My toddler won't eat...

[mel_mama]

Help! DS (19mo) has never been a great eater. Always has been a little reticent to try new foods, doesn't like a whole lot of foods, and LOVES mama's milk, of course! But lately, it seems that he's rejecting everything I offer him. The only things he consistently accepts and actually eats (as opposed to going "EW" and throwing it on the floor!) are: applesauce, pickles, salt n' vinegar chips (don't ask) and "cookies" (little graham crackers). This is complicated by the fact that I am currently 12 weeks pregnant and can tell my milk supply is going down. DS wants to nurse CONSTANTLY through the day and I don't know if it's a teething phase (can't tell) or if it's because he's hungry and wants milk, but isn't really getting enough to fill him up.

Anyway, have any of you been through this? Any ideas on what a picky toddler who seems to like sweets and sour stuff might like? I'm at a loss, as I've tried everything it seems... (rice, pasta, bread, chicken, steak, corn, peas, lots of veggies and pureed veggies...he wont touch any of it!) Any ideas are appreciated!!!

[pbjmama]

Two of the things he likes have vinegar...have you tried other things with vinegar or other strong flavors? Three of the things are crunchy...

Other than that, I would keep offering healthy food and not stressing or pressuring him at all about eating. He will eat. It might not be on your schedule but he will eat.

[MujerMamaMismo]

Both the boob obsession and the refusing to eat at his age is really normal though I don't specifically think they're related. My 18mth DS is exactly the same at the moment.

The food refusal is, in my opinion, a stubborn, learning to assert independence and will, toddler thing.

The boob obsession is typical around 18 months - I'm told it's actually their most intense boob time.

And even though I know this, it's driving me nuts. I can't imagine being pregnant and having that to worry about in the equation.

[crunchy_mommy]

Have you tried adding salad dressing to his veggies? Applesauce with his rice or meat?

DS pretty much likes everything (though we're limited in that we're vegan & low soy & low gluten) so I can't fully relate but he doesn't eat large quantities of things... His favorites are fruits & beans, everything else he tends to just have a couple small bites, so while he eats a great variety the quantity is definitely lacking. I think that's normal for most of the second year but with you being pregnant I can see why you're concerned!

I do notice if I put salad dressing or hot sauce (yes my 16mo loves tabasco... crazy kid!) or salsa, he will eat a whole lot more, and we tend to cook heavily spiced foods to begin with so that suprised me, but I bet it's the vinegar more than (or in addition to) the spiciness now that I think about it!!

[mel_mama]

Thanks all! I appreciate the feedback and the suggestions!! I'm glad to know other moms of 18-19 month olds are also going through the nursing obsession phase. It is so draining and it's good to know that it's not just my DS... Off to work for a short break (for my mental state AND my nipples!). Ha!

[spmamma]

Just wanted to chime in to say that DD nursed waaaaay more after I got pregnant (she was about 18 or 19 months, I think). I'm sure she sensed a change in my milk and was trying to make up for it. And she wasn't a great eater, either. Seems totally normal. Just keep offering healthy, tasty foods and your wee one will eventually get there.

[JessieBird]

My 19 mo DS's eating habits change weekly these days. He used to be a pretty great eater - not large quantities but he wasn't picky at all. Starting around 16 or 17 mos, we started into a phase of eating a lot of everything for a few days to a week then almost nothing for a few days to a week. We've had a few episodes of only eating one food for three or four days in a row (bananas once, muffins another time). There's no rhyme or reason as far as I can tell, though occasionally there is a new tooth or a slight cold that I could blame (though I'm never really convinced that's the reason). I used to find it frustrating but he doesn't seem to suffer on the days that he hardly eats and he isn't crankier nor does he sleep worse on those days so now I just ignore it and try not to cringe at the food that gets wasted.

I am also pregnant, 25 weeks now and this started when I was about 12 weeks like you are. Unfortunately I didn't get the boob man phase - he stopped nursing then which made me really sad.

[sarah1122]

I've also got a vinegar/sour food loving 20 month old. He's not a picky eater, but he especially loves vinegar.

You may want to try a "salad" (raisins, apples, shredded carrot, etc) with some apple cider vinegar splashed on top. You may also want to try sauerkraut, miso and other fermented foods. You could also try mixing some vinegar in with some rice or other grain (ick, I know).

And if he wants nothing but pickles and applesauce or now, I say let him have it.

Recently I've started making DS a small snack of favorite foods (lately dates and cheese) when he asks to nurse and asking him to eat some of that before he has milk. This is sometimes a hard sell, but if I sit down and read him a book he'll usually munch happily for 10-15 minutes before asking for milk again.

[yasinsmama]

My 2 year old is extremely picky. I can't remember the last time he ate a vegetable. He used to LOVE roasted broccoli and cauliflower, now he acts like he's dying if it touches his tongue. He lives on homemade waffle, organic chicken nuggets with ketchup (those things are expensive), yogurt, bagels with cream cheese, those veggie straws that are like chips, PB&J occasionally, and blueberry muffins. He will not eat cheese, veggies, or any meat other than chicken. Won't eat pasta or any white sauce. Oh, he will pick at spaghetti. He still nurses at night, and won't drink plain milk. It has to be vanilla milk, so I try to not give him too much of that. It is so frustrating and worrying, but I was like that when I was little too. I just hope his taste changes soon. I want him to know what good food is.

[hilary549]

my child (16.5 mo) is also a pretty picky eater who likes sour foods- def second what someone else said about fermented foods- he loves sauerkraut and mild kimchee and pickles... foods i would not have suspected a small child would love. he also likes frozen blueberries, i think the cold is good for teething if that's an issue, and they are super good for you.
one thing you could try is a fermented porridge- it sounds weird i know but it is easy and easy to digest... you soak oats (i use steel cut) in equal quantity of water with tbs of yogurt overnight, then cook in the morning with another equal quantity of water. then add in butter or whatever, some maple syrup? or molasses or raisins ... there are many varieties on this, you can look at the cookbook _nourishing traditions_ for more recipes if this works out for you. (another thing you can do is add in an egg yolk just after cooking while it's still hot, then they get the protein and good stuff from the egg yolk and it is not so noticeable in the porridge)

[sapphire_chan]

A new discovery for us is frozen kefir pops. Not as effective at being kefir as non-frozen, but still some protein and such.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by yasinsmama

. It has to be vanilla milk

okay, I'm going to try the grassfed milk with vanilla and see if I like it better.

[nukuspot]

How do you do kefir pops? Just freeze kefir in popsicle trays? That sounds like a great idea! I want to try it if that is what you are talking about.

[ThisCat]

My one year old has hit an extremely picky phase too. He will not try anything new to save his life. If he hasn't seen it before it ain't gonna happen. And there are only a few foods he'll eat consistently (oatmeal, bananas, strawberries, applesauce, pearsauce, o's cereal, and chicken & maple sausage). And he isn't even nursing much. He's a big boy though, so I guess he's got reserves.

I don't remember my daughter being quite so picky about food at this age, so it is kind of worrisome. But like with most things child related, I just keep trying to remind that this is just a phase and there's no point in fretting too much. I just keep offering and most of time he just throws things on the floor (what is that anyway? can't you just hand it back to me kid?), but every once on awhile he'll surprise me. When he went out to dinner the other night he actually ate some mac and cheese which he hasn't done in ages. I never thought I'd get so excited over mac and cheese.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by nukuspot

How do you do kefir pops? Just freeze kefir in popsicle trays? That sounds like a great idea! I want to try it if that is what you are talking about.

Yep! And after posting, I Googled, and all the good buggies should survive if you don't freeze it for too long (e.g. a week is fine, 2 months isn't)

[ellegoat]

Keep offering! My 20 month old's food preferences seem to change all the time - one week she can't get enough of eggs, the next week she won't have anything to do with them. So far, the only thing that has been popular all the time are bananas and onions, go figure! She also tends not to eat consistent amounts - rather, it's worked out to one big meal a day and a few bites at all the other meal times.

So I just prepare a variety of things - usually 3 different foods, in a variety of textures and colors, in very small amounts. I might also have 2 different drinks too. Usually she won't eat it all, but maybe she'll taste all of it, and I'm hoping that as the foods become more familiar she will be more likely to eat them.

[T-man's Mama]

To encourage proteien, there's a yummy deviled egg recip with a slight bit of vinegar (http://www.deviledeggs.com/classic_deviled_eggs.html). Gives it a tang, and maybe you could use it as a dip also.

My 15 month old loves spicy foods - guacamole and hummus are his faves. You could try baking some basalmic vegetables also.

[Marsupialmom]

Malt vinegar and others can be use to splash and dip. Keep offering!

Also, this is the age my youngest fell in love with hot wings she manages to snag one of her dad's and before we could get it away she was in heaven. Not saying hot sauce your child but I found with this child strong flavors made her happy! Mustards, horse radish, you name it. and it was on everything.