Breakfast Refusal-driving me mad!

[milkovermayhem]

My 14 month old has started completely refusing his breakfast. He definitely is hungry, he just doesn't want what he is getting offered.

I've tried various baby cereals, weetabix, shredded wheat and ready brek. I add fruit including his absolute favourites. But he still refuses.

I dont want to start on corn flakes, rice crispies yet because of the sugar. Equally I dont want to just give yoghurt as I want him to get the vitamins/iron that's in cereal.

I've tried to waiting until he is very hungry but then there's tears and it's still not guaranteed he'll eat it.

Any suggestions?!

I feel your pain because both of my sons were breakfast refusers for a while, and now both (5 and 2 1/2) happily eat breakfast although the younger one does prefer to have a little bit of time before getting up and eating if possible.

If its getting stressful, which it clearly is, I think that the best thing to do is to just offer something that you are comfortable with, and if it doesn't go well, just take it away after about 5 minutes, give a cup of milk and an earlier than usual morning tea. IMHO, if you just keep offering, but try not to get too hung up about it, he may come around. It also might be good if you can eat your breakfast when you'd like him to be eating.

What does he want instead?

Yoghurt, strawberries, raisins and anything he can find on the floor!

I think yoghurt, strawberries and raisins is fine for breakfast . Babies and children like a bit of variety same as anyone else - DD really likes Weetabix, but every now and then will ask for 'eggy' or toast with jam or whatever. As long as he's eating something nutritious, does it really matter? Yoghurt and fruit is hardly pop tarts!

Well, I guess you have to ask yourself - does it matter if that's what he has for breakfast?

If in the course of a day, he has a balanced diet, with all the food groups and it is reasonably healthy and over the whole day he takes in the required vitamins - does it matter which bit is taken when?

If you want to have curry for breakfast, cereal for lunch, and salad for supper - does it matter?

Or how about crumbling a bit of weetabix into a yoghurt?

Don't get hung up on breakfast foods must be eaten at breakfast time. It honestly doesn't matter. Particularly if you're offering bits and bobs at regular intervals.

I'm trying nOt to get too hung up on it-and he does eat a varied diet but I think cereal is a good thing to get into a routine especially with the added vitamins and iron.

But you are right I probably am putting too much emphasis on it! It used the be theno problem easy meal for him but clearly not anymore!

Oh, meant to say - I do understand though!

Eons ago, when my first was a tot, I came downstairs one morning to find my husband giving him chocolate pudding for breakfast! I went loopy Chocolate pudding?! At BREAKFAST!

the same choc pudding I was happy to let him have at dinner time.

So it was choc pudding at breakfast and toast for lunch. Evens out in the end.

It's not that I think yoghurt, strawberries and raisins are bad-but I can get him to eat them at anytime as treats and snacks. I don't really want to give them as a meal

I don't think cereal is an especially healthy option.

How about some eggs? scrambled? bit of toast?

Eggs tried and failed there!
Toast yes but without sounding completely obsessed I try not to give loads of bread and he loves sandwiches do prefer to not give toast for breakfast.

WHat about cereal that he can pick up and feed to himself? Doesn't need to be sugary stuff. Mini weetabix or similar might work?

It's not, hippo.

fruit, berries etc (not sure what age you can give seeds from?) are a better option

Yes 14 month old gone of porridge here

So mini weetabix or malted wheats
Boiled egg
Banana
Berries/ any other fruits
Brioche
Avocado
Pancakes with blueberries
Cheese and spinach on toast/ muffins
Cheese/ spinach or carrot/apple muffins ( make and freeze and take out that morning/ night before)
Yogurt
Toast

If you don't want too much bread in diet then can always give at breakfast and not for lunch/ dinner

We enter usually do something simple but rarely sandwiches at lunch;
Baked potato
Pasta
Omelettes
Coucous
Soup
( bread- wraps/ pitta if picnic )

All with whatever's in fridge/ leftover. So might have leftover chicken and mushroom omelette or any veggies in couscous
So just a quick as sandwich and we all have the same anyway and I wouldn't want the same every day

Cereal is really not a great option. If he is eating a good, varied diet - meat, fish, a range of fruit and vegetables and dairy then he doesn't need added vitamins etc.

It is a good idea to have some protein at breakfast time, so yoghurt and fruit is, IMO, healthier and a better habit to get into than cereal.

Also - what is wrong with bread?

Thanks forevergreek -some great suggestions there.

Bread - is it not high in salt?

children of this age often start refusing food that they have previously devoured - its the start of them exerting some independence!. I think the key is to not get stressed, dont make a fuss and it will pass.

Simply offer the breakfast - if he pushes it away say, ok you are not hungry - and remove the breakfast (no shouting, crying, cajoling etc)

At snack time offer him his usual snack but dont get into the habit of giving extra to make up for breakfast. I think if you can do this consistently in a few weeks this will pass (in my own experience do not get into battles with a toddler over food - you will lose) you can control what they are given but you cannot control what they actually choose to eat.

Bread is high in salt but depends on age as too how much is too much of rda

Under 1 salt content for one day is approx one slice of bread a day.
( I use the mini loafs so less per slice iykwim).

So bread is fine if not giving any other salt in day ( and obv salt is in many things). I figure as long as the rest of food is salt free then bread is ok ( every other day maybe at this age)

I thought cereal wasn't a healthy option.

All mine had yogurt, fruit, eggs or porridge for breakfast. I don't think they ever had cereal until they were about 3 or 4.

Vitamin drops can be added to anything if necessary. (Although none of mine had those either.........)

Bake your own bread (so control salt content) and then let him have berries and yogurt with toasted home-made bread?