A couple of months ago my previously adventurous daughter suddenly started hating pretty much everything I tried to feed her. Oh sure, she would eat fishie crackers and raisins, but we were seriously lacking in a lot of very important food groups. We're still working on it, but here are a few of my successes...
1. Edamame.
She loves the stuff! I already knew she liked it, but the only kind I could find at Safeway was a huge package of shelled edamame that went bad before she ate even a quarter of it. It felt like a huge waste of money to me, so I only bought it that one time. But, lo and behold, Trader Joe's sells frozen shelled edamame! I can prepare a small amount at a time, and it's perfect! Definite success.
2. The Dip
Everything's more fun to eat when you can dip it, right? Using yogurt, peanut butter, or hummus as dip, and carrots, apples, and pretzels as the object to be dipped = actual eating! (It also keeps her really busy, which means I have relative peace during mealtime...always a plus)
3. Presentation
How I serve food seems to make a big difference. Most anything with a straw will at least get a few bites (yogurt, in particular). She's terrible at utensils, but loves attempting to eat with a fork. If I get a piece of meat onto a fork for her and let her feed it to herself, she will sometimes swallow! (meat/protein is one of our greatest battles)
4. Smoothies
Whole-milk yogurt, fruit, ice, sometimes carrots, and yes, a little bit of sugar and she's in heaven! I don't always take the time to make them, but smoothies, eaten through a straw of course, are another success.
5. Adult cereal
This one really surprised me. I had been trying different dry cereals out on Livia after she got tired of cheerios. She liked kiddy cereals, but she LOVED muesli! She eats the raisins and dates first of course, but then she systematically goes through and eats all the grains and nuts, too. Who'd have thought? It seems like most kids like oatmeal, but Livia despises it. I can't blame her. I've never liked it either.
So there has been some major progress made, but most of her meals still end up on the floor or stuffed down into her high chair. If any of you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! I know a lot of toddlers go through a picky phase, and so I'm rather desperately hoping she'll grow out of it.
5 comments:
You definitely have VICTORY in my book if she likes edamame- I didn't even know what that was until after college!
Check out Alyssa (O'Bryant) Griffeth's blog. (The link is on my blog.) Her Olivia went through the same thing not that long ago, and she discusses some of those trials. There was also a book she recommended.
I'm not a mom but I have a good memory and I can point you toward the moms who have struggled with this before :) Good luck!
PS, still loving the "bug" look. Livia is too cute in pigtails!
Gosh, I'm not looking forward to the picky eater stage!
I recently read Ellyn Satter's Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense, which offers great advice for feeding toddlers and children. I also own her Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family which I used in a nutrition class. Satter is a great authority to look to when it comes to feeding kids in a practical appropriate way.
Wow! I am impressed at your creativity. I obviously have no advise, but congrats on the victories!!
We are a chicken nugget, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and pbj family. I think that is mostly due to the fact that I don't make anything different. Ty has been loving smoothies lately too. And the dip discovery is amazing too! Ty ate a whole huge handful of brocoli last night because he could have ranch too (and it was even fat free!)
Pass on what you find out!
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