My 15 Month Is Getting Very Picky

Updated on February 19, 2008
L.M. asks from Chicago, IL
4 answers

Hello,

Our 15 month daughter loves experimenting with different foods. She LOVES her fruits & veggies. Loves cheese & mac/cheese. Loves pizza. Loves fish (husband hates the smell, so we're limited). But every time we try and give her chicken, she spits it out. She won't eat chicken fingers either. I tried chicken soup and she picked out all the veggies. Marinated, grilled, etc. It may be the texture. The only chicken she will eat is from Portillo's (chicken salad-think it's the dressing). She loves hot dogs, but can't give them to her every meal. Breakfast, she'll eat french toast & pancakes (no syrup) once in a while. Won't eat regular cereal. I am still giving her the gerber oatmeal (won't eat regular) and mixed her chunks of fruit in it. Loves yogurt. I'm just looking for a different variety and something a little healthier.

What can I do next?

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K.

answers from Chicago on

I can't offer you much advice other than to keep offering her a variety of foods. But also, don't worry too much about it. T. Berry Brazleton (MD, author of the "Touchpoints" books on child development) actually has a reference to what he refers to as a "minimal toddler diet". It's something like this:
1 pint milk, cheese, yogurt, or equivalent dairy
2 oz iron containing meat, egg, or iron fortified cereal
1 oz fruit or fruit juice
1 multivitamin

That's actually it. As long as your kid is getting the bare bones, don't worry about it, is his take. She'll go in and out of phases where she's picky about things, likes one thing one day and not the next, etc. Not worth the fight. Just go with it :)

1 mom found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Chicago on

You may want to check out "Deceptively Delicious" Cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld. There are alot of recipes in there that are great for the whole family to eat. It's based on taking fruits, veggies and meats and pureeing them and adding them into recipes so the kids (and the husbands) never know it's there. At the same time you still offer the regular looking fare on the plate but if it takes 20 times for them to consume that you at least have the satisfaction and peace of mind that it already got into them.

My little guy eats his fruits and veggies, but he's so busy that he only eats a little of anything so when I serve him pancakes with sweet potatoes and flax in them then I don't feel so bad that he doesn't finish everything on his plate. Or when he has a brownie with spinach and cauliflower puree in it (sounds gross but really good - my husband loved them and asked me not to tell him what was in it!)-sure have another!!
Good Luck!
J.

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E.C.

answers from Bloomington on

It sounds like she is a pretty typical 15 month old. She actually eats pretty healthy. It won't hurt her to not eat chicken or meat in general. Get her to eat protein other ways...beans, peanut butter, eggs. Things like that. If she is eating veggies and fruit then good for her. Just keep doing what you are doing and before you know it she'll eat all of it. She is still little....still developing her pallet.

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N.L.

answers from Chicago on

My 2.5 year old daughter is the exact opposite of your daugher's likes and dislikes. My daughter will eat anything chicken (tenders, nuggets, etc..) She will eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. She likes to dip it in ketchup. She will not touch hot dogs or mac-n-cheese. What child does not like those popular dishes - mine! She loves pizza. We are always trying to sneak in new meats, beef, pork, ham, and sometimes if we have her dip in ketchup she is ok with it. I do peanut butter on crackers for protein. And for breakfast, she likes waffles but not pancakes. Aren't they the same batter? But no butter, definitely syrup. I guess what I am getting at is all children are picky, and good luck and finding a good balance. Aren't we having fun....

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