S+TMs - Vitamins and Toddlers

kelly321

This is more a question for DD1's board, but since there is about one post every 2 months there, I'm posting here in the hopes that someone can help.

DD1 has always been a pretty good eater, but lately she has been eating more and more meats and carbs and fewer fruits and veggies. I got vitamins for her, but now I'm second-guessing myself. I remember reading about studies showing that children will eat what they need to get their vitamins because their bodies will start craving the appropriate foods if they don't eat them. So I'm afraid if I give her vitamins, she'll stop wanting to eat veggies and fruits altogether.

Does anyone know anything about this? Do you give your toddler vitamins? Is s/he a picky eater?

kelly321

I just googled a bit, DC, and can't find it online. I vaguely recall reading it in a book at some point, but I think it was even before I had kids. It just stuck with me because I thought it was interesting that in the study, children were given a buffet of various foods and the first few days usually chose ice cream, cookies, etc, but by the 4th or 5th day they almost all chose healthy foods. The hypothesis was that it was due to their bodies craving certain nutrients that weren't being provided by the junk food.

Also, I realized that I wrote that DD1 has always been a pretty good eater. That was a tired mistake. She used to be an awful eater when she was a baby, what I meant was that she has been good about trying and liking a variety of foods and having no problems eating veggies until recently, when she has started to turn down veggies she usually likes.

wifeofadam

I did a multivitamin for years with the kids, but mainly because my oldest had so many food allergies that I felt it was necessary just to make sure he was getting everything.  So then I gave it to all the other kids too.  I just recently stopped because we started a new diet for my oldest and he can't have any form of sugar (there aren't any children's vitamins I could find without it).  Also I had read some info about how vitamins aren't absorbed as well into the body anyways, so I'm just going to try to have the kids get as much through whole foods as they can.

The one supplement I still give to the kids everyday is a probiotic.  We do a therapeutic dose for my oldest, but the middle two just get a 4 strain at about 2.5 billion every day.

wifeofadam

I forgot to mention, DS2 went through a serious veggie aversion for a while.  I started getting sneaky and just pumping all of his meat and other foods full of pureed veggies.  He really liked meatloaf, so I would throw pureed squash and spinach into the mix.  We also did a lot of soups with the pureed veg in the broth.  It seemed to work well and eventually he outgrew the aversion.  Now he'll eat just about anything, so don't give up hope on your toddler. 

kelly321

Sounds similar to DD1. She usually eats veggies and then occasionally will have a meat and carb phase. Maybe I should just wait it out instead of giving vitamins and see what happens.