nutrient-dense dietary supplement for toddler

[mommy212]

Hi there, I am looking for some kind of really nutrient-dense food to help with my toddler's diet. We are visiting family for a month and in a few days he has gone from eating a good variety of healthy foods to rejecting 75-80% or more of his food offered- so mostly, he has been drinking milk, kefir and water, and eating whole grain crackers, peanuts, eggs and sometimes a bite of something else. I considered something like pediasure but rejected that when I read the label. Maybe there is a homemade version of this or something? Or maybe you ladies know of nutrient-dense foods that are more well-liked- I have tried things he liked at home, like sweet potato, kale chips and beans and all have been rejected.

Also, a recommendation for a good-quality multivitamin would be helpful :)

[1love4ever]

Garden of Life has a chewable kids multi, its whole foods based and is organic, it is something I would give to DD if she was older.

I have to hide healthy foods in DD's food.  For example, I grate yellow squash and/or zuccini(my garden is producing SO much of these right now I am also just trying to use them up, I dont know how nutrient dense they are) and add them to egg salad, lasagna, spaghetti sauce, etc.  And when I dont have a garden that is going crazy, I use spinach or kale and I chop it up small and add it to these things, as well as applesauce(DD is only 18months she doesnt notice, I also add grated carrot).  I always put frozen organic peas in things like organic mac and cheese, as well as serve organic tomato slices with it.

Remember that organic food has a higher nutrient content than does conventional, so my first step would be buying organic if you dont already.  Also, maybe making juices and/or smoothies out of things like beets, kale, carrots, spinach, etc, and adding some apple, peach, etc to sweeten it up?

Adding ground flax or ground brown or black sesame seeds to things like cereal, applesauce, or whatever adds nutrients.  Raw nuts are really good for you, organic blueberries are really sweet and very good for you, same with strawberries and raspberries and blackberries, although blueberries are my fav and I think the most nutrient dense?

And giving him RAW milk will certainly have more nutrients than regular.  Pasturized is nutrient depleted.  Here is a video for more info http://nourishedkitchen.com/mark-mcafee-raw-milk-interview/ 

[mommy212]

Thanks for the tips. I implement a lot of them at home, but here I have less control over what is being cooked. We made green smoothies last night and they were well liked- I half expected him not to drink it, since everything else he loves at home has been the enemy here-lol!

[1love4ever]

I should have given you a link for those kids vitamins, here you go:)  http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Vitamin-Chewable-Bears/dp/B003TTZWZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313302620&sr=8-1 

[SundayCrepes]

Frankly, for a month I wouldn't really worry about it too much. His world is turned upside down. He has control over nothing...except what he eats. He is just trying to make himself feel better.

So let him have control over that part of his life. He'll either start feeling at ease and will loosen up on the nutrition or you'll go home and it'll all work itself out. I think the more you try to control it, the more he will resist you and it will only get worse.

You're on vacation, have a good time. He won't starve to death and there's no sense in ruining a perfectly good vacation on the eating whims of a toddler.