still insanely picky!

Noah's diet consists of:
grilled cheese
chicken nuggets
cream cheese with jelly sandwiches
pizza
fruit
crackers

I cannot even get him to try anything else...I always put things on his tray and show him I'm eating it. I try putting it on a spoon or fork and he pushes it away...
Any suggestions???? Either on how to get him to eat different things or what else I can give him?
I asked the pedi about vitamins and I don't think he realizes how bad it is..he said even if he gets a bite here and there of different things he is getting enough..he's NOT getting even a bite of other stuff..he just refuses..
I don't want to just offer one thing and not give him anything else if he doesn't eat it...I'll just have a very hungry miserable guy on my hands...
this is crazy!

 

I have no advice since I have a picky ds too. I mentioned it to my doc as well a month ago, and he told me to just keep on trying new things with him and hopefully he'll pick up on it. I do give him vitamins because it makes me feel better and I'm hoping he'll be okay in the end. Have you tried Mac and Cheese? That's a big hit with my picky son and I sometimes put some shredded carrots in there. :blush: I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone! :hug99:

 

I don't offer just one thing and say "eat it or go hungry," but I do offer a few things and say "eat something or go hungry." I try to offer something I think they will like, but not always one of their absolute favorites. For instance, if he likes grilled cheese, try a quesadilla. If he likes chicken nuggets, try fish sticks. Not that the new thing is necessarily any better than the original (in those examples), but it may at least encourage him to try something slightly different.

Also, do you actually eat with them? You said you show him that you are eating some, but are you just taking a bite of his food, or actually eating the same thing yourself? I think our kids did start to branch out more when we started making a point of having family dinners (whenever possible). Some days they still do eat just bread, and ignore whatever the "real" meal is. But I try to present it as "This is what the family is having for dinner" -- which just happens to include at least one or two things they'll probably eat.

Also, if he eats the toppings on the pizza, you can get some veggies in him that way.

Try not to stress about it, and just keep offering different things. My girls are 25 months now, and I was just saying last night that they are noticeably less picky than they were from 12-18 months.

 

I've had some luck with the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook. I haven't done a whole lot of the recipies, but instead have kind of taken the concept of hiding pureed veggies in food and gone with that. For instance, they love quesadillas (you could do this with grilled cheese too). So I take some pureed squash, mix it with shredded cheddar and jack, and now they are eating a veggie! I've also hidden pureed brocolli in pasta sauce, cauliflower in pizza and applesauce, you get the idea.
Try playing with spices too, you might be surprised. Bea will not eat plain grilled chicken, but if you cook it spicy, she will gobble it up.

 

My nephew is a picky eater too!

In the early evening, my sister gives my nephew vanilla pedisure.
He loves it!

She feels whatever nutrition he is missing, the pedisure will help.

 

We're having the same problem here with one DD, you are not alone. The advice I keep getting is to keep offering new things along with something you know they will eat.

 

Do you find that there is a certain time of the day when he's hungrier than others? For instance, mine are always hungrier in the morning so I make sure I lay a really good (filling) foundation for the rest of the day (cheesy eggs, oatmeal, etc). My DS is picky, but not as picky as you are describing :hug99: I know that has to be hard...

A couple of things that I've done to combat pickiness is cutting out snacks...the only time they get one is in the afternoon b/c it's a long time in between lunch and dinner...10:30 lunch & 5pm dinner. They get some fruit when they wake up from their nap around 2ish. Mine get very little juice, a 7oz cup of milk only in the am and at dinner and water the rest of the day. I don't struggle with him over food. I don't make it a big deal. They know the routine by now. They get the main course on their tray and once someone (generally DD) finishes, I add a small amount of fruit to their trays, then a small handful of multi grain Cheerios (have 100% daily requirements vit & minerals and a sweet covering so DS will always gobble them up) and that's it. You get removed from your high chair after 20 min or so if you haven't eaten. At dinner (and this may come back to bite me, but it's working for me now) DS will always eat whatever is coming off of my plate, so I take a bite, he takes a bite...

Good luck :hug99:

 

Same for us. My girls are still on stage 2 chicken and apples for dinner a couple of nights per week because I'm having a hard time getting them to eat anything else for dinner consistently.

When I brought it up to our pedi, he wasn't concerned. He said at this point feed them what they will eat but continue to introduce new things until they get a taste for it. My girls have a slightly larger list than your ds's of what they will eat. The pedi said he will put them on vitamins at 18 months if they are getting enough veggies at that point.

Is he gaining weight steadily? Another TS mom, and RL friend of mine has started making smoothies in the afternoon. She uses milk and fruit (right, Lois?). Maybe that is an option for you. Good luck, I KNOW how frustrating this is. :hug99:

 

when mine were your age i offerd 4 vegies and 5 meats

peas, carrots, green beans, broccoli, oh and corn too.

and chicken, beaf, pork, shrimp crab..

many forms of each..

my kids favorite meal was peas, creamcheese and precooked salad chicken..


i still have a cabinet full of all the vegies, thats what i offer.. with the biweekly pizza or maccaroni.

but most meals are 90% vegie, meat. 10% pasta.. if it didnt make enough.. ill add a pasta as a filler..

believe me im so sick of the vegies / meats but iknow its a healthy way to eat..

we hid peas in apple sauce/ and cream cheese.

good luck.. i know its tricky..

 

I would just give a vitamin supplement and let him eat what he likes. As long as he's not underweight I wouldn't worry.......He'll grow out of it.