15-16 month old nutrition??

[Mama4life14]

My still breastfeeding son doesn't eat as much as I think he should be. He loves fruit and different kinds of crackers but it seems that I can't get him to eat what we eat (mostly supper foods). I just want him to eat a little more vegetables because I know that fruit has sugar, and he already has issues with his top 4 teeth and cavities. I'm a little worried about his nutrition and I want to make sure that he's getting everything he's supposed to. What amount of food per day is normal for 15-16 month old?? I've tried to get him to snack a little less, so he'll eat more at mealtimes, but that didn't really work either. Some days he eats pretty good, but other days, he eats barely anything. Any tips or suggestions? I think he's easily distracted too, so he doesn't want to sit in his highchair for more than 5 minutes. I think that has a lot to do with it too. But any tips are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[hildare]

my only trick, i guess, is to mix dd's favorite thing ('gabbagago' otherwise known as avacodo) with the stuff i want her to eat.  applesauce works, too.  can you do blends?  dd downed spinach (which she spat out to begin with) when i stirred in a little applesauce.  and i don't mean purees or anything, just stirring it together so it looks or tastes a little like the original yummy thing.

'they' say you can do little trays so they can eat on the go, but that just creates a housekeeping disaster for us, we don't go there. 

dd is about that age, a little older, and she has had spotty appetite.  sometimes i'm amazed at the amount she'll eat and some days i wonder if she's getting enough.  she makes up for it being a dreaded all-night nurser, so i wonder if anything will change when we nightwean. 

[Mama4life14]

Thank you very much! I'm going to try that. As for the night nursing, I know what you mean. My son does that as well! At least I know he's getting that much. I taught my son the sign for "eat" and he does it all the time when he's hungry, but usually what I get for him, he doesn't want. But he'll eat something sweet no problem. So I think mixing with applesauce would help. He likes applesauce. I'll try it!

[guitarmama]

The other day I stuffed  peas inside small pasta shells, and my little pea-hate didn't even realize they were there.  I felt like a genius!  haha!

[tzs]

Originally Posted by guitarmama 

The other day I stuffed  peas inside small pasta shells, and my little pea-hate didn't even realize they were there.  I felt like a genius!  haha!

that is some E-vil genius!!! i love it!

[memz]

My 14 month old DD is like this. She won't eat vegetable or meat or fish or you get the point. She usually eats oatmeal with strawberries in the morning, has a mashed banana mixed with plain yogurt for a snack, then a grilled cheese for lunch and cottage cheese mixed with a fruit puree for dinner. I was also a bit concerned with this pattern but I guess she will just outgrow it with time and start eating more diverse food. What I did for the vegetalbes is make mini muffins with vegetable in them, like I did squash and pear, zucchini carrot, yam apple.... We have also been letting her and play at the same time. Otherwise in her high chair she just won't eat...too boring I guess. The messy stuff like yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, we sit her down, but for the rest she just walks around and comes back to get more......

[Mama4life14]

Thank you!! The muffins are a great idea. I will definetly try that. We also let our son play and eat at the same time, come back for the food. He gets bored way too easy. It's good to know that my child is not the only one! haha :)