Toddlers and veg!

[emmalou061987]

Ok looking for inspiration! My girl up until a year ago ate anything and I mean anything including sprouts! She was amazing to wean she just loved her solids but would only take blended foods for a short while before wanting finger foods. Since then the only sauce/mashed or blended things she will eat is cheese sauce and mash potato! Well last January she got a violent sickness bug and went off everything! And since then all I have manage to get down her is chips, chicken nuggets (occasionally normal chicken), sausage, crisps, biscuits, wheatabix, blueberries, toast, grapes, oranges, strawberries, ice cream and chocolate! Now she won't touch red meat or green veg and she is anaemic having to take medicine! Even after 3 months on it her iron levels haven't lifted! You just can't get the stuff in her mouth to even taste it and as she don't like sauces, blended or mashed food I can't even disguise it! Anyone got any ideas no matter how quirky!!!


EmmaLou @BonitaBeauty

 

[mm29]

I would go back to basics and be very strict,
If she doesn't eat what's been Put down to her don't give her a thing til next meal then the same she will eventually be hungry and eat,

Try homemade soup and freeze in small pots so it easy for you to take meals out night before, chicken casserole

My niece isn't a good eater but recently been given lactose and she was just bunged up and eating better,

How old is your daughter?

 

[virtues2011]

You may probably need some expert advise from professionals in the eating disorder area the with this situation as it can turn into psychological issues stemming from the sickness even from a very young age. try the suggestions from the other geeks but failing that I would ask for professional help.

 

[tattooednailed]

I just bought a juicer and I'm loving it! Why not try juices and smoothies and try different veg like roasted veg as the roasting makes it taste sweeter, and things like red pepper carrot and butternut squash are sweet anyway.

 

[Panoramic]

I would make it clear. Shock tactics would work

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[weezie]

How old is she? Have you tried children's probiotics as her stomach may not have recovered from the sickness bug. Put out food she can graze on that won't spoil like fresh fruit and resist the urge to tell her it's there, let her find it. She likes sausages, toast (iron is found in brown bread), oranges, blueberries, strawberries and chicken (chicken thigh and leg - dark meat have lots of iron) all these sound like great choices she is making. All children like crisps because the MSG is pure taste!!! Toddlers don't need many vegetables as long as they have lots of fruit. Juicing up some apple, carrot and broccoli stem (more iron) is a good trick. Have you tried slow cooking the red meat so that it falls apart? it may be the texture not the taste. Sultanas and dried apricots also have iron most toddlers love them. You can also cook watercress with some butter and then add water, cook it into a soup, blend it and freeze it in ice cubes and add it to a juice or meal later - more iron!

She can probably sense your anxiety around food and that creates stress and resistance. I would think she needs you to relax and let her trust her own hunger cues. Be kind, be patient although I am sure you want to pull your hair out over it, she's a toddler they don't eat much and they are fussy by our standards because they only like foods in their most simple form without sauces. Hugs

 

[virtues2011]

"You just can't get the stuff in her mouth to even taste it and as she don't like sauces, blended or mashed food I can't even disguise it!"

I'm not sure how a blender/juicer or any form of soup is going to help here!!

 

[Missy106]

Sounds like more of a psychological probelm rather than she just wont eat food. Id take her to see her health visitor and maybe get reffered to a specalist.

 

[mm29]

"You just can't get the stuff in her mouth to even taste it and as she don't like sauces, blended or mashed food I can't even disguise it!"

I'm not sure how a blender/juicer or any form of soup is going to help here!!

Hence why I said back to basics and starve her if she's not eating, she's more likely to eat soup (not blended) to a plate of stew and veg. It's a starting point to get some goodness into her and to start tasting veg again,

 

[weezie]

It could work because she has the choice to drink a drink! You don't need to try to force feed a child with a spoon as they can feed themselves from 6 mths old I wouldn't want to eat something I've never tasted off a spoon or fork without poking it and sniffing it and having the choice to take it at my pace. Anyway it's probably best to get professional advice but in the meantime there's no harm in trying another gentle tactic x

Starving someone to make them eat does not sound kind (although it may work) and is not the only option. Positive food associations make people enjoy food as adults. Eating when you are not hungry and not being alowed to follow your body's cues as to when you are full or what you do or don't like the taste of can lead to adult eating disorders. The goal is not to make her eat (she clearly does if it's something she likes) but encourage her to want to eat more of a variety of foods.

Emma you sound like you're doing a great job. Keep offering and ask for a referral to a nutritionist if the doctor is worried.

 

[beauty bits]

I honestly wouldn't worry, I think it's quite common for kids to go through the beige diet. Most people I know have had the chicken nugget and chips or cheese sandwich phase. I personally let mine eat what he wants for lunch (so he kind of won), dinner hes offerd healthy meal with superpower veg (carrots=supervision, cauliflower=crawl fast bla bla) if he don't eat it there's nothing else or afters so he goes hungry till morning, breakfast is healthy cereal with lots of fruit on the side and if he refuses his dinner he will be starving the next day. Health visitor told me not to make a big deal about it when he refused something as that in itself and your anxiety can cause problems x

 

[Mobile Manicure]

Have you tried chopping up raw veg like cucumber, celery and carrots into shapes and making a picture on a plate? Add cheese and ham or roast beef slices and cut it up any old way and make a funny face. My daughter always asks for a "mixture" plate and I put the above on it with strips of pitta bread to represent hair. She thinks she's eating fun food and its all really healthy.

I know it goes against the grain but sometimes letting children touch and play with their food before eating it helps.

 

[ch-ela]

I would just try to keep this as low profile as possible. Wait until she asks for food and then offer her something healthy, with the option of having it or not. Don't make a fuss at all. Just cook for yourself and if she wants to join you she can, but don't offer anything else.
The more you fuss, the more of an issue it will become. I'm sure that I read a report about an Austrian clinic where children with eating disorders were led this way.

 

[weezie]

I found out the other day that a mix of food like that is called a 'monkey platter' great name We just called it a meal

 

[virtues2011]

Hence why I said back to basics and starve her if she's not eating, she's more likely to eat soup (not blended) to a plate of stew and veg. It's a starting point to get some goodness into her and to start tasting veg again,

It may work - you can only but try I suppose. Starving has been known to have a very negative effect on some children as they give up eating altogether (in some cases).... it's probably as bad as the reverse where you have to have locks on the cupboards and fridge as some kids eat everything and anything in sight.

 

[emmalou061987]

Yeh she has seen a doctor they have said it's normal for kids to go through phases! Fruit ain't a problem as such! She adores sultanas and any dried fruit! It's the veg and red meat which the doctors want me to keep trying her with! If it's snack time she is given grapes or sultanas etc! And only brown bread in this house as well which helps! And the doctors said cos she loves wheatabix and blueberries if she is only gonna eat one type of fruit/veg blueberries are the best! But no matter how I try preparing veg she don't go near it! Have been thinking about juices but didn't want to buy a juicer if it turns out a flop! Need to find a ready juiced veg like carrot juice or something! She don't like tomato stuff , not even baked beans or tinned spaghetti! Tried milkshake type jobbies and let's just say I looked like a bowl of Melting ice cream after that attempt!!! Tried the mmmmm mummy likes it and eating with her... And she responds with Mummy aaaaaahhh and if I don't open my mouth she puts it on my plate, as if to say you like it then you have it lol!!


EmmaLou @BonitaBeauty

 

[emmalou061987]

She's 18 months by the way! Was fully weaned at 9 months as I struggled to get milk down her from the beginning and she had colic so she had those baby rice jobbies early! 3 to 6 months she was totally fine! Eating really well only struggle was her milk in take! But as she was all fit and well, putting on weight there were no concerns from the health visitors and docs


EmmaLou @BonitaBeauty

 

[kel's25]

My daughter is 3 and still fussy and was a lazy chewer until about 8 mths ago, have you tried cheese sauce? As my daughter isn't keen on tomato based things, other than her love affair with cold!! Baked beans x

 

[emmalou061987]

Yeh she does have cheese sauces with pasta shapes but only my homemade! But tried sneaking veg into that sauce and it didn't work neither blended or whole! But that is the only sauce she will have! It literally has to be my homemade cheese sauce with pasta! No veg or meat in it lol! She used to like them cheesy veggie fish shape things from Asda but then she cottoned on and refuses them now! Tonight will be turkey nuggets, chips, some of those cheesy veg shapes and peas! But at a guess she will only eat the chips!!!


EmmaLou @BonitaBeauty

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I don't honestly know what you're worried about. She seems to be covering all the food groups. My daughter won't eat fruit. But she's getting plenty of nutrients from all the veg she eats. Yours is getting it the other way around. She won't eat tomatoes or anything tomatoey or mushrooms. Sounds to me like your daughter has a very healthy diet. I don't think you need to worry about vitamin C. And as for the red meat, what do vegetarians feed their children instead of red meat?