How can I change his eating habits????

I have lost complete control.

He used to be a great breakfast eater which gave me piece of mind: pancakes, french toast sticks, eggs and toast or oatmeal. Now he will only eat oatmeal for breakfast which I am ok with because it's healthy.

Lunch and dinner is a NIGHTMARE. He will only eat:
chicken nuggets (which have to be from McDonalds or Wendys). I used to be able to make breaded chicken cutlets, but he refuses to eat that anymore.
grilled cheese occasionally
yogurt and cereal bar
jelly sandwich
macaroni and cheese
spaghetti occasionally
pizza


I am so sick of fighting with him and begging him to eat. He does like fruit so he will snack on an apple or banana during the day. Other than that he LOVES cheese crackers and cookies and anytihng chocolate which I stopped buying.

I dont know what to do anymore. He barely eats dinner b/c I refuse to let him eat junk so by 8:00 he is starving and whining for something. Even than it's a battle for him to eat something semi-healthy. Tonight he ate a cereal bar for dinner

I have cut out juice for the most part b/c I think he was filling up on that. He drink 2 cups of milk a day and I have been having him drink more water.

Any help/advice??? He is not open to trying different things which is a BIG problem.

Message edited 7/27/2010 9:18:00 PM.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Anyone?

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

I have basically given up with Sadie. What she eats varies by the day and one day she will eat something , the next day hate it and freak out.

She will eat things for DH that she will not eat for me.

She basically eats
ANY and all fruit. Shhe would eat fruit all day everyday if I let her.

cheese
Yogurt
applesauce
mac and cheese
cold cut turkey(only for DH)
SOMETIMES spaghettios

I have resorted to mixing some babyfood into her yogurt so she gets some vegetables. UGH.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

The best advice I'm getting (we're going through this a little bit too) is to NOT make it a "power play" with mommy and daddy BEGGING baby to "just eat ONE BITE!" etc. It's a control issue apparently, they realize that they have the option to say "no" so they do!!! Just leave the food on his tray and if he's not eating just be happy and say "OK I see you don't feel like eating now, I'll keep this for you until you're hungry!" and take him out of the highchair. Sometimes they just don't want to stop playing and exploring to eat, cause that's boring

I'm also being told that you need to look at their food intake over the course of a few days or a week, not any 1 day. That helped me so much, because over the course of 3-4 days we're definitely hitting all the "food groups" which I tried so hard to make a daily thing. It's not happening!!
Mine used to love chicken nuggets and hamburgers (I buy organic meats from the supermarket) - then went through a phase where he'd chew them and SPIT them out. It was disgusting But last night I made burgers and he was literally GRUNTING for more of mine so YAY!!!
He was also barely eating breakfast - just fruit all of a sudden, so I was really worried he was going to have a big problem....

But he just sat here and polished off 3 minipancakes with fresh blueberries, so I think we're turning a corner

Oh and for the chicken and burgers - KETCHUP has been the key on both. Not a lot, just a little dab to moisten them, and he seems to do fine! Have you tried the store bought ones???

Yobaby also makes a yogurt that includes a fruit and a vegetable, I've used those at times...

For veggies he does great with diced carrots and peas. He likes to play with the peas and roll them around. I swish a little applesauce over them and he really likes 'em.

Good luck I know it's SOOOOOOOOOOOO frustrating!!!!!!
Healthy snacks can help fill in the gaps too, cut up apples, graham crackers (sometimes I put peanut butter on those), raisins and rice cakes are tops around here!!!

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Crissy - when you figure it out, let me know. There are some days when Elizabeth will eat cheerios for breakfast and NOTHING else all day besides milk!

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

I could have written this word for word.

I have honestly given up. It's sad. I don't even think to feed him most times.

He eats breakfast. He goes through phases for lunch and dinner. A pizza phase. A nugget phase. A french toast phase (this is the current one) He basically has been eating french toast for the last two weeks. There is nothing I can do about it. I make a ton of other things (for us, and Tyler - how ironic) and he never tries anything.

I am hoping that he outgrows this - sooner rather than later. We go away with my family next week - all of the kids are great eaters, I can't wait to see if he sits and eats with them.

The other day we went to the sprinkler park - I packed a sandwich for me, DH, and TYLER! LOL. NOTHING for Jack.

He loves his milk and I've been cutting back on that bigtime bc I think it fills him up....he still doesn't eat.

Message edited 7/28/2010 8:11:22 AM.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Josh will eat such a great variety...as long as it is in front of the TV.

we start out at the table, he plays with his food...once we are done, i put him at his little picnic table with TV on...and bam, 2 bowls of lentil soup will disappear.

he eats almost every vegetable, meat, fruit.

i was never afraid to let him starve either, i think that helps. he never ate from 6 mos-18 mos...so i gave up. He also cooks a lot of the food with me as well. I think that helps.

he goes to mcdonald's 2 times a month with his friends.
other then that, we never eat fake chicken nuggets. i will just make them at home with chicken breasts.

but, like i said, all in front of the tv. which i don't love, but he eats everything.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

The more I talk to other moms, the more I realize that this is what kids do at this age. I beat myself up over Colin's lack of eating but he's still a healthy kid...a little skinny...but relatively healthy. I was crying to his pediatrician a few months ago so he suggested:

1. Cook with your kid so they are involved in the process (we did this last night and Colin at least tried what he made which is a huge step)

2. Make smoothies and milkshakes and "hide" fruits and veggies in them.

He suggested a whole bunch of other types of foods but Colin refuses to try anything new so that piece of advice didn't help...

Good luck! Maybe we should have a "pizza party" where the kids make dinner and we can toss veggies on the pie and see if they'll eat it!

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

This is gonna sound mean but my kids do not have choices in what they eat. Maybe I am lucky but they eat whatever is put in front of them. I have done this from the beginning with both girls so honestly, it was easy. From time to time they will give me the ol' "I don't like this anymore" crap, but then the choice is, to not eating anything. In they end they will almost always just eat it.
This will be harder for you because of the eating habits you guys have developed. But it can work. They are not going to NOT eat forever.
I make one meal for everyone to eat and that is it, take it or leave it. They have a well rounded diet and eats tons of veggies, fruit and meats

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

I think the word control says it all--you have lost control. Your child now realizes there are choices, and will not necessarily do what you want or eat what you want.

My son has been like this for about a year, he's 2.5. Before that, he ate almost anything we gave him except green beans. He did have trouble with table food (lots of gagging), so maybe this has something to do with it, I don't know. And the advice I have been given is the same as some other posters--don't make a big deal of it. Present healthy foods and maybe in time he'll try them, but don't bargain and coax too strongly (if you eat some peas you can have a cookie, etc.).

Every meal I make sure there is at least one thing he will eat--nuggets or mac and cheese, etc. He generally doesn't even try the other foods, often doesn't want them on his plate. But I'm told in time he will try them, hoping this is true! Some are lucky and have kids who will eat anything they are given--I think some kids just won't, so offer healthy things, but give him one thing you know he will eat. Or look for healthier alternatives of things he does like. I often make pizza at home, sometimes on pitas. It's easy, and not so junky as I can choose what cheese to use and how much oil. Or I got him to eat a healthier version of chicken nuggets--I think the brand is Bell's--they are frozen. He loves them now.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote a book - deceptively delisious (?) - she basically "hides" baby food/vege puree in stuff her kids will eat.

Maybe dip the french toast in applesauce or bananas before cooking them. Or putting some sweet potatoes in the mac & cheese.

Not sure how old DC is, but maybe let them help cook or pick out food?
My DS is 2 1/2 - he gets excited to pick out the shape of pasta - he also LOVES to help mommy.

Maybe talk to the ped about the ensure shakes for kids - so at least he's getting some nutrition.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Posted by Tine73

Crissy - when you figure it out, let me know. There are some days when Elizabeth will eat cheerios for breakfast and NOTHING else all day besides milk!

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Posted by Diana1215

I could have written this word for word.

I have honestly given up. It's sad. I don't even think to feed him most times.

He eats breakfast. He goes through phases for lunch and dinner. A pizza phase. A nugget phase. A french toast phase (this is the current one) He basically has been eating french toast for the last two weeks. There is nothing I can do about it. I make a ton of other things (for us, and Tyler - how ironic) and he never tries anything.

I am hoping that he outgrows this - sooner rather than later. We go away with my family next week - all of the kids are great eaters, I can't wait to see if he sits and eats with them.

The other day we went to the sprinkler park - I packed a sandwich for me, DH, and TYLER! LOL. NOTHING for Jack.

He loves his milk and I've been cutting back on that bigtime bc I think it fills him up....he still doesn't eat.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

I'm having major issues with Rylan...have been for a long time but things are really bad now. He'll eat breakfast without a problem. He will eat pancakes...waffles...cereal. He'll always eat bread and rolls too. Other than that I can get him to eat plain pasta and pb&j here and there. Once a week or less he'll eat a yogurt. Sometimes french fries but they have to be McD's

He will not eat ANY fruits...vegtables or meats. Once in a blue moon raisins and bagged blueberries. It's not that he doesn't like other things he will not even try them.

Meal time is always a major fight and struggle. When I go out I don't even bother bringing him food and if I do it's a potato roll. I don't believe the saying if they're hungry they will eat because I know Rylan would need to be physically dying of starvation for him to eat anything else.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

my dd is 1 and i have to struggle to get her to eat most of the tiem... but these are our go to foods..

mini pasta (by barilla) theres no cutting involved she just goes at it..i add butter and parm. cheese and a pinch of salt... she goes wild for this

i know this sounds silly but its totally a texture thing ive tried oatmeal dozens o times and shes always spitting it out... so i bought baby oatmeal since its smooth (we use beech nut) i use whole milk now..... add some cinnamon and applesauce and she will eat it no matter how bad of a day were having with food.

I also just bought JOLIE RAVOLI they are in the frozen section i got them at king kullen... i got the cheese and broccoli ones cook them cut them up into bite size pieces and she really likes them they have other flavors but i like that shes getting her veggie.

Also eggs with a little american cheese

she also really likes veggie burgers with american cheese cut up. I only use the gardenburger ones because theres no mushrooms.

try cheese sticks for snacks

yobaby sells yogurt with fruit and veggie i like these alot.

gerber has those little ravioli dishes abby loves the turkey and veggie ones.

This is really all she eats and we just rotate it all.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

I totally agree with Collette about the power struggle, and have found that my son eats best when left to explore his own plate, and feed himself.

This is going to sound insane, but lately my son is really into frozen veggies, not frozen then cooked -I'm talking straight from the freezer. He eats frozen broccoli florets like popcorn. While I was making something one day, he asked for one, and then couldn't get enough. I thought it was totally weird, so I polled my friends to see if they had ever heard such a thing -turns out most of their kids liked their veggies frozen too. Some even said their kids liked frozen waffles. I'm going with it, and offer him a handful of frozen veggies on his plate each night. maybe it will work for you?

I haven't tried the 'cooking with your kid thing' to see if it would help -but I just came across this great blog and will hopefully get to try some of the recipes someday: http://www.cookingwithmykid.com/

Good Luck!!

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Posted by jellybean1420

Posted by Diana1215

I could have written this word for word.

I have honestly given up. It's sad. I don't even think to feed him most times.

He eats breakfast. He goes through phases for lunch and dinner. A pizza phase. A nugget phase. A french toast phase (this is the current one) He basically has been eating french toast for the last two weeks. There is nothing I can do about it. I make a ton of other things (for us, and Tyler - how ironic) and he never tries anything.

I am hoping that he outgrows this - sooner rather than later. We go away with my family next week - all of the kids are great eaters, I can't wait to see if he sits and eats with them.

The other day we went to the sprinkler park - I packed a sandwich for me, DH, and TYLER! LOL. NOTHING for Jack.

He loves his milk and I've been cutting back on that bigtime bc I think it fills him up....he still doesn't eat.

Is Jack like TJ...won't even try anything new??? If I even offer him something that looks slightly different than what he wants he goes nuts.

I give Derek everything we are eating b/c I refuse to have another bad eater. I am hoping the more variety of foods TJ see's Derek eating, that maybe TJ will want to "copy".

It's gotten to the point where I am afraid he is going to starve he's skin and bones as it is.

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Re: How can I change his eating habits????

Posted by jellybean1420

Posted by Tine73

Crissy - when you figure it out, let me know. There are some days when Elizabeth will eat cheerios for breakfast and NOTHING else all day besides milk!

Now I dont feel so bad!!!!

They do love cupcakes though