What are you leaving for your other kids to eat?

arcook0307 · June 2013

My toddler is picky and I try and make sure she eats healthy whole foods. I never do convenience foods for her and am trying to think of something convenient for her caregiver while I'm in the hospital that I am pretty sure she'll eat since she's picky. She'll be 19 months when I have the new baby.

I don't want to have to write out a flow chart for if she refuses this then try that....plus it would be a ton of directions to write out for how to prepare each meal. That's just a lot of explaining to do and I don't want to be a burden to whoever had to deal with it when they are already doing me a huge favor. My husband will be out of town so I guess that's why it's weighing on me.

Do you have any go to convenience foods that are decently healthy? I was already thinking of Greek yogurt cups and instant oatmeal for breakfast but lunch and dinner I can't think of anything really....

Soleil3 · June 2013

If you are that picky about what she eats, make a couple meals and freeze them.

Otherwise I'd let the caregiver take care of it.

SarahinMD · June 2013

Depending on when LO comes, DD will be cared for by my mom and/or one of my siblings, all of whom have cared for her before and so have an idea of what she ears. She's not picky, but I'm sure they.l feed her different stuff than I would. I figure it's only for a couple days, as long as she eats and isn't hungry, and maybe even has a fruit or veggie from time to tie, she'll be fine.

That said, DD like dipping, so if I was really concerned, I'd try pita or veggies and hummus, even peanut butter with something to dip. Cereal with milk is a hit. A are berries, apples (she likes dipping slices in peanut butter). Good luck!

arcook0307 · June 2013

Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.

Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.

Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.

I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.

Soleil3 · June 2013

arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.
Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.

As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.

Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.

At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.

kanga1622Wed220857 · June 2013

I just prepped DS's meals as though we would be packing his lunch for daycare. He is not a picky eater but I just wanted it to be easy.

In our fridge will be:

steamed sweet potatoes

carrot sticks

green pepper sticks

sliced cucumbers

lettuce

olives

pre-washed apples and grapes

applesauce

cheese sticks

lasagna ready to put into the oven

In our freezer is:

poached chicken split into individual servings

pulled pork in individual servings

homemade spaghetti sauce in 1 person and 2 person servings

homemade waffles

taco meat in 2-3 person portions

sloppy joe meat in 2-3 person portions

sliced ham in portions to make 4-5 sandwiches

frozen peas, corn, and green beans

Then his usual snack stuff is in the cabinet: raisins, homemade graham crackers, triscuits, cheerios, etc.

I did make a list of possible food choices and how he likes things (what he likes on tacos, etc.). Since I'm a RCS, I wanted to make sure he was covered for a full 4 days and give me easy meals after we first get home.

sparkymcgeee · June 2013

I'm just going to trust my mother to feed her. She raised four healthy happy children and I'm not going to get too specific. If my daughter has a few treats then whatever. It won't kill her. It won't make her fat.

PrimRoseMama · June 2013

meimsx:
I'm just going to trust my mother to feed her. She raised four healthy happy children and I'm not going to get too specific. If my daughter has a few treats then whatever. It won't kill her. It won't make her fat.

H is fully capable of feeding DD. if my IL are here then i trust them somewhat lol. The only thing I have to beg my in laws to do is not feed DD seed in grapes or cherries. I don't know why my MIL insists that a 20 month old be taught to eat these. It's a choking hazard! DD nearly choked last time and MIL insisted she "didn't try hard enough". Oh the ways in which that woman frustrates me...

Other then that I figure my husband will be there with DD while I'm laboring. Last time he said wonderfully supportive things and was great, but really he felt like a bump on a log until pushing time.

So, he feels like he would be more useful watching DD and I don't disagree. I say let the caregiver you've selected figured it out. Leave a fridge of "mom approved" items and let it be.

Then again, I am not picky about what I feed my daughter. It doesn't have to be organic and while I make my own food DD has had some processed stuff. She is a healthy weight and really doesn't battle me over food as much anymore.

arcook0307 · June 2013

Soleil3:
arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.
Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.
As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.
Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.
At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.

How do you make a toddler eat something she doesn't want to? I've cried, felt like yelling, tried putting it in her mouth....all to no avail. I would pull everythign I had to offer out of the fridge or pantry and she might have ended up eating a few bites of banana or something. It was just too stressful! It's not that she never eats egg.....she used to love it and now just eats it when she wants to and she doesn't know how to show me she doesn't want it until it's in front of her.

She goes trough phases. Sometimes she will eat an egg every day for breakfast for a week and other times flat out refuses. She's in a refusing phase. She had major issues putting on weight so that's mostly why I got so paranoid that she eat. I don't care what she eats when whoever is here but I don't want the person to think she just isn't hungry and give up trying....

llbta85 · June 2013

arcook0307:
Soleil3:
arcook0307:

Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.

Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.

Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.

I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.

As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.

Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.

At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.

How do you make a toddler eat something she doesn't want to? I've cried, felt like yelling, tried putting it in her mouth....all to no avail. I would pull everythign I had to offer out of the fridge or pantry and she might have ended up eating a few bites of banana or something. It was just too stressful! It's not that she never eats egg.....she used to love it and now just eats it when she wants to and she doesn't know how to show me she doesn't want it until it's in front of her.

She goes trough phases. Sometimes she will eat an egg every day for breakfast for a week and other times flat out refuses. She's in a refusing phase. She had major issues putting on weight so that's mostly why I got so paranoid that she eat. I don't care what she eats when whoever is here but I don't want the person to think she just isn't hungry and give up trying....

This is probably an UO, but with DS he eats what we eat if he doesn't he goes to time out or goes hungry. They won't starve themselves.

RedCherry1109 · June 2013

arcook0307:
Soleil3:
arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.
Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.
As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.
Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.
At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.

How do you make a toddler eat something she doesn't want to? I've cried, felt like yelling, tried putting it in her mouth....all to no avail. I would pull everythign I had to offer out of the fridge or pantry and she might have ended up eating a few bites of banana or something. It was just too stressful! It's not that she never eats egg.....she used to love it and now just eats it when she wants to and she doesn't know how to show me she doesn't want it until it's in front of her.
She goes trough phases. Sometimes she will eat an egg every day for breakfast for a week and other times flat out refuses. She's in a refusing phase. She had major issues putting on weight so that's mostly why I got so paranoid that she eat. I don't care what she eats when whoever is here but I don't want the person to think she just isn't hungry and give up trying....

I have a very very picky eater, he is 2 1/2 years old and sometimes all he'll eat for dinner is chips. It can take 7-12 times of putting the food on their plate before they will try it. as longs as they are getting something from every food group and she is healthy, let her it whatever she wants. Don't stress over it or try force feeding her.

kennazebrowsky · June 2013

Unless the caregiver is a perfect stranger then I honestly do not see a point in doing this.

KateLouise · June 2013

I can understand your stress if your LO has had issues with weight gain, and so for that reason I would follow the advice of your pedi in regards to how much you accommodate her eating.

However, generally I agree with pp. You don't have to make them eat. You have to provide with nutritious food. They don't eat? Oh well, meal time will come around another time.

Sometimes it can be frustrating, and sometimes it can feel like they eat next to nothing, and yest somehow they keep on keeping on.

DD1 won't touch cheese, but I keep putting it on her plate, and just lately she's started having a nibble of it. I don't make a big deal of it. If she grumbles about what's on her plate, I just calmly tell her that anything she doesn't want to just leave on her plate.

Anyway, if I was looking after your daughter, I would appreciate a list of the things she tends to eat at different meals, and then I would work with that. I personally wouldn't be really tough on some else's kid about, "oh well you're not eating well you mustn't be hungry." because I would figure they were in a strange place without Mum and Dad, but I wouldn't feel like I needed Mum to go to any special lengths to help me feed the child.

Lelo2006 · June 2013

Soleil3:
arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well.  She won't eat egg.  
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit.  I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam.  I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.  
 Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
 I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now.  I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat...  She may love something one day and hate it the next.  I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli.  It's messy but she eats it.
As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.
Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.
At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills. 

Don't let people make you feel guilty. It sounds like your toddler actually eats a lot of different foods. I subsisted off of grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup from age 2 to 8 and I am perfectly healthy, have a great immune system, and love all types of food.

BelhurstBride · June 2013

lalvillar06:
I subsisted off of grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup from age 2 to 8 and I am perfectly healthy, have a great immune system, and love all types of food.

Well if it worked for you we should clearly all stop ignoring what the professionals say and just live off of grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup. It would certainly make for easier shopping in my house!

OP, if I didn't trust the caretaker to figure out how to feed my kid I'd find a new caretaker.

jaymiegerard · June 2013

My son's go-to is hummus. He eats it with a spoon. Good source of protein, and there are many natural brands. He also loves fruit and rice and beans. I have let go of his diet being perfect when I'm in the hospital. It's just a few days, so I know he will survive :-) But then again, DS isn't a picky eater.

laurakaz13 · June 2013

I trust anyone who takes care of my child to feed her. If I didn't, I would find a new caregiver. I just don't see the point of planning for this.

Liz4444 · June 2013

Soleil3:
arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.
Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.
As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.
Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.
At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.

Soleil, based on your tickers, you obviously don't have a child yet, let alone an extremely picky eater... tell me in 20 months how this works out for you...

Li will be staying with my parents and they can feed her whatever they choose.

karen0477 · June 2013

My kids will be at grandmas and for the sake of one or two nights, I dont really care whst they eat......I survived them feeding me, so I think they can manage.......if you are that wortied make stuff ahead and just leave a list of what she likes.....and if she is given pasta for breakfast while you are not there, who cares?

ilovetolaugh · June 2013

Whatever my parents have at their house for him to eat. I'm not worried about it, nor will I worry about it. He's semi picky, but he has different eating habits around my parents than me.

erbear · June 2013

I think you're overthinking this. If she eats crap for a day or two, it'll be fine.

Also, I left my husband at home for most of the time, so there was no need for a flow chart.

erbear · June 2013

I also agree with PP that your kiddo is old enough for the "this is what we're having. Take it or leave it" talk. I make one meal and my kids eat it, or they don't. They are fine (and adventurous eaters)

Soleil3 · June 2013

Liz4444:
Soleil3:
arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.
Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.
As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.
Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.
At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.
Soleil, based on your tickers, you obviously don't have a child yet, let alone an extremely picky eater... tell me in 20 months how this works out for you...
Li will be staying with my parents and they can feed her whatever they choose.

Well that's what you get for assuming I keep my lifes records in my tickers. I have a 4 and 5 year old who will eat ANYTHING, and often choose for themselves snacks like carrots and celery, white mushrooms, cucumbers, baby tomatoes, all manner of fruit, any dinner I can come up with, including spaghetti squash which is just an odd food to begin with. They eat balanced and will try anything. My H is the pickiest eater ever, so I have done a ton of reading and applying to ensure that our children don't follow his lead.

Is that enough of me telling you how my advice worked for me? Or would you like a detailed list of their daily menu?

Soleil3 · June 2013

arcook0307:
Soleil3:
arcook0307:
Breakfast is usually oatmeal I make and add peanut butter to or plain organic yogurt with homemade strawberry sauce....and some fruit usually as well. She won't eat egg.
Lunch might be cheese or black beans with whole wheat pasta or crackers and some fruit. I will do peanut butter and jelly using homemade bread and jam. I also will make grilled cheese with spinach.
Dinner might be chicken (roasted or baked or some kind of flavored ground chicken bites I've made and frozen ahead of time), carrots or sweet potato fries, peas or broccoli, and fruit.
I'm honestly in a rut with her eating right now. I am planning to start keeping a food journal bc every day it's a struggle to think of what she might eat... She may love something one day and hate it the next. I just feel bad for the person taking care of her. I did just happen to remember she has never turned down chicken alfredo with broccoli. It's messy but she eats it.
As long as she doesn't have food allergies, you need to not let her "not eat" foods. At 19 months it can take up to 7 times of introducing a food before they'll eat it, and thats ok. But right now, all this giving in to her on her diet, which you as the adult know better than, is setting you both up for failure and stress later on. You aren't doing her any favors here.
Egg, for example, try it scrambled plain, scrambled with salt, scrambled with cheese, scrambled with ham or turkey, try a bullseye or over easy, etc. Try hard boiled. Eat it with her, make a family style plate.
At her age she has no reason to not like foods other than it being new and different and being a battle of wills.

How do you make a toddler eat something she doesn't want to? I've cried, felt like yelling, tried putting it in her mouth....all to no avail. I would pull everythign I had to offer out of the fridge or pantry and she might have ended up eating a few bites of banana or something. It was just too stressful! It's not that she never eats egg.....she used to love it and now just eats it when she wants to and she doesn't know how to show me she doesn't want it until it's in front of her.
She goes trough phases. Sometimes she will eat an egg every day for breakfast for a week and other times flat out refuses. She's in a refusing phase. She had major issues putting on weight so that's mostly why I got so paranoid that she eat. I don't care what she eats when whoever is here but I don't want the person to think she just isn't hungry and give up trying....

Patience and keep trying. Phases are normal, some days my girls eat next to nothing, and other days they eat the entire fridge. At 17 months its difficult because she can't communicate, but just keep trying offering her new foods, know she wont starve and starting around now, they get manipulative and realize that mommy will replace new food with a safe and already deemed yummy food if they work it enough. They wont starve though, your willpower has to be stronger than theirs (And might as well work on it now, because boundary pushing has only just begun, and if you get a handle on it now it will make your life WORLDS easier as they age).

Don't cry ((hugs)) and try not to get frustrated. If she is hungry, she will eat. We also only feed what we eat, and her seeing you eat the same thing and sometimes even bites from your plate are magically more yummy that from her plate.

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