healthy eating yourself. If your little one sees you eating healthy snacks, he's going to be much more apt to try them. If there are other people in his life who he idolizes, try to have them do the same. Keep in mind that he's only barely 1, though, so you can't really expect a lot. It's not developmentally likely.
- Make healthy options available at any time. If he is looking like he wants a snack, try some carrots first, or something similar (I think celery might be a choking hazard that small).
- Remember that some of this may be that they legitimately don't like something. We have our daughter try a couple of bites of something she's balking at - if she still refuses, I will make her something else. I know there are things I don't like, so I understand the same is true for her.
This article is pretty good: http://attachmentparenting.org/blog/2010/07/12/weathering-the-picky-eater-stage/
I'd actually really strongly recommend purple sweet potatoes. I make them for the little guy's purees with ones I get from Wheatsfield. They're really good and flavorful, they were his first food.
- Model healthy eating yourself. If your little one sees you eating healthy snacks, he's going to be much more apt to try them. If there are other people in his life who he idolizes, try to have them do the same. Keep in mind that he's only barely 1, though, so you can't really expect a lot. It's not developmentally likely.
- Make healthy options available at any time. If he is looking like he wants a snack, try some carrots first, or something similar (I think celery might be a choking hazard that small).
- Remember that some of this may be that they legitimately don't like something. We have our daughter try a couple of bites of something she's balking at - if she still refuses, I will make her something else. I know there are things I don't like, so I understand the same is true for her.
This article is pretty good: http://attachmentparenting.org/blog/2010/07/12/weathering-the-picky-eater-stage/
I'd actually really strongly recommend purple sweet potatoes. I make them for the little guy's purees with ones I get from Wheatsfield. They're really good and flavorful, they were his first food.
my daughter is almost 2 and still eats those packets, mostly out of convenience for us. My experience is give them what they don't want to eat first and let it sit there until they eat it. Then give the foods they do like.
Try making omelets with veggies / meat in them, i did that when she wouldn't eat meat - but if it was in an omelet she ate it.
Try making omelets with veggies / meat in them, i did that when she wouldn't eat meat - but if it was in an omelet she ate it.
The purple foods have a lot more anti-oxidants in them.
My take is that kids will eat lots of different things when they're hungry, and are fussy when they're not. And there will be some things they just do not like.
I wouldn't worry about the carbs until your kid starts playing video games.
My take is that kids will eat lots of different things when they're hungry, and are fussy when they're not. And there will be some things they just do not like.
I wouldn't worry about the carbs until your kid starts playing video games.
Have four daughters age 9-4 mos.
As they got older the veggies was something that had to be eaten before they could leave table. Wife has done some things like you said with mixing veggies in. Lets face it, not many of us even like to eat veggies but we do because they are healthy. I don't blame kids for not wanting to eat them. They do make some pasta out of veggies that actually taste pretty good. My wife makes smoothies for the girls and puts spinach in them and you can't even taste it.
Also like you mentioned, grilled cheese with veggies in it. We've put about every veggie possible in mac and cheese, and a favorite of the girls is a black (or pinto) bean and cheese quesadilla.
As they got older the veggies was something that had to be eaten before they could leave table. Wife has done some things like you said with mixing veggies in. Lets face it, not many of us even like to eat veggies but we do because they are healthy. I don't blame kids for not wanting to eat them. They do make some pasta out of veggies that actually taste pretty good. My wife makes smoothies for the girls and puts spinach in them and you can't even taste it.
Also like you mentioned, grilled cheese with veggies in it. We've put about every veggie possible in mac and cheese, and a favorite of the girls is a black (or pinto) bean and cheese quesadilla.
As a father of a fellow picky eater I feel your pain and I will offer advice from what I've experienced.
First, since you said he likes Mac and Cheese, switch to this http://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Macaroni-Cheese-Dinner-Original/dp/B004R8L71W Yea, still not health food, but it's an easy meal that's not the worst thing in the world when you don't feel like having to rip your hair out and not feel as guilty having them eat mac and cheese again. We go through a few boxes a week of this. It's a quick win.
Next big thing is getting over what I'd call color phobia. With my kid anything green was an instant NOPE. Kids love juice and it just so happens that Naked Juice Green Machine tastes just like apple juice and is loaded with good things. You can get it at Target, Walmart or Costco in BIG bottles for like $6, buying the small bottles is a sure way to make sure you go broke. Be sure to watch how much you serve, while it's all natural sugar it's still a truckload of sugar and not good for pancreases, especially little ones.
Once they start to like that and understand things that are green can taste good, start presenting good tasting green food. Boiled mushy nasty veggies are not included in good tasting green food. Fresh green beans, grilled/stir fried asparagus, something like that. Crunchy, fresh, good tasting veggies with a little bit of oil or butter to add some flavor. A lot of times we give just a small amount of juice, then reward with more juice or more of something else if they eat the veggie.
Stick with it and stay strong. Every now and then we still run into problems but it's gotten better. I've read stories about kids that eat anything put in front of them, see other people with them at restaurants...but never have I seen my kid do that. Every piece of food gets inspected and most things we need to reward with things he likes in order to eat it. My kid has a thing for ice cubes, so when he eats something we want him to, he gets an ice cube to chew on and doesn't get another until he eats another bite. Come up with fun games, songs to sing or something else as a reward.
A lot of parents cave, just let their kids eat the same hot dogs, mac and cheese, chicken fingers and noodles w/ butter until they're 8, then decide "hey you need to eat new things" and try to jam all kinds of new flavors on a underdeveloped pallet and wonder why it doesnt work. My 2.5 year old eats Thai, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian and American foods so far and let me tell you the only thing that has ever been easy are the carbs.
All the time and effort you put in now will pay off 10x when your 5+ year old kid has a well developed pallet and loves all types of foods. Trying to expand a pallet after that much stubbornness has developed is not something I want to do.
TLDR: Get them used to green food then present GOOD tasting food, come up with fun rewards (songs, games, other healthy food they like).
First, since you said he likes Mac and Cheese, switch to this http://www.amazon.com/Kraft-Macaroni-Cheese-Dinner-Original/dp/B004R8L71W Yea, still not health food, but it's an easy meal that's not the worst thing in the world when you don't feel like having to rip your hair out and not feel as guilty having them eat mac and cheese again. We go through a few boxes a week of this. It's a quick win.
Next big thing is getting over what I'd call color phobia. With my kid anything green was an instant NOPE. Kids love juice and it just so happens that Naked Juice Green Machine tastes just like apple juice and is loaded with good things. You can get it at Target, Walmart or Costco in BIG bottles for like $6, buying the small bottles is a sure way to make sure you go broke. Be sure to watch how much you serve, while it's all natural sugar it's still a truckload of sugar and not good for pancreases, especially little ones.
Once they start to like that and understand things that are green can taste good, start presenting good tasting green food. Boiled mushy nasty veggies are not included in good tasting green food. Fresh green beans, grilled/stir fried asparagus, something like that. Crunchy, fresh, good tasting veggies with a little bit of oil or butter to add some flavor. A lot of times we give just a small amount of juice, then reward with more juice or more of something else if they eat the veggie.
Stick with it and stay strong. Every now and then we still run into problems but it's gotten better. I've read stories about kids that eat anything put in front of them, see other people with them at restaurants...but never have I seen my kid do that. Every piece of food gets inspected and most things we need to reward with things he likes in order to eat it. My kid has a thing for ice cubes, so when he eats something we want him to, he gets an ice cube to chew on and doesn't get another until he eats another bite. Come up with fun games, songs to sing or something else as a reward.
A lot of parents cave, just let their kids eat the same hot dogs, mac and cheese, chicken fingers and noodles w/ butter until they're 8, then decide "hey you need to eat new things" and try to jam all kinds of new flavors on a underdeveloped pallet and wonder why it doesnt work. My 2.5 year old eats Thai, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian and American foods so far and let me tell you the only thing that has ever been easy are the carbs.
All the time and effort you put in now will pay off 10x when your 5+ year old kid has a well developed pallet and loves all types of foods. Trying to expand a pallet after that much stubbornness has developed is not something I want to do.
TLDR: Get them used to green food then present GOOD tasting food, come up with fun rewards (songs, games, other healthy food they like).
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