Toddler nutrition worries/questions...

[suzi2]

Hoping someone can help me out with a few things. I'm (over)analysing DSs diet... he's 16 months.

He seems to live on carbs. All he wants is chips (homemade in oven, low fat), plain pasta, toast/bread, oatcakes or scones. The amount of salt in bread type things worries me too.

He eats very little veg. He won't let me spoon feed him (never has) and now chooses to avoid most veg apart from a bit of a knaw on raw carrot or cucumber (though not really eating any!) He does however love banana and apple and eats a banana each day and usually half an apple. Not keen on other fruit.

Adores dried fruit. Consequently he gets a lot of it! Like several dried apricots, pears and raisins a day. 2 concerns here... 1, that he's getting too much fibre (although nappies and solid poo in bath tonight would suggest OK in this dept) and 2, that they'll ruin his teeth (although none have added sugars).

Doesn't drink milk (won't since he stopped breastfeeding at a year) and eats very little dairy. I've spoken to my GP and HV about this and neither are particularly concerned. I try to make sure he either has some hard cheese, a dairylea triangle or a yogurt every day. Though he rarely has anymore than 1 portion.

Eats very little protein. He's not a fan of meat - it's a real hit or miss. One day he'll eat some, the next day not. And used to love lentils but has recently refused them.

And in general worries... sometimes he eats so little, sometimes loads. Still won't let me spoon feed him. He'll have a shot himself but gets weirdly upset if he spills any on himself... So most of the time don't offer a spoon or fork. Now worried that he'll not learn...

Many apologies for my probably complete paranoia. DS is energetic and happy although he's small and slim. Hasn't gained any weight since he started crawling at 10 months. DH is small and slim too. I'm just not sure that I'm getting things right at all and I'm not sure what to try next. Most attempts at something new go so badly that it puts me off. So any advice greatly appreciated.

[bramblina]

Oh Suzi I'm sorry you're having a hard time of it. I'm afrid I can't offer any advice as we're lucky here but wanted to bump this for you. x
ps Don't worry too much, things change so often, dont they.

[PanicPressiePants]

Suzi, completely sympathise with the fussy eating. Ds is the same. WILL NOT allow me to feed him, but won't feed himself with the spoon even though he can.

Instead he finger feeds, and although he does eat a variety of protein, carbs, fruit and veg. He eats VERY little, with some meals, and even days where he won't eat hardly anything.

I think with my ds, it's all about being in control, so now I'm trying to just offer him his meal, then he he doesn't eat it, take it away and leave it until the next meal time.

I know it sounds hard, but I really can't be doing with it anymore

[suzi2]

PanicPants - I'm sort of feeling the same. I'm making a last ditch attempt to get him to stop being so, ahem, 'spirited' when it comes to food before DD comes along and I know I won't have any time, energy or inclination to fight him and he'll probably end up eating dried fruit for every meal.

[HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas]

suzi, he sound pretty normal tbh.

main thing is that he has energy.

i always think with carbs...when i go to the gymn i really crave carbs. they run around constanly. of course they want carbs!

most food does contain protein.

think you are right to have concerns about driend friot, epsecially raisins-they send blood sugar skyrocketing IME.

all I'd say if that, if you possibly can, increase his range of foods. Have you tried more unusual grains? Will he eat, say, quinoa cereal? homemade oatcakes? Nut/seed butters?

how about ditto, unusual veg? or just plain hiding veg in what he'll eat anyway?

will he eat other fruit? how about strawberries and so on? smoothies?

if he'll eat chips, how about mixed veg chips?

have you considered buying a breadmaker? we did. it was a really good investment.

but tbh, if you can, relax. he's really young and they do go through months when they seem to have little appetite, imo.

I have to say I would consider say, making a blended veg pasta sauce and serving it mixed in with the pasta, putting nut butter on the oatcakes etc, so he has to eat a bit more of a range. Not actually so much out of concern for his current health but more to develop in him a taste for a range of foods.

HTH

[suzi2]

Thanks Filly. He unfortunately won't take sauces and things on his pasta... DH makes him a lovely 'hidden veg' sauce that we make little pizzas for him with. We do have a bread maker but tend to only use it for pizza dough. And unfortunately all nut things are out in our household as I'm allergic. He's not a fan of smoothies. Might need to try some other veggies - I keep forgetting to give him things that I don't eat lol.

Thanks for the input - I kind of know deep down that he's probably OK. I guess I'm just trying to do my best and not store up problems with his eating habits. And I'm sure my preggie hormones are making me overanalyse things!

[HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas]

lol

I remember when dd was born, her present to ds was...

an enormous bag of dried apricots

so take heart

[HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas]

seeds ok though, no?

[suzi2]

seeds are fine so far. must make more of an effort with them - DH is right 'into' seeds at the moment.

lol at the dried apricots. poor great grandma has been so worried about buying DS chocolate for christmas he has a bumper box of raisins instead!

[fishie]

does he eat with you? that makes a real difference in acceptance of new things for ds (19m). also when he gets bored with eating something being given a little fork can completely renew the meal for him. sometimes he just stabs the table though

perhaps look at what your ds eats over a few days, i find it usually balances out even if it seems a bit bonkers at the time - ds has refused all dinner except a small slice of salami and about 15 grapes. yesterday he ate a massive plate of pasta and loads of yoghourt.

[satine]

Wasn't there some report recently that said that when offered a choice of foods, babies made sure that over the course of a couple of weeks, they had a balanced diet, even though they would eat nothing but fruit one day, and carbs the next. So as long as he has energy and seems bright in himself, I'd say that you're doing the right thing by offering a variety of foods.

[HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas]

oh yes, get him eating with you if he's not already

and get him cooking. not just sweet stuff. eg my two (youngest 18 months) help with all sorts-mashing potatoes, making bread (dough in breadmaker, then they spend mummy-reading-and-cuppa-time making rolls, smoothies...etc etc. post if you want more ideas.

oh and making seed butters is also great fun for littlies, I have found...

have i recommended joanna blythman's the food your children eat yet here? i usually have , by now...

oh and just to say-did you say you were pg? there is a 22 month age gap between mine. i spent the whole pg with dd (quietly) fretting over ds's food. i think it might be a programming thing, but alos related to guilt over having another (unplanned baby so soon.

[suzi2]

Thanks everyone. I went to ASDA this morning with DS and got him to pick himself out some fruit and veg Anyway, he seems to really love blueberries so that's a positive. Although he wasn't convinced about the sugar snap peas and ignored the broccoli and cauli which he used to love. We usually eat daytime meals together but don't eat the evening one together. So tonight I ate with him and TBH it didn't make a blind bit of difference! He likes to fill up quickly with the things he loves on his plate and then throws a tantrum to get down and run around. But if I leave his plate on the floor he picks away at his less favourite things. Probably a really bad habit letting him away from the table lol! I also made some cookies with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds which went down well (with DH too!) so might experiment with some other things.

Keep thinking about cooking with him but can't quite imagine it... he's good at sorting the laundry though so you never know Maybe I'll give it a try when DH is here over Christmas.

Filly - I reckon it's a guilt thing. There will be about 18 months between them and although planned, I can't help feeling that I'm neglecting DS already. I'm not at my best, feeling heavy and tired and sore etc. And since the morning sickness I've been pretty poor at making him nutritious meals as I got out of the habit of being near cooking food!

Thankyou all for your ideas. Feeling a bit inspired now and more confident after the success of blueberries and 2 mouthfuls of my lentil loaf today. Just needed a kick up the backside to make more effort

[HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas]

oh god, so much sympathy on the guilt!

it gets sooo much easier

they will play together

and you will stop worrying about nutrition

really the book is a good one

[Tricey]

Hi Filly - I just looked up Blythman book on Amazon and there seem to be two? Is the one you're recommending hardcover or paperback? Also, what's on the cover? Thanks.