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Food/recipes

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Original poster

won't taste !

16 replies

fredly · 03/07/2006 21:31

My 21mths old dd is not a bad eater as long as she knows that she likes what's in her plate. I'm trying to introduce her to salady type stuff and fresh fruit other than bananas or apples but she won't touch anything. I don't force her, I simply put it in front of her, with bread and other things she'll eat (I know what you're thinking (!), but I tried not to give her anything else and it always ended up with her not eating anything and me very upset to let her go with an empty stomach), but nothing gets touched. Should I just keep doing that until she shows an interest or does any of you have a clever tip to make her open her mouth ?

OP posts:

trinityrhino · 03/07/2006 21:37

I'm having the same with my 15 month old
If its not the stuff she's used to then she just methodically puts it over the side of the highchair and eats the other things

would love to hear some suggestions

Katymac · 03/07/2006 21:40

Errm - I'd just leave the food on her plate for 20-30 minutes then remove it and she wouldn't get anything else until the next meal

I have even been known to not put bread & butter on a plate until most of the other stuff is gone

After 2/3 meals she will eat if she is hungry

Katymac · 03/07/2006 21:40

But then I am know to be nasty

Original poster

fredly · 03/07/2006 21:46

I tried that katymac, and for more than 2 or 3 consecutive meals ! She went 2 days with just breakfast in her stomach. Didn't make a difference.

OP posts:

madrose · 03/07/2006 21:46

My dd does exactly the same, that casual drop over the side.

But I discovered that she always wants a bit of whatever I'm eating. She know that sometimes I eat something yummy that she doesn't have (choccy bikkies etc). so she'll demand of bit of what I'm having, living in hope I think that it will be choccy bikkies. However, she'll come back for more (she plays while I eat and it has become a bit of a game) if she doesn't like it, she'll just spit it out - or rather 'raspberry' it out.

If she liked whatever I had, I will give it too her the next time, sometimes she'll eat it other times straight over the side of the highchair or mashed into the tray.

I does ensure that I have to have a healthy tea. Sometimes she wants her her friends or cousins are having - could you invite a small friend for tea/lunch?

Good luck

Original poster

fredly · 03/07/2006 21:49

She'll touch my plate if she knows what's in it. As for having a friend around, it doesn't make a difference I'm afraid.

OP posts:

Katymac · 03/07/2006 21:52

Just breakfast - no milk/fruit/yogurts at all?

Original poster

fredly · 03/07/2006 21:56

apart from a milk snack in the afternoon, nothing

OP posts:

Original poster

fredly · 03/07/2006 21:57

I followed the rule 'you eat this and that's it' with no results. Maybe i didn't stick to it long enough.

OP posts:

Katymac · 03/07/2006 22:00

Have you tried cooking with her

(even just making smoothies) put in fruit she likes (bananas?) then add something else when she isn't looking

AllBuggiedOut · 03/07/2006 22:21

There are some things my DS will only touch in certain situations - he'll eat grapes, apple, orange (in fact most fresh fruit) from his own pot in the pram as we walk along, but won't touch them after a meal. Very odd. But just means I need to be organised about snacks. Worth a try maybe?

And if it's something I KNOW he'll like if it'll only go past his lips, I have been known to bribe with a chocolate button... Although after the 1st mouthful he demands the chocolate button, it does mean that next time I want to give the new food he knows what it is.

He also loves tomato ketchup so sometimes I give that with a new veggie and let him dip.

But I should confess that I'm a veggie who doesn't like green vegetables so I may be a bad person to be giving advice about eating habits!

harpsichordcarrier · 03/07/2006 22:27

fredly I think you would be mad to make a problem for yourself at this stage by forcing the issue. If you say she is "not a bad eater" and eats a good variety of things then, seriously, why would you make a food issue where there is none. why is it so important that she eats salady type stuff? Answer - IT ISN'T important. What is important is that she enjoys mealtimes and that the two of you don't get stressed about it. IMHO that is the way to cause food issues.
Keep giving her a variety of things - encourage her to try new things but don't force it, eat in company, let her tey things off your plate, let her help you cook and shop, but please, I beg you, don't starve her into eating what you think she should eat.
It is very normal for children of this age to want a limited diet. She is still very young and there is plenty of time for her to start eating a wider variety IF you don't make an issue of it.

Katymac · 03/07/2006 22:33

HCC's advise is better than mine (I was just saying what I do .....rather than what you should do)

ilovecaboose · 04/07/2006 18:27

My ds has a similar problem. If you don't give him anything else then he doesn't eat and also won't eat his normal food. Several days of not eating anything at all (and he doesn't drink milk) and I gave in.

We followed advice on tiny tearaways. Just encourage them to touch the food and play with it with no pressure to eat it. Ds is slightly different and when bad developes a sort of phobia towards any food. So (disgusting table manners I know) we show each other food in our mouths. So with a new food I eat some and stick out my tongue (which he thinks is hilarious) and after a few times presenting it he will try some.

We play alot with new foods - I set them out on a tray with some plastic knives and we feel them and cut them up etc, with no pressure to eat them.

Ds is 20 months and slowly getting better. HTH

gegs73 · 04/07/2006 20:10

My ds is the same and sometimes will try new things - though not very often and other times will refuse to open up and would rather not eat until the next meal than try!

Tip that SOMETIMES works I think I saw on supernanny is to try and get them to lick or smell the food but tell them not to eat it. Then if its not too grim (which I' sure its not) he will eat it - or scoff it as was the case with raspberries. Good luck!

LottyD · 05/09/2006 15:22

What constitues a good variety, my 2 yr old d will only eat pasta with mince, chicken and sausages. She eats fruit and I can get vegs into the mince but other than, it is pretty limited. Am at my wits end and we end up getting cross with each other, she often goes to her bed for her lunch nap on a empty tummy...when I know that if I gave her mince she would eat it......any thoughst or advice much welcome!!!

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