Won't eat anything that isn't a dry bread product.

[Aufilia]

Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration. He also eats pepperoni slices (if cooked, not cold, and slightly crunchy), chicken nuggets, and well... ok, other than that, pretty much just dry bread products: toast, crackers, dry cereal. Not to mention his love affair with Goldfish crackers of nearly any variety. He gets very excited if he sees a Goldfish package.

We started with Baby Led Weaning, and for the first couple months he ate things like broccoli, cucumber sticks, noodles... but then he couple months ago he decided he wouldn't pick up anything wet or anything slimey. I figured it was a phase but how long does a phase like this go on???

He also refuses to eat anything off a spoon, since we did BLW. I actually went and bought him baby food in an attempt to get him to eat something else. He did eat applesauce a few times in the past... but not now.

Is anybody else's older baby/young toddler this picky? My DD went through weird phases as a baby but I'm pretty sure even she ate a wider variety of foods by this age.

[MaryElizabeth]

Hey, have you ever tried the Morning Star Farms Garden Veggie Patties? They have the texture of a hamburger/chicken nugget and don't taste anything like veggies. They are a lifesaver and I haven't had a toddler refuse one yet!

[alegna]

From your sig- he's not quite a year? Totally normal. All his nutrition should really still be from breastmilk any way.

Keep offering what you're eating and he'll start showing interest in some different stuff after awhile.

-Angela

[hildare]

our dc are about the same age.. my dd screamed her head off for croutons the other day. i am now having to eat my salads in secret. (i don't think she can handle the croutons-- they're crunchy and not that healthy..)
she's doing weird things with food too- she used to love salmon, now she won't have it. no spoonfeeding anything. it's getting pretty difficult. i'm sure they'll get over it soon, though.. right?

[Abraisme]

It sounds to me like he's just not that ready for solids yet. I agree with Angela, keep offering a wide variety (whatever you're eating) and he'll get it eventually. The WORST thing you can do is cater to his pickiness and give him only crackers. Offer a variety of healthy foods and if he doesn't eat it's not that big of a deal. I've known some babies that hardly touched solids until 14mo+ and then they started eating everything.

[always hope]

Sounds just like my daughter. Just keep offering healthy choices and breastfeed on demand if you can. That way you have the nutrition covered. Don't fall into the trap of offering unhealthy things just cause they eat it. Eventually the appetite will grow and they will eat more. Toddlers are notorious for eating apparently nothing and still growing well. Try to also pack as much nutrition and good quality fat into what they do eat. I have worried about DD on and off but she is actually doing really well so unless she was lacking energy and seeming unwell I am trying not to worry.

[mrstanimal]

when I read your post, my stomach literally dropped, because i felt as if someone posing as me had written it !! only my DS is almost 16 months !!! there are days when he is willing to try things, but most of the time not. he is still a huge nurser. i've been trying to get bread products out of the house, and not fall back on giving them to him because they are easy. i never thought i'd have a picky toddler as both myself and DP are pretty adventurous with foods. in time, hopefully this will change.

[Aufilia]

I'm glad you all replied. I keep telling myself I am obsessing way too much about his eating habits and I should know better because he's my second, but ugh! I think he ate more cardboard today than actual food. Seriously. He go an old cereal box out of the recycling while I was doing the dishes and I swear I only looked away for a minute and he'd eaten a 3" square off the flap.

Originally Posted by MaryElizabeth

Hey, have you ever tried the Morning Star Farms Garden Veggie Patties? They have the texture of a hamburger/chicken nugget and don't taste anything like veggies. They are a lifesaver and I haven't had a toddler refuse one yet!

Haven't. I'll consider it. But I seem to recall trying to give DD vegiburgers and she hated them. And she's never met a vegetable she didn't love.

Originally Posted by alegna

From your sig- he's not quite a year? Totally normal. All his nutrition should really still be from breastmilk any way.

True. He doesn't nurse as much as it seems like he should. We cosleep but I think he only nursed 3 times last night for a few minutes each. That's way down from a couple months ago when I'd've sworn he was on me like a little human leech all night, every night.

Originally Posted by Abraisme

It sounds to me like he's just not that ready for solids yet. I agree with Angela, keep offering a wide variety (whatever you're eating) and he'll get it eventually. The WORST thing you can do is cater to his pickiness and give him only crackers. Offer a variety of healthy foods and if he doesn't eat it's not that big of a deal. I've known some babies that hardly touched solids until 14mo+ and then they started eating everything.

On a whim yesterday we went to the big Asian grocery nearby and I bought a bunch of dry crunchy products just to shake things up. He ate a bunch of "Assorted Rice Crackers" this morning, then at nap time he was sooooo miserable I wondered if they upset his stomach. The ingredients looked innocuous enough and they tasted soy flavored to me.

[Smidge]

Originally Posted by Abraisme

It sounds to me like he's just not that ready for solids yet. I agree with Angela, keep offering a wide variety (whatever you're eating) and he'll get it eventually. The WORST thing you can do is cater to his pickiness and give him only crackers. Offer a variety of healthy foods and if he doesn't eat it's not that big of a deal. I've known some babies that hardly touched solids until 14mo+ and then they started eating everything.

I've seen what the "dry bread/cracker" diet did to a 1 yr when I was working in daycare

[mamadelbosque]

Will he eat like muffins? You could make him whole wheat muffins of various sorts (blueberry, pumpkin, banana nut, etc). They're fairly healthy, super yummy, and 'bread'

[Auraji]

My daughter is 17months old and we did Baby Led Weaning. I sometimes did purees as dips or spreads, but never as a meal. We also don't eat meat, but eat fish.

Her likes and dislikes have changed a lot since she started solids, the amount of food varies depending on the week. Sometimes she'll eat everything, sometimes nothing. I'm not a good eater, as in I'm bad about sitting down and having a meal, but so are toddlers. I try to always offer a variety of things. Today we've had for breakfast whole grain toast with olive oil and a pinch of salt, a n apple cut in cubes. If she's hungry enough, she'll eat the whole apple, if not I have to cut it and make it easy and fun for her to eat. I also offered yogurt, but she didn't want any. She nursed when she first woke up.

In a little bit I'll make a smoothie and see what happens with that, we do need to go grocery shopping.

Certain snacks I offer are: carrot sticks with hummus, washed beans from a can (any type, she loves them), fruits, falafels (I get the veggie patch kind), toast with peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate soynut butter, butter, cream cheese, hummus or whatever I have around, string cheese, yogurt. I have done the crackers and cereal and goldfish, but I try to keep those things for when we're on the go and I need something easy and that doesn't make a mess.

Just offer different healthy foods and keep at it. My sister always said, children don't starve themselves when there's food around.