My son is 3 1/2. When he was little he loved fruits and vegetable and would eat pretty much anything. Now that he's grown bigger, he loves rice and meat, but I can only get him occasionally to eat a piece of celery or an apple. Otherwise he won't touch vegetables or fruits. He has very poor teeth as well not only due to having juice when he was younger (not knowing how much damage it could do) but I also wonder if it might have something to do with his diet. I do give him multivitamin the days I'm home and I'm quite sure my husband does too, but I've thought about trying Pediasure or the related store brands of the same product. Have any of you had any luck? Its just funny that i can get my daughter to eat anyting and everytbing and she's a year younger and "healthier". Thanks!
I used the generic variety from WalMart and Target (WalMart is cheaper) for my youngest when he was sick. He doesn't care for milk and was losing weight so we tried it for awhile. He loves it and it helped him get through a rough patch, but I wouldn't recommend using it too long as it is mostly sugar - energy calories in a pinch but not something for the longterm.
SAHM of seven
what about trying some recipes in jessica seinfeld's cookbook?? where you sneak veggies into 'normal' meals... i think there are websites where you can get the recipes without having to buy the book... good luck!
Hi E..
Usually kids will eat when they're hungry- and their body will tell them when to eat- so don't worry too much. I applaud you for the persistence. They also require introducing foods at least around 7 times to acquire the tastes for them. We actually did things like call salmon "red chicken" and asparagus "special beans" and that worked well.
I'm a med. prof. myself and also wellness coach- don't really believe in pediasure as I subscribe to products with an entire kids line of nutrition. My twin girls have used them since they were 2 and only go to the Doc. for wellness visits (one time each for exposure to strep from cousins all eating from one of the germ fested choc. fountains- imagine 8 kids under the age of 7 licking fingers here....and stitches for bumps once too ;] ). If you want to know more about them- I can link you to one of our physician calls. Just email me at ____@____.com and mention momsource in the subject line.
Keep up the persistence.
B. J
My son is almost 4. We've tried the Pediasure drinks a few times, but he doesn't like them as much as milk and apple juice, so he started to refuse. He does like the Nutripals snack bars, that are from Pediasure, I think. They have a serving of fruit in them (I think they taste horrible, but he eats them) so it's better than some things he could be snacking on. They are expensive, however. If I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen, I think sneaking fruits and vegies into meals (pastas, ground meat, etc) would be a good idea :) My son has had times where he can be very fussy, but overall he does eat pretty healthy. Maybe your son will come back to healthy foods on his own... Good Luck!
Although it is advertised as an appropriate drink for "picky eats", it is not. Pediasure (and similar drinks) are very high in calories and do not replace food. They should only be given to children that have problems gaining weight and under a doctors order. Your child is doing fine with a multivitamin and the food he eats.
That is my expert advise as a nutritionist.
Hi E.,
I, too, have a son (2 1/2 years old), who is not at all a good eater. It's all I can do to try and get healthy things into him. We've supplemented his diet with 2 oz of Mona Vie each day. My husband and I drink it as well (4 oz/day), and have had great results in how we feel and function.
2 oz/day gets my son 7 servings of fruit--I could never get him to eat that much! :o) We like it so much that I've become a distributor of it. The product is organic, and is comprised mainly of Acai berry juice, along with 18 other superfruit juices.
If you'd like to learn more, you can see my website at www.mymonavie.com/jesnough, or call me at ###-###-####!
My son was/is the ultimate picky eater. He hated Pediasure. We did Carnation Instant Breakfast. He is skinny, but healthy. Lots of muscle tone. I wish I looked like him and could eat like him!
My girls (ages 3.5 and 4.5) have both been on Pediasure since they were 1. My doctor suggested it for my oldest daughter because she was so small. At her 3 year check up I asked the doctor about switching to a multivitamin, but the doctor suggested staying on Pediasure a bit longer if Lauren liked it because she said it is the best option for really getting good nutritional supplement.
It is expensive compared to a chewable vitamin. We buy the Walmart version of it. My girls like strawberry and have liked Vanilla the couple of times we couldn't find strawberry. We have never tried the chocolate. Some kids don't like it. It does have kind of an after taste, but my kids love it and I have to limit them to one per day, just because of the cost.
By the way - my girls also take a multivitamin now, so I think you could also do both if you wanted to.
Good luck.
Hello E.,
If you could make sure that he gets good quality bone broth / stock.
Good homemade stuff not store bought - this is what cultures that don't have access to good quality calcium have.
Not store bought!
It's very easy to make & you can add it to just about everything not just soup.
Chicken bones include neck & extras if possible
spring water
2 Tbls of Vinegar - let it all soak for an hour before you cook it to bring out the calcium.
add chopped carrots, onion & celery
(add spices parsley etc...if needed before you add to jars & freeze)
cover & either put it in the oven on very low temp or on top of stove and let it cook overnight!
This is probably one of the best foods you could ever give your kiddy. - great when sick as well.
I allways have a batch of this in the freezer on hand!
Cheers, L.
My daughter is a picky eater and lost weight at her two year appt in June. We tried a similar product to pediasure, but Target's brand. At first she did not like it, but we have mixed it with her milk. She likes it that way and gets her to drink her milk as well. We also used a toddler liquid multi-vitamin. Along with introducing her to different foods, she has gained two pounds since her June weigh in. If the item says its comparable to Pediasure other brands...then its usually the same manufacturer that makes them. Good luck!
