A multitude of Qs re 18mo eating habits

[PPL]

Please bear with me!

I have always considered DS to be a great eater. He eats A LOT. But I'm beginning to worry about various things. And I don't really know if we're at the 'right place' for an 18mo. Basically do I have anything to worry about. (I am a worrier)

1. Dairy consumption is pretty high still. He has BF when he wakes, milk on cereal, 2x plum yoghurts a day, and often has high dairy evening meal eg mac n cheese. Then 150ml milk before bed. Recently he's decided he quite likes 50-100 ml warm milk after his nap. Is there such thing as too much dairy?

2. Healthy snacks - need snack ideas, he snacks a lot. He has 3x proper meals a day but will only eat a fairly small portion. To give an idea, a meal size approx 1/2 - 2/3 of a Little Dish ready meal (a rarity I promise!) But he seems to be a 'little and often' kind of guy. He wants to eat ALL THE TIME. I struggle to find healthy snacks - they usually tend to be sweet although healthy - fresh or dried fruit, an Ella's fruit smoothie or cereal bar, box of raisins. Can't think of any decent savoury snacks - occasionally he'll have an oatcake or cheese biscuit. If I cut out snacks he gets very hard to handle, tantrums a lot and then won't eat his meal because over-hunger!

3. No variety at lunch - am totally uninspired. He has a 'proper' evening meal, but our lunch repertoire consists of Falafel, avocado, bread and hummous, or cheese on toast. He used to love egg but won't eat any more, so omlette and scrambled eggs are off the menu. Occasionally I'll give him pesto pasta and peas. Any good lunch ideas?

4)His poos aren't great. (TMI alert) If he poos during the day, it's generally small and well formed, but his main poo is first thing in the morning before he gets up. It's really rancid smelling and very messy. Loose, in fact. Could this be all the fruit and milk? Or is this normal?

5)Doesn't drink enough water. At the beginning of weaning I trusted him to drink when thirsty, I never really got out of that mindset, but recently realised he actually doesn't drink that much water, Only really at meal times I always offer, but he refuses most of the time. I wonder if all his snacking is really thirst driven. He'll drink about 75ml water over the day, plus the milk. I really don't want to go down the juice/squash route. Is this enough and how do I increase it?

An average day would be:

7am BF
8-8.30 eg 1xweetabix, milk, fruit pot, handful grapes
10am - half banana
10.45am - half apple, or box raisins
11.45am - lunch - half slice bread, 1-2x falafel, tbsp hummous, half avocado, yogurt.
1pm - 50 ml milk, biscuit
3pm - Ella's pouch and cereal bar or oatcakes
4.45pm - Dinner. Small portion of eg spag bol, fish pie etc. Kiwi fruit, yogurt.
6.30pm - 150ml milk

If you've got to the end of this, Thank you thank you, and could I please have your thoughts on my various worries! Thanks.

Have you tried leaving the water in a lidded cup or sports bottle so that he can help himself? He may take more that way. Maybe if you made some lollies and replaced one of his snacks or puddings for a lolly it would help to hydrate him?

Think the small solid poos might be a sign that he needs more water. Does he have access to water at night? Both of mine had a lidded cup in their cots.

When you say you think he may be having too much, what are his centiles like? Are they in proportion?

If you want some inspiration for lunches have a look here or see if you can get this book from your library.

If he is refusing food though I'd just offer it and if he refuses don't offer an alternative. Naïf he's refusing he's either not hungry or playing bingo. I refuse food, mummy gives me extra attention, gets in a state and then cooks my favourite, Bingo!

Thanks for the reply. No, he rarely refuses food. Just doesn't always finish a full portion at mealtimes. I don't offer alternatives.

Thanks for the links, will start looking for ideas.

As for eating too much. I'm mainly worried that he might have too much dairy and wondering if this is an issue. Hadn't really thought about centimes. He hasn't been weighed for about 4 months, and then he was between 25-50 for height and around 75 for weight. Both following a steadyish curve although when he was born he was only 25 for weight.

I will try leaving water during the night. I just worry he'll sprinkle it all over the bed ( his favourite mealtime game...) I do often leave water out for him to help himself to but he just doesn't. Maybe he's quenching his thirst with all the milk?

Sounds similar to my DD - 18 months too. She seems fine. :)

Was really referring to him refusing to eat egg based meals which is food refusal?

Oh yes of course, the egg. Well I genuinely think he doesn't like it. I still offer it, don't offer replacements, although I serve with bread and he eats that. Its been going on a while with the egg. He literally eats anything else I give him. Very varied dinners. It's just the lighter, snacky type meals I struggle with. Not really worried about egg dislike.

Am mainly worried about dairy intake, water intake, messy poos and constant snacking!

Nothing wrong with that at all! (I'm a GP). He won't drink much water as he still drinks milk - when he gets older and runs around a lot more he'll naturally get thirstier, and when he drinks less milk too. Some children drink less than others, but he will also be getting water from the food he eats too. He has a good diet from the sound of it.

My 4yo ds had severe reflux as a baby which resulted in feeding phobia and he didn't even start weaning till 15 months. Even now he eats no veg whatsoever and the only fruit he eats is two varieties of Hipp baby fruit jars. He eats chicken nuggets, sausages, potato waffles, yoghurt, Nutella and crisps and mini cheddars. We had a recent breakthrough recently when he started to eat burger. As you can see, his diet is dreadful and it does stress me out, but he is growing and developing fine.

Mini cheddars are a good savoury snack. Or crackers with peanut butter.

Thanks so much mummy. That's very reassuring. Thinking about it, all the milk will hydrate him as will the fruit.

I just realised I totally lied in my previous post. He does refuse other food - vegetables! I will not give up offering them and he eats them if in cheese or tomato sauce. But straight up he'll only eat peas, carrots or sweet corn! Drives me mad. And every other parent I know!

I don't know anything about poos or water volume, but lunches I do are (apart from one like yours which is very popular)

-sardines mashed with cream cheese on toast

• egg mashed on toast (maybe not for you)

-cous cous with tuna, sweetcorn and olives -soup , favourites are broccoli and Stilton or red pepper. I make a pot every now and again and freeze it in pots

• Spanish omelette with olives and cherry tomatoes. Would he eat a Spanish omelette or know that was 'egg'
• smoked salmon with bread, olives, cucumber

Snacks we have are apple slices, satsuma, Babybel, two mini oatcakes...

My DS 16 months eats a very similar pattern and diet to your DS and I think it's pretty normal. He does however only drink water in the day - just has 150ml of milk on waking and before bed. HE drinks plenty so I suspect your DS may indeed be quenching his thirst on milk. If it's worrying you could you try just not giving him any and only offering water? It might be a bit painful at first but after a few days I reckon he would switch.

On the poo front DS is similar - first poo of the day often the loosest but I wouldn't describe it as rancid - except for when he is teething when it is vile. Could your DS be teething?
Snacks - we do rice cakes, peanut butter on toast, fruit toast, soft cheese and veg crudites, homemade savoury muffins, bowl of cereal but it is very often fruit.

If it makes you feel better today DS has eaten
7am 150ml of milk
8.30 one weetabix, a small banana, sultanas
10am 1/4 of a slice of brioche (mine in a coffee shop!)
12noon a handful of pasta with cheese sauce, rice cakes, a satsuma
2.30pm a bowl of cheerios and shredded wheats with milk - his request!

5.30pm an entire pack of mango fingers, large handful of blueberries and raspberries (and declined all of his rice and lamb tagine)

Not a vegetable in sight! He seems very healthy to me. I'm sure your DS will be fine

It sounds fine to me too! The poo thing sounds pretty normal as well.

Snacks here tend to be things like cheese cubes, rice cakes, grapes, bananas, apple, raisins, cereal bars, dried fruit, satsumas, small brioche, carrot sticks, fruit toast etc - also tends to be mainly fruit though as DD loves it.

She tends to have 6-8 oz milk first thing and before bed, but won't drink it at all during the day so she has water or occasionally very watered down pure fruit juice if we need to get things moving which occasionally happens when she's teething (as does the opposite reaction ).

Today she ate:

8.30am - 7oz milk (she wakes up late)
9am - porridge with berries
11am - 1/2 a banana and a few chocolate buttons oh the shame!
1pm - half a slice of toast, spoonful of beans, poached egg and an apple.
3.30pm - cheese cubes
4pm - raisins
5.30pm - Chicken and vegetable casserole with potatoes and peas, yoghurt.
7pm - 6oz milk

My DD does this kind of poo, when has not been eating much and is having more milk instead. Don't know about the amount of milk your DS is drinking, does not sounds abnormal, but you could try to replace some of day time bottles with water or juce. My DD likes to snack on rice cakes, bread sticks, banana, strawberries, grapes. Not big fan of veg too, but everything will come with It's time.

Thanks for all the posts.. It's nice to see what others are doing at the same age too. He doesn't seem unusual at all now!

Re the poo, he could be teething the last 4 molars, but he won't let me in to see. He has shown signs of teething but its been going on for weeks! I wish they'd hurry up so I can rule out teething whenever he seems under the weather!