Meals for DD

littlemurphy2912

My DD is 21 months old and my DH and I have a hard time getting her to eat the kinds of foods that him and I eat. We both know that she isn't going to love every kind of food that is out there just like him and I don't. But it's getting a bit tough grocery shopping for food that him and I know we will eat but know she won't eat and trying to get her to not be stuck on all the same foods that she is so used to eating at home. She doesn't like trying certain things when we are eating them and pitches a fit half the time if we just put it in front of her on her tray in case she may want to try it. At her daycare she "supposedly" eats some, most, or all of what they provide for her and I know a lot of that has to do with her seeing all of her peers eating it so she wants to too. It's just hard getting her to eat the same foods at home. I'm sure this will pass but it really drains us when she just wants a number of foods and anything else we offer she rejects. We don't want her eating all the same stuff over and over and want her to have variety but we aren't sure if there is anything else we can try and do to change that. I do know and understand that at school she doesn't get a choice on what she gets to eat where at home she does and she knows that. Any tips?

=Lee=B

I think you answered it yourself in your post.  She eats a variety of foods at daycare because she doesn't have a choice in what she eats.  She doesn't eat at home where you give her the choice.  Why give her the choice?  Until she is buying, prepping and cooking the food you and dad should choose what is served not your toddler.

We never have served our 15month old anything but what we are eating at the time.  She eats anything and everything.  Should she choose to not eat something for what ever reason on a certain day she knows she waits until the next meal to eat. 

I would start doing the same with your daughter and soon enough she will learn she is not in charge.  Ensure that there is one food at each meal that she likes so she has something to keep her from being too hungry until the next meal time. 

With a few very rare exceptions children will not starve themselves.  They may protest and go on a 'hunger strike' trying to win the battle but they WILL eventually eat and will learn to eat what is served.  It is MUCH easier to do this now then a few years from now when your child has been in charge of her food for even longer.  It won't be fun or easy but long term not only will it make your life calmer but you will set your daughter up to be a healthy eater as an adult.

honeydew01

=Lee=B said:

I think you answered it yourself in your post.  She eats a variety of foods at daycare because she doesn't have a choice in what she eats.  She doesn't eat at home where you give her the choice.  Why give her the choice?  Until she is buying, prepping and cooking the food you and dad should choose what is served not your toddler.

We never have served our 15month old anything but what we are eating at the time.  She eats anything and everything.  Should she choose to not eat something for what ever reason on a certain day she knows she waits until the next meal to eat. 

I would start doing the same with your daughter and soon enough she will learn she is not in charge.  Ensure that there is one food at each meal that she likes so she has something to keep her from being too hungry until the next meal time. 

With a few very rare exceptions children will not starve themselves.  They may protest and go on a 'hunger strike' trying to win the battle but they WILL eventually eat and will learn to eat what is served.  It is MUCH easier to do this now then a few years from now when your child has been in charge of her food for even longer.  It won't be fun or easy but long term not only will it make your life calmer but you will set your daughter up to be a healthy eater as an adult.

All of this. I couldn't have said it better.

littlemurphy2912

Thank you everyone! I really needed to hear all of your input! You are all exactly right. She won't starve and as independent as she is becoming and letting us know verbally what she wants and doesn't want we have to let her know she can have choices at times but others she has to eat what we are eating and that's it. I do know that there was a time that it was just her and me and I was feeding her dinner and she asked for something else and hadn't ate much of her dinner and I kept saying no you need to eat more of this then you get that and she didn't understand and I kept telling her that and then she finally decided to eat more of her dinner and ate pretty much all of it and then I gave her the thing she was asking for. I don't know why all of this just dawned on me to not let her have control when that is exactly what we are doing. Duh! Thanks

littlemurphy2912

The problem that we have is that she knows where our pantry is and knows what types of food she likes that we keep in there so she always goes to that when she hungry and wants to look to see what she wants. We sometimes feel that it's good to give her choices on things she can have to eat but maybe we need to stop doing that especially since she rejects what we try and give her that we are eating. Just when I thought we were going right about feeding her stuff...crap! Haha!

littlemurphy2912

@LalaMama81‌ yeah it's a variety of different things. Mostly not the best type of stuff for her to always be eating but she knows they are there and in her arms reach. We don't keep stuff that she eats at arms reach for her but on higher shelves but she knows where to look for them. You are right that I need to realize she's getting a good helping of food overall of what she eats all week at daycare and at home. On the weekends its a little tough though but I think we are just going to have to do a bit more meal planning than we already do and stick to that and help her understand that. Thanks for your thoughts and congrats on your newborn!

littlemurphy2912

@theresat858‌ that is a really good idea! All this time I really didn't think it was a big deal letting to have some of the foods she was wanting to eat but now after talking about it with you all and trying to figure out why she doesn't eat the same things at meal time that my DH and I eat it all makes sense and has dawned on me. DUH! What was I thinking?! Thanks again ladies!

divajackie67

I don't make special dinners for my son, but also do not worry about his nutritional intake on a per meal basis. I fill his plate with bits of what we are having and he eats what he wants. Over the course of the day he gets his protein/carb/fat needs met by either breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Just give healthy foods every meal and they will get with they need.