Toddler and Butter

[MamaMem]

My almost 3 yo is frequently (2 -3 times a week) eating butter on the sly. He will get a stick from the fridge and go to his special hiding spot and have chow. He has never eaten more than 1/2 Tablespoon or so but I am wondering why he insists? Is he lacking something? What would do with him?

[irony_optional]

My two-year-old loves butter, so I just butter her bread thickly and let her go to town. Why not just serve him butter so he doesn't have to sneak it?

[fruitfulmomma]

If he is not taking other foods from the fridge, then I'd say it is a nutritional thing and I would offer him more of it at meal times and also remind him that he needs to ask before he takes things.

[Violet2]

Maybe he needs more fat in his diet?

Just FYI there are a lot of people who like to snack on plain butter--I ran across a 10 page thread of butter snackers once on another message board-- so it could be that he just likes it.

Since he's 3, I would ask him what's going on and see if you can work out something that doesn't trash an entire stick of butter.

V

[StoriesInTheSoil]

I agree with the other posters, maybe ask him to let you know when he wants butter and you can cut some slices and give him a piece of bread or crackers (or just plain, whatever) so that he's not just licking all the family's butter

[SubliminalDarkness]

My DS2 does it, too! And apparently, when I was little, I did it as well(though it was margarine, not butter). For my son, he does often take food from the fridge, which I don't mind in general. I DO mind him taking bites out of sticks of butter.

[bella99]

When I was about 14-16 months old, my mother had me in a grocery cart and was busy putting the food on the conveyor belt, when another women pointed out to her that I had taken a stick of butter out of the box and was eating it like an ice cream cone.

I don't do that now, of course, but I still like butter.

[janinemh]

Butter is brain food--great for growing toddlers. Maybe make him a little dish of pats of butter so he can just grab one at a time.

[MamaMem]

Originally Posted by Violet2

Maybe he needs more fat in his diet?

Since he's 3, I would ask him what's going on and see if you can work out something that doesn't trash an entire stick of butter.

V

I wondered aboput the more fat part. As for being 3 and talking about it... Not so much. He is just really starting to bloom with his vocabulary...

The funniest thing he's done with a stick is "drew" on a mirror and window. He seemed to think that the finger paint effect was cool.

He does not really try sneeking any other food out of the fridge anymore so I will try giving him more butter and good fat.

Thanks y'all!!

[texmati]

ummmm... butter tastes goooood. I'm going to sneak some out of my fridge right now!

[Liberty5_3000]

My 3 yr old is always begging for and sneaking butter too! I only worry about it because he lets the dog have what he doesn't finish and that has resulted in quite the mess.

[Peony]

All my kids have loved to eat sticks of butter at one point or another.

[faithsstuff]

we were on a road trip once and went through a drive in. I handed back my ds healthy lunch. I heard him 'mmmmmmm'ing in the back seat and when I turned around he was super shiny. I thought he was uber-sweaty so we pulled over for a rest break. Turns out he'd gotten the bag with lots of butter pats and had opened and eaten them all!

[mom61508]

Originally Posted by janinemh

Butter is brain food--great for growing toddlers. Maybe make him a little dish of pats of butter so he can just grab one at a time.

Agreed! If you buy quality butter like Kerrygold(the cows are grass fed)then your LO will be getting more fat soluble vitamins from it which is great!!!! Think Vit K and VIt A....So possibly his body is telling him he needs those vitamins and more fat! BTW DD does this too. I just let her take it and eat it

[treehugginhippie]

Originally Posted by mom61508

Agreed! If you buy quality butter like Kerrygold(the cows are grass fed)then your LO will be getting more fat soluble vitamins from it which is great!!!! Think Vit K and VIt A....So possibly his body is telling him he needs those vitamins and more fat! BTW DD does this too. I just let her take it and eat it

I agree! I also think we adults should observe and follow kids (most of the time) as often they want to eat what their body is lacking, stop eating what doesn't feel good to their body and stop eating when they're full.

[EdnaMarie]

I agree that it COULD be vitamins, but it COULD be fat or calories or that he just loves butter. I love butter. For me, I have high metabolism and it's just easy calories that are nummier than olive oil.

[ellemenope]

Originally Posted by EdnaMarie

I agree that it COULD be vitamins, but it COULD be fat or calories or that he just loves butter. I love butter. For me, I have high metabolism and it's just easy calories that are nummier than olive oil.

Yes. I love butter.

FWIW DD craves butter and asks for it all the time. It is funny, because lately I will ask if she wants a peanut-butter-and-jelly, and she will think and then respond with, "How 'bout butter and no jelly...mmm and no bread."

From my very limited research on a toddler's diet I feel that fats are the most important element.

[leighann79]

My 4 year old will come and ask for a spoonful of butter now and again. I always give it to her.

[LCBMAX]

My son's butter cravings have gone down now that I am making sure to give him lots of "slippery meat" - all the fatty bits and soft cartiledge/ joint bones to suck. But we used to keep a grass-fed cow stick of butter just for him, and if he'd refused all dinner, he would sometimes have a tbspn as a bedtime snack.

[cappuccinosmom]

My dad has told us the story of how when he was a toddler his mother found him up on the counter, scarfing down a stick of butter. She was horrified.

As common as it is, I think it might just be a yummy calorie source for some kids. I like butter, after all. I don't like it in big lumps, but a tablespoon melted and poured over popcorn is awesome.