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Parenting after 35
mtnrider
member
What's your go-to food when dinner ends up on the floor?
mtnrider
member
Getting so tired of Simon's picky eating. Last night I made him tofu, rice and veggies and he threw it all without taking a bite. So I made him some ravioli and that all got tossed too. Then I made him peanut butter and jam on toast, which normally is our go-to food, and he tossed half of that too. Tried fresh fruit, tossed it without taking a bite. So I finally gave him a pouch of Plum Baby, at least he's getting 2 food groups. Pouch food is the only thing he'll eat these days when he's in a picky mood. Are other moms of toddlers that tolerant or do you just send them to bed hungry when they won't eat instead of trying to accommodate them?
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Re: What's your go-to food when dinner ends up on the floor?
You have more patience than I do!
Margaux hasn't ever been THAT fussy, but when she starts playing with her food I ask her if she's "all done" and that usually gets her focused. If she doesn't like what we're serving, she usually likes the fruit or yogurt we have for dessert and that tides her over. If she doesn't eat that I figure she's just not hungry.
The "all done" sign has been a real boon, it's easy for her to do and she understands it. She'll even use it in different contexts, like when I am on the computer, she points at the computer and looks at me and signs "all done."
so far, i've been pretty lucky... particularly since her pedi told us to make she's hungry at dinnertime. it seems like it's common sense, but i wasn't really doing what he said- which is to only feed her at breakfast, lunch, snack, dinnertime. period. he said to give her milk after she eats and water during. and ever since then, she's been really doing great eating. and she only has her two bottom teeth! i just make sure everything is small and soft enough.
all that said, i'm CERTAIN we'll be in the same shoes soon- where she'll refuse to eat. i may try giving some applesauce or yogurt but that's about it. i absolutely do not plan on making more than one meal- another thing our pedi said to stay away from doing. that's the plan at least.
click the pic (blog)
i love this. i love her!
do you think it's too late for me to teach S the all done sign?
click the pic (blog)
Hahaha that's really funny! Smart girl! Guess we better start teaching him some signs, although it's pretty obvious when he's all done since the food goes flying. Also, not sure I want him using it in other contexts...
Hahaha talk to me in 3 months! I've become a short order cook!
Actually I'm not a very patient person, I think it's more desperation to add weight to my skinny little man...
Yogurt.
If Aaron won't eat his food (usually he smushes it with his fingers rather than throw it on the floor) he'll usually eat some YoBaby or applesauce. Another "go to" food is potato. He loves them. Baked. Mashed. French Fried.
He usually loves macaroni & cheese but there is only so many times per week he can eat that. He mostly eats pasta. He likes rotisserie chicken and roast turkey, too. I think he'd be less picky if I was better at preparing his meals. It's my goal for after we move?to have his meals planned/prepped in advance for the week.
The problem is that he likes to eat with us but DH doesn't get home until 7:30 pm, which is too late for him to eat. So A eats at 6:30 and will "try" our meal later. He often gets what we eat that night the following evening.
Bronx Zoo: Summer 2013
To read my blog, click on the giraffe pic below!
It's never too late!
This guy has freaky big hands, but this is the sign...
https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/f/finish.htm
You just use it whenever you ask if she's finished or all done, and if she signs back you nod and move the food or whatever away. I use it in conjunction with "more," so if she screeches when you take the plate away you can ask "More?" and bring it back. Here's more:
https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/m/more.htm
We used the "My Baby Can Talk" DVDs, Margaux LOOOOVES them.
We really try to avoid this part. We offer her what we are having, or a planned alternative if we don't think she will like it. If she won't eat that, we either offer other leftovers that we can nuke up quickly or a peanut butter sandwich. If that is refused, we move to fruit - she rarely refuses banana or apple. If she still won't eat, we give offer milk and call it a night.
We also try to consider how much she has eaten over the course of the day - if she has eaten well at other meals and snacks, we don't worry too much. If she ate poorly for several days in a row I am sure we would be concerned, but generally it only happens once in a while.
Jack refused to eat anything last night. We had breakfast for dinner, eggs, hashbrowns cheese girts and turkey bacon. He spit everything out and then of course threw it. He even took a sip of milk and spit it out and then threw the cup. I took him down and he ate nothing the rest of the night. I did try to offer him more milk, but he kept refusing it. I took it as, he just wasn't hungry. I'm not making something different for him to eat unless we are eating something he can't have.
Too funny that you used that expression! At our 12 month appt, Allison our pedi, very specifically told us that we were entering the picky eater age and not to become short order cooks! So if Ellie doesn't eat what's for dinner, I may give her a fruit or veg pouch or some yogurt and grahams, but that's it. Allison said to watch what she eats over a few days/week and as long as she eats breakfast, healthy snacks, lunch in between dinners that are thrown (or whatever meal), we're good. They will not starve themselves! So I've taken a deep breath and followed her advice and am glad - especially hearing stories of families whose kids all get different dinners even now that they're teenagers. Also, a friend gave me the book "Child of Mine" by Satter and it's about feeding toddlers - I've just looked here and there in it, but it seems pretty good.
I totally understand wanting to make sure your LO eats.
Our go to is guacamole and hummus. I will spoon feed it straight to Matt. Guacamole has a lot of good fat in it. The other thing is I give him is cut up olives. Matt LOVES olives.
I just read about coconut milk. It is supposed to be really high in fat so I am going to see about giving it to Matt as dessert.
Do you give Simon vitamins?
I am surprised ravioli did not work - that is one thing I can always count on Matt eating at least one ravioli.
Good luck!
His go-to food? Geeze.. depends on his mood. But I keep a stash of unsalted McDonald fries in the freezer. Snap a few into pieces and nuke them for about :10 and he's happy for a while. I only use them maybe once a week, tho.
He also usually likes cheese chunks and craisins. Canned green beans have been good lately, too, so I often have some of them in the fridge. Also baby goldfish.
No, should I? Do you?
Our pedi recommended vitamins 3-4 times a week. I got a liquid vitamin from Whole Foods. We give it to him for "dessert" because it is fruity tasting.
In terms of being sort order cooks I give him whatever we are having for dinner. I make sure there is protein and veggies. If that doesn't work I give him leftovers from the night before. If that doesn't work I go to the guac/hummus/cheese route. If that still fails then I give him fruit and crackers.
I don't make another special meal for him if he doesn't like dinner. I grab whatever can be re-heated from the fridge.
I come from a family of really picky eaters and was a really picky eater myself, so it is important to me that Ada is introduced to a variety of foods, and that we don't have a safety food.
scrambled eggs.
I tend to not get too worried though. Pedi explained that their growth slows considerably after 12 months - if they don't particularly want to eat then that's OK, they probably aren't doing too much growing. When Ada is hungry, she will eat!