Help me feed my toddler, please!

[mom2keira]

I have just a minute right now and am beyond frustrated- I almost want to just give up. Here's the background

he's 20 months old/20 pounds
still nursing 5-6 times a day then 1-2 over night- about 5 minutes at a time
he's in therapy for "low oral tone" but I don't really think it's helping- she is doing more speech/play therapy

he will eat hashbrowns, sometimes a bite of toast, crap like crackers/puffs any time, snap pea crisps, specifically boxed maccaroni and cheese made with sweet potato puree and yogurt, sometimes a bite of tortilla with a little refried beans (I mean like a 1/2 inch square) some fruits (soft ones) sometimes. That's pretty much it.

he won't touch any veggie meats/whole beans/rice/pasta/grains/veggies

I even gave up on the vegan thing and tried cheese and local eggs and he won't touch that
he can't tolerate tofu/soy

It is sooooo frustrating. I just don't know what to do/try anymore. I'd like to wean him at 2 years old.

I'd say he eats 150 calories a day?

I guess I'm just looking for someone who may have similar experience or some food suggestions for very very picky eaters?

[kavamamakava]

He's getting quite a bit of calories from breastmilk so I wouldn't worry about his calories at this point. If he needs more fat or more calorie rich breastmilk, your body will adjust to his needs and the frequency of his nursing. He likely gets at least 5-6 ounces in 5 minutes and breastmilk has about 70 calories in 3.5 ounces.

I'm sure his low oral tone plays a huge part in his desire not to eat so many foods. Will he drink smoothies? You can put all sorts of food in a smoothie. Does he like dipping stuff? It sounds like he enjoys food that comes in small pieces that he can pick up, for the most part. I used to get my Happy Baby Food Grinder out and make little balls of all sorts of food. Like put some chickpeas and cream cheese and rice in there and crank it out and roll it into little balls. Or some soft steamed broccoli and rice and cheese.... You can get really creative.

[mom2keira]

LOL1 he does looooove balls! Great idea- thankyou. I hope I still have my food grinder!

[melanyh]

me. i'm in the same boat. join me in the frustration!

soren is two and used to eat anything!!! i was so happy as ds1 (aspergers / dyspraxia) was SUCH a picky eater. around 1 things changed. at this point, soren's day consists of raw milk, two to three snack traps of kashi heart-to-heart honey oat cereal for breakfast, a hummus or grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, if we're lucky, a kashi cereal bar. for dinner he USED to eat local eggs w/cheese or even sweet potatoe w/real butter. NOW he is down to maybe cinam. oatmeal, applesauce and/or morningstar farms veggie sausage.

i try to give him meats, and he used to do yogurt in which i'd hide strained veggies. he refuses it all and cries, cries, cries if i insist. there are days when no veggies and no fruits pass his lips. i used to be able to count on the local eggs & cheese, but now he's refusing even that.

i don't really have any advice, but you are not alone.