BLB, I think our babies could be almost food preference twins (I have a 17 month old little guy)
I also have a 7 year old, who did not do that same thing of holding out for raisins/grapes/strawberries/what have you. And both were offered from day one a healthy range of nutrient-dense foods--the difference is that the now 7 year old actually ate them (in teeny tiny quantities), rather than making faces and refusing to eat, becoming hungry and cranky and gesticulating wildly for the sweeter options that the toddler knows exist somewhere! My little guy is aware of sweets even though he's never had them (really, never seen them--when we were at a friend's house he was clamoring for a brownie when he had never seen one before, or anything brownie-like baked in a 9 x 13 pan). Our daughter never did that, and happily handed over chocolates from an advent calendar at age 2.75, completely oblivious.
Both my kids have the same body type at this toddler age (50-60 percentile for height, less than 5th percentile for weight). Both rejected fat-rich things like avocadoes, egg yolks, nut butters... Both love to nurse. To me it's so clear that otherwise it's a taste preference/personality thing that's different between them, and I wish there was a magic bullet for the toddler to choose to eat the healthy and tasty meal choices!
My new breakthrough food with the little guy is hummus. He also likes guacamole (though not plain avocadoes). And chicken sometimes. It's all so hit or miss, and varies by the day. I think offering her what you eat, and then later offering a banana, peanut butter and milk if she's still hungry is a fine way to go. I would try not to fret too much and think that she'll always eat that way--there's a lot of growth and learning in this department in her future, and though sweet things may not be your preference to feed her, making them as nutrient-rich as possible will keep her healthy.
Good luck!
I also have a 7 year old, who did not do that same thing of holding out for raisins/grapes/strawberries/what have you. And both were offered from day one a healthy range of nutrient-dense foods--the difference is that the now 7 year old actually ate them (in teeny tiny quantities), rather than making faces and refusing to eat, becoming hungry and cranky and gesticulating wildly for the sweeter options that the toddler knows exist somewhere! My little guy is aware of sweets even though he's never had them (really, never seen them--when we were at a friend's house he was clamoring for a brownie when he had never seen one before, or anything brownie-like baked in a 9 x 13 pan). Our daughter never did that, and happily handed over chocolates from an advent calendar at age 2.75, completely oblivious.
Both my kids have the same body type at this toddler age (50-60 percentile for height, less than 5th percentile for weight). Both rejected fat-rich things like avocadoes, egg yolks, nut butters... Both love to nurse. To me it's so clear that otherwise it's a taste preference/personality thing that's different between them, and I wish there was a magic bullet for the toddler to choose to eat the healthy and tasty meal choices!
My new breakthrough food with the little guy is hummus. He also likes guacamole (though not plain avocadoes). And chicken sometimes. It's all so hit or miss, and varies by the day. I think offering her what you eat, and then later offering a banana, peanut butter and milk if she's still hungry is a fine way to go. I would try not to fret too much and think that she'll always eat that way--there's a lot of growth and learning in this department in her future, and though sweet things may not be your preference to feed her, making them as nutrient-rich as possible will keep her healthy.
Good luck!
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Originally Posted by BLB
 Wow, so many different opinions. A few things to clear up:
5) Again, we offer a wide variety of healthy foods, including everything that has been listed (eggs, beans, cheese, avocado, yogurt, etc.). I don't just offer her fruit all day long, and never have--I thought that was clear. Even if she's so hungry she's in tears, she will not eat food she doesn't like or that she thinks she doesn't like. If, say, I put beans and cheese in front of her (that's all I mean when I say "trying to get her to eat"--making some food and putting it in front of her), she'll poke at it and maybe place a piece on her tongue, spit it out, and cry because that's not what she wants to eat. She won't cheer up or sleep until I give her either some milk, or some fruit. I do try to do things like put nut butter on the bananas or toss sliced strawberries with raw coconut oil for fats. And she mostly eats low-sugar fruits anyway. ssh, ammiga, Leah, Faith--thanks, I'm going to try your suggestions. Gotta go grab a shower, Granny is on the way over  |
I've been chilling out on this in general and I think we'll all survive 
For the last 2 days I made her a grilled cheese on thin slices of whole grain bread, with a tiny bit of chutney spread on it, and she ate some of that. Last night she rejected white rice but ate a few green beans IN RED THAI CURRY SAUCE. She has no trouble with strong flavours! 
The grilled cheese with chutney is a brilliant idea BTW! Oh and DS also lovessss spicy foods (tabasco sauce, jalapeno "cheeze" sauce, chili, curries, etc.) hehe
