How do you get you LO to eat?

RN2011 · June 2014

Our DD is a great eater when it comes to fruit, breakfast items, milk, and baby food. When I try to feed her whatever we're eating she starts to spit it out after 1 or 2 bites. I've tried several times with different types of food (grilled cheese, pb&j), rice and beans, chicken, you name it). Then after a couple of tries I give up and open a bottle of Stage 3 and she gobbles it right up. I want her to start eating regular food but not sure how to actually get her to start. Any suggestions?

Jessie333 · June 2014

When we have trouble getting dd to eat, sometimes just giving her a fork is enough to get her to eat. If that doesn't work, for things like grilled cheese, we will give her a tiny bit of ketchup or some other sauce and a lot of the time that will get her to eat it.

brachysira · June 2014

Our baby is just very picky. We always offer something we want her to eat, but also a few things we know she will eat--fruits, cheese, etc. Occasionally she will surprise us and eat something she has rejected. Sometimes she will surprise us and reject something she likes. I still give her lots of milk, pouches, graham crackers, cheerios, and other things I know she likes as snacks. At dinner, she can always have a banana or something like that if she is still hungry and asks for it. You could give her baby food at one meal, and then try a combo of items she can feed herself, including some she definitely likes, at other meals. I know my LO is not hungry, but I am slightly worried about how much nutrition she is getting some days. I try to balance what she wants and what I want her to eat and never make it contentious.

mellie86041 · June 2014

DH and I tend to be pretty harsh with DD when it comes to eating. She eats what's served, or she doesn't eat. I don't think she'd let herself starve. I always offer at least three dishes with dinner, so more often than not, she'll eat at least one of them. But there have been many evenings when she's been particularly bratty about eating and winds up going to bed without dinner.

I also let her choose what to have for breakfast and lunch when it's just the two of us. I'll normally present her two options (i.e.: cereal or oatmeal, grilled cheese or PB&J, etc.), and we'll both eat what she chooses.

jobiann · June 2014

DS is hit or miss on food, even foods he loved several days ago he'll deny. And it is very frustrating, I just keep telling myself he is healthy and he eats when he is hungry. Our doctor said it's very common with toddlers, they are SOOO BUSY, that sometimes they don't want to stop doing what they were doing to eat, other times they just aren't in the mood. DS hates green veggies but I try and introduce them every other day at least. He loves carrots, sweet potatoes and corn. But won't usually go for broccoli, green beans, lima beans, peas, etc. Well, he loves asparagus actually. We haven't fed DS baby food since February.

jobiann · June 2014

Oh, DS also eats better if he gets his own utensils. He may not always use them to eat, just play with them, but it helps him eat more for some reason!

Kara13360 · June 2014

I let my son have utensils and sometimes a toy to play with at mealtime- seems to help him be happier and eat something. He is a very picky eater. He will always eat fruit, cheese and snacks though. I hate that he won't eat more of a variety but he will look at something and be disgusted before even trying it. So I just keep offering other foods and hope he will take a bite or two.

RN2011 · June 2014

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely try your suggestions!

spainy17 · June 2014

I ignore her. The more I push any food, the more she resists, even of it's something she normally likes. She wants to do it herself and eats way more when I pay less attention to her eating. She also eats more when just a little portion is placed in front if her at a time. To many voices at once and it's like she gets too overwhelmed. I usually put out a little portion of fruit, a veggie, main dish and a squeezie with meals and refill add she eats something up.

sarums4 · June 2014

Oh, DS also eats better if he gets his own utensils. He may not always use them to eat, just play with them, but it helps him eat more for some reason!

Same here! I sometimes feel like I'm fighting to get him to eat something, then I remember to give him a fork, and he tries to spear the food himself--I think he likes being in control.

this decaf life · June 2014

DD also does much better with a fork/spoon than just using her hands.

cozybluebear · June 2014

My son went through this stage. When he refused his dinner, we'd let him down from the table. An hour or two later when he realized he wasn't getting anything else, he'd sit at the table and eat his dinner.

aklawrence1 · June 2014

DD does pretty well but she has her days. We stopped offering purees at about 13 months, so she wouldn't expect it. When she has her own utensils, she eats better. We also offer a variety of items so she can pick and choose what to eat. If she refuses something, we don't push it... But we do try to offer again within a few days. She doesn't always eat meat. Some days she doesn't eat much, but the pedi always says if she's hungry, she'll eat...

PatchChild · June 2014

We only serve one thing. The meal is the meal and too bad for the days when DD doesn't want to eat what we're having. Guess I'm old fashioned.

That said, snacks are her choice of what to have. I keep in the back of my mind what she's been eating lately so I know if I should offer her more fruits/veggies or yogurt/cheese.

giglgrl@aol.com · June 2014

Read a blog that said this too. Whe they refuse to eat, promptly get them down and go about the day, when they seem to be hungry, re-offer the same food. They will eat, giving in will result in hotdog and chicken nugget babies

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