18 month old eats same meals everyday...

[DinoSn0re]

My DD is 18 months old and fairly determined about what she will or won’t do these days, particularly at meal times. We took the BLW approach, although it was not deliberate, our DD just refused to be spoon fed anything and has always wanted to feed herself. Originally started off with lots of veggies, fruits, healthy carbs etc. but she has recently become quite fussy and I have found myself giving her the same things most days, because I know she will at least eat them. I do try and offer her different things but have got stuck in a bit of a rut I think. I am concerned that her vegetable intake is low and have limited ideas on how to get her to eat healthy proteins. She is also dairy free (allergy) and refuses any sort of meat so we give her some vegetarian meat substitutes. I still breastfeed her, usually 3-4 feeds a day (morning, pre midday sleep, evening, sometimes during the night if she wakes with teething), she doesn’t have a routine with this, I’m just happy to let her feed as and when she wants it. Do any other mums know if she will be getting her RDA of calcium from that? Below is her average daily intake of food, I was just wondering what other mum’s opinions are on it, and if you have any suggestions on what I might be missing in terms of food groups. She drinks loads of water, refuses any milk substitutes/smoothies. Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

Breakfast - peanut butter on toast, raisins and a small bowl of dry cornflakes (doesn’t like having any type of milk on them).

AM snack - half a pear.

Lunch - large portion of vegetable pasta (sauce made with onions, tomatoes, sweet potato, peas and broccoli, puréed down so she can’t see the vegetables), followed by 2 satsumas.

PM snack - a banana, 2 Quorn picnic eggs.

Dinner - small bowl of beans and a slice of granary toast, followed by some strawberries.

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

According to this article on Kellymom as long as you are nursing 3 to 4 times a day, she should be getting what she needs in terms of calcium and fat.

My DD was quite fussy too. What do you do if she refuses a meal? We tried to cajole at first, but it did no good. After asking on here we decided to offer something we know she will eat along with any new food. So if you offer her spag bol, you could always offer a picnic egg with it. I’d also try to look at what she eats over a week rather than a day or meal. She may, like many toddlers, eat very little for a couple of days but may eat more on other days.

Have a read of Help! My Child Won’t Eat too

[Notso]

Just keep offering her a wide range of different foods along with some safe meals. Try and remember it's your job to provide a healthy diet and hers to eat it. As long as your doing your part then try and relax providing she isn't becoming ill or dramatically losing weight etc.

In my experience only ever offering foods you know they'll eat leads to more problems than accepting sometimes they might not eat their meal.

[34weeksAndCounting]

Sounds exactly the same as my son, we were forced into BLW as he refused a spoon from day 1 😂 just wanted to be independent. He is 3.5 now and I just want to say don't worry!!! I spent most of his life worrying about what he was eating but don't hesitate to try new foods or old foods that she used to eat now and then. I'd constantly think I'd cracked it because he'd eat carrot or something for a week and then he'd go off it again. Taste buds change all the time though, he went through a phase of just eating carbs and I was so worried, but now that he's older it's easier to make food a lot more fun and if he tells me he doesn't like something I can say to him well try it to show me that you don't like it x

[firsttimemum89]

I too could have written this post my daughter is 16 months and seams to be doing the same thing but it's mainly when we are out. Often seams unprovoked not when another child has taken a toy etc..

Sometimes it feels like it's when other children get to close to her she doesn't want them in her personal space..

The only way we have found to deal with it is encourage her when she plays nicely/ shares. And to tell her no we don't hit etc and remove her from the situation ... neither seams to be working consistently ..

[firsttimemum89]

Sorry wrote this on wrong post

[NewAndOld]

Notso - spot on - only offering foods you know they'll eat will lead to a lot of problems.

The best piece of advice I was given was that no toddler will ever starve them-self. It was truly liberating. I had been tying myself in knots worrying about it.

I'd say every one of our 4 children would have become fussy eaters if we'd pandered. Even now, they have only two choices: eat what's given to them or don't eat. Their fussy periods have never lasted more than 2 days. ( still comes and goes)

I was dumbfounded to hear a friend of mine say that their 35 year old son eats nothing but chicken nuggets and chips - every single day. She then said, "he's always been fussy, even as a toddler. I always had to give him what he wanted, or he didn't eat........"

Errrr - cause and effect