15 months - will literally only eat fruit loops and pudding

athomas2424 · February 2014

Ever since taking LO off the bottle about a month ago, he seems like he doesnt get much to eat and is always crying because he is hungry. I don't think he is necessarily crying for the bottle itself but because he is hungry since he is used to drinking way more ounces of milk to compensate for what he is eating now. Right now he wakes up and I offer breakfast things like eggs, toast, muffins, the usual. He won't touch it. He will eat a few fruit loops and then I offer him the sippy which he drinks from just fine. He will drink a halfway decent amount from his sippy then throw it. Then for lunch, I am lucky if he will eat some crackers or cheese puff type things (the baby kind). I've offered any and everything time and time again. Again, few sips of milk from a sippy at this time. Then all through the day he is just crying and crying like he is hungry yet he won't eat anything!! He will eat fruit loops and chocolate pudding until his heart is content though but i feel like I can't just let him live off that 3 times a day. Last night I tried mashed potatos and he refused, then also some bits of meatloaf, again refused. So, I gave in and gave him some fruit loops and he ate them with a few sips from sippy then went to bed. Still will wake up crying (prob because he is hungry and he never did this before), and same thing in the mornings he wakes up extra early starving now. When he was getting a full belly with his bottle before he would sleep nearly 12-13 hours no problem and at least until 7am.

Would love to hear any similar experiences!!

LittleApple · February 2014

My LO is still pretty picky. I buy the squeeze baby foods for extra nutrition. He loves doing it himself.

athomas2424 · February 2014

He would probably eat those, I will pick some up today!

emberlee3 · February 2014

I would bring it up with your pediatrician. Your child may need a feeding evaluation to see if there is some reason (such as oral-motor issues) that make other textures difficult to handle, or if it is mainly a sensory thing. Therapy can be helpful in either case.

DS (4.5 yrs) has always been very, very picky, almost to the point of Selective Eating Disorder. At age 1, I had to offer foods about 50 times before he tried them. For example, I served apple slices every day for lunch for almost 2 months straight, before he picked one up and tried it. Now that I have DD, I see what normal toddler feeding is like, and it is so different from DS.

I would also try food chaining. Offer foods that are similar to what he likes--other cereals, other flavors of pudding, Greek yogurt, custard. Serve his favorites alongside the new foods. Do not pressure or try to feed him. Let him feed himself.

trojas · February 2014

I'm just curious as to why you are no longer giving him milk. My LO still gets a bottle before bedtime, its the only bottle he gets at all.

Am I doing something wrong?

athomas2424 · February 2014

No he doesn't like pizza, at least not yet. I've tried several times to get him to eat it. He would probably do a smoothie or baby food pouch so I will try those tonight. I was just hoping he would not get used to only drinking something for his food. I am going to try a regular yogurt tonight, too, he just might eat it. Thanks for all the suggestions!

divajackie67 · February 2014

Flavor! I found my son started resisting bland food and wanted flavor. I cook with lots of spices (flavor not heat) garlic, onion, etc. Now, he eats almost anything I make. He also really loves polenta, so I make it with softened sliced up veggies like squash, carrots, whatever we have that week, and he eats that like a champ!

athomas2424 · February 2014

No I don't think you are doing anything wrong! He does get milk he just gets it in his sippy cup instead of getting the bottle. He went off bottles at about 14 months. You are typically supposed to wean them off the bottle completely by a year or so, but I personally don't see a right or wrong way if someone wants to take them off a little later. But he already loved his sippys and wasn't super attached to a bottle so I figured I would do it since it was time.

[Deleted User] · February 2014

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emberlee3 · February 2014

OP, don't take the judgy responses to heart. Normal children respond to all the above advice. Some children have other issues, and the typical advice will not work and may even cause harm. Please consult your pedi and do not feel bad about the fruit loops and pudding. You can always work on adding healthier options without taking away his safe foods. Check out the Feeding Doctor and Mealtime Hostage blogs.

stgn01 · February 2014

This sounds like my DS. Only he could eat Cheerios for ever and ever! He's a total carbs guy and wants nothing to do with fruits or veggies. My DD loved fruit and some veggies and I was stunned when DS wouldn't eat any of it. It's hard, but I have to stand my ground with him way more than I did with DD. I feed him what we are having for dinner. If he doesn't eat it, then no dinner. He caught on eventually. Also, he's more likely to try something if I take a bite of it first. I'll take a tiny bite of strawberry and then give it to him. Sometimes he'll bite and spit it out, other times he'll bite and chew it. It all depends on his mood.

Hang in there, mama! These toddlers are tough!

emberlee3 · February 2014

OK, not overt judgment. I am sensitive to this issue. The mother of a very selective eater (not normal pickiness) constantly feels that she must have done something wrong. As I mentioned above, I have one completely normal "picky" toddler and one selective eating preschooler. I really did not fully appreciate how hard it has always been to feed my son, until my daughter came along and I saw how normal toddlers eat.

athomas2424 · February 2014

No worries anyone! I personally felt like everyone was actually nice and not judgy at all (not usually the case on these post LOL). I appreciate everyones response. I have some pouches, yogurt, and a few other things to try that I just went and picked up at lunch. Oh and he does love cheerios and other similar cereals, not only fruit loops. I plan to give him only these different things tonight and see what happens. Thanks again everyone!

Meery82 · February 2014

My son is 20 months. He just got off the bottle about a month ago. Yes, he got a bottle in the morning and before bed until he was 19 months. He was attached to it and I didn't think he would do well if I took it away any earlier. I made a few small attempts after about 15 months of so and axed it as soon as he showed resistance (and he did. He rejected his sippy at bottle times, even though he was happy to use a sippy at meal times.) When we finally did it, it was effortless. It's what worked for us, so I do not regret it.

Maybe he just isn't ready to stop the bottles? I would definitely discuss it with your pedi though.

Meery82 · February 2014

MrsMuq said:

Um, why are you feeding your toddler fruit loops and chocolate pudding to begin with????

There are so many healthier cereal options - I just don't see why you'd give something loaded with food dye and sugar. And pudding - okay, maybe as an occasional treat, but on a regular basis.... yeah, no.

Stop feeding your LO baby food. Feed him what you eat. Sooner or later he'll eat what you put in front of him.

Yeah, OP, I understand that you probably gave him that out of desperation to get him to eat something, but you probably shouldn't have given him that kind of stuff anyway. It's pretty much nutritionally void, plus he probably doesn't want other food after eating the sugary deliciousness. Just keep trying new foods, real food, with him. He won't let himself starve.

nanabanana06 · February 2014

Meery82 said:

MrsMuq said:

Um, why are you feeding your toddler fruit loops and chocolate pudding to begin with????

There are so many healthier cereal options - I just don't see why you'd give something loaded with food dye and sugar. And pudding - okay, maybe as an occasional treat, but on a regular basis.... yeah, no.

Stop feeding your LO baby food. Feed him what you eat. Sooner or later he'll eat what you put in front of him.

Yeah, OP, I understand that you probably gave him that out of desperation to get him to eat something, but you probably shouldn't have given him that kind of stuff anyway. It's pretty much nutritionally void, plus he probably doesn't want other food after eating the sugary deliciousness. Just keep trying new foods, real food, with him. He won't let himself starve.

I'm in this camp. My 3 year old doesn't eat pudding or Fruit Loops.

arilevine · February 2014

Dd is picky as well with certain foods as well. Have you tried yogurt pouches or string cheese? I would definatley try the pouches with fruit & applesauce- let him do it himself ! They love the indepence! I wonder if you just put the food in front of him, walk away & leave it if he will eventually just give in & try it?

ashiscute · February 2014

I agree that you should contact your pedi. It sounds more like a texture issue than wanting sweets to me. If your child prefers foods like cheerios, froot loops, and pudding he isn't eating foods that need to be bitten, chewed, and swallowed. He is just letting food dissolve in his mouth and then swallowing.

It would be better to give yogurt and smoothies than pudding but that doesn't solve the issue of his not eating any foods with textures. Also, the fact that he is crying so much is concerning. I would definitely call your pedi and talk it over with them.

If it's just a phase and being a picky eater than no problem he'll grow out of it. But if there is a sensory issue than just not giving him other options isn't going to cut it. He might need actual help. My DD has oral sensory issues where she craves input and as a result she wants food that is extra spicy or flavorful and has harder textures. Once we figured this out and worked with her eating and meal times became much more pleasant. Good luck!

BP607 · February 2014

DS went through a picky time, not as bad as what you are describing, but the pedi said to offer him what we were having or what we wanted him to have and let him decide what and how much he wanted. If you offer him lunch, I would not cave and then give him fruit loops or pudding. He is holding out because he eventually knows you will give in and fruit loops are definitely more delicious than anything else you are trying to give him. For instance, my BIL kids will pick through their supper, but then ask for a cookie and eat like 6 of them. Not good. He will eat when he gets hungry!

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