Meal options for a picky eater? (Also whats your feeding sched?)

jaylee212

Everyone tells me it's just a phase.... but for the past 2 months my LO has turned into a picky eater!  she used to eat ALL the different flavored baby food purees, but when it comes to the actual foods... not so much.  I really do hope it's just a phase, and just the textures she doesn't like.  Can anyone suggest any easy lunch ideas?  She's in daycare 3 days a week, and pasta with cheese is getting a little boring...

Also what does a typical day of eating look like for your 1 year old?  FTM here, and just curious.  Thanks! 

LittleApple

My youngest is super picky.  He used to eat everything as a baby and ate lots of fruits, veggies and meats.  Then once he turned 18 months, he stopped eating anything unless it was a carb or sweet.  

We did a lot of french toast, peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese, yogurt.

Crequito

DD is getting picky but it's so sporadic that one day she'll eat a handful of broccoli and then 2 days later she won't have anything to do with it.  Staples for her daycare lunches have been yogurt, cheese, turkey or chicken (we buy thin sliced roasted turkey and/or chicken at the deli counter of our Safeway), bread, rice, banana or grapes.  She's only in DC 2 days a week so if she eats the same lunch both days I don't care.  I'll also do crackers sometimes or a breakfast bar.  I'm able to get her to try new stuff if I make it or if one of her grandmothers gives it to her so I stick with basics I know she likes for DC lunch so they don't have any issues with her not eating.

DawnJM25

I guess I don't use the term picky.  My kids are served what I make for meals.  If they eat, great.  If they don't, that's fine, but the food will stay there for another hour or so and they need to try it or take a few bites before they get snacks.  Both of my kids have days where they eat a lot, and days where they might eat a grape and a pretzel.  I figure they will eat if they are hungry.  

Breakfast is around 6:30.  We do fruit, yogurt, cereal, toast, eggs, pancakes, or waffles.  Lunch is around 11:30.  We might have leftovers or sandwiches.  I typically serve them the same thing I am eating- I find they eat better that way.  If I have something that's harder for them to eat like a salad or soup, they will have "kid food" like chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or a hot dog.  For dinner I make a variety of things and that's what they are served, too.  Dinner is usually 5:30 or 6. 

My 1-year-old is 23 mo so he might be a little older than your DD.  But even when the kids were littler, they still ate what we ate for the most part.  Even things like tacos or sandwiches can be deconstructed for little mouths.  Keep exposing her to a variety of foods.  If you cater too much to what she will eat, she'll be even pickier as she gets older. 

coffeeandbooks

I am also a former picky eater who now has a picky eater.  I guess it is karma!   The picky eating for me went on for a long time and I grew up in a family that had no patience for it, and basically force fed me.   Meal times were very stressful for me.
One thing that my mom never did, bless her heart, was try to feed me food that I liked.   Even though I was picky there were foods I would eat.   
For my LO now, I am just trying to maintain a list of things he does like.  I feed those things to him regularly,  and I introduce new things but don't force him to eat anything or stress about it.
For all moms with picky eaters, I would say don't take it personally.  Your kid is probably just really sensitive to taste and texture and I think it best just to go with his preferences rather than make a battle of it.   I think a variety of food is good, but plenty of cultures have survived on a mono-crop and eventually with patience your kid will likely expand his preferences.