My Picky Eater

A 1 and 2 year old, wow! Think baked ziti, avocado and banana smoothie's, get him cooking with you and I bet he will get more interested in his food!-www.weelicious.com

I bet he wouldn't refuse ice cream. And that is pretty high in calories. Smoothies would also be an excellent, healthy, high calorie choice. You could add protein powder for extra heft.

Try to get him to eat any of the sweet babyfoods like sweet potatoe. You can mix the meat babyfood with it. That way he will get some protein with the veggie. I know he is 2 years old, but you can pretend this is a treat and maybe he will go for it. I wouldn't suggest adding butter to things. That is the wrong kind of calories to give him.
Good luck!

Hi J.!
I run a small daycare and have 4 two year olds in my care. Two of them are VERY picky eaters and my go-to, pre-nap snack is what I call peanut butter "candy" balls. The kids love them and they are calorie packed with mostly very healthy foods. I don't write down amounts when I make something up so you may have to play with the recipe. I take roughly equal parts peanut butter and light cream cheese and blend them together in my cuisinart. Then I add the Kashi cereal that looks like grape nuts (I can't remember the name)and some ground flax seed meal. Then I add a little powdered sugar to help stiffen the mixture. All of this should be completely incorporated in the cuisinart (or by hand). Finally, I roll the mixture into small ball shapes and then roll them in ground graham crackers. I keep them in the fridge and I think they'd freeze well but I haven't tried yet since the kids eat them so fast!!! I use the natural, no sugar-added peanut butter so the only sugar is in the graham crackers and powdered sugar. There's fiber from the cereal, good fats from the peanut butter and flax seed meal, and protein from the peanut butter. I've also used the mixture to make "sandwiches" and spread it between graham crackers instead of rolling it into balls.

I've also adapted their "mac n' cheese" so it's a little healthier. Two of the kids wouldn't touch it unless it was Kraft neon orange mac n' cheese so I started out with that and then made a huge batch where I blended the box stuff with high-fiber, high-protein Barilla macaroni and added real cheese and substituted olive oil for butter. The kids didn't skip a beat and chowed down!

I make veggie pancakes too but that might be a stretch right now. Feel free to contact me if you want some more ideas. I hope these help!!!!

Good luck!
B. :)

when my son won't eat..i say..."ok then i'll eat it ..or i say..i'll give it to Simon" (our dog) then all of a sudden he wants it..also sometimes i just make myself a plate of food..and i go sit on the couch..then he gets curious and wants to have some..there are many tricks..flying food in on a spoon like a plane..my son will eat just about anything now..b/c of all my tricks..also cream of mushroom soup on veggies can work..dipping sauces ..like Ranch on things..or ketchup...oh he'll eat ketchup on anything..now he's into mustard..
clam sauce on linguini ..show him how to slurp up a noodle..
don't stress food..just act casual about it..and breakfast bars are good..oatmeal ones w/ chocolate..i get some at Trader Joe's...and also the Quaker Chewy Dips..peanut butter and chocolate..
my son wasn't too keen on milk so i would put a shot of chocolate almond milk in his..but now he's in preschool and they serve milk and he tells me he likes it.
Be playful mama..and not a lot of snacking between meals..i have a friend whose son is a picky eater...we were at the park and decided to go to dinner..what does she do? Stops and buys him some gummy bears then complains to me about how he isn't eating his dinner..HELLO! pizza is always a good calorie builder..i gain 4 lbs if i eat pizza..
oh and turkey subway sandwiches from the Subway..man i sound like i feed my son poorly..i cook all the time but these seem to be sure fire ways to start..u can make your own subway sandwich..i always have one in our bag ...also toast w/ butter and marmalade jam..seems to be the only jam my son likes...well good luck..i know it sucks..try to be playful and try the making yourself a plate of food trick and just sit and see if he gets curious.

If you have a Trader Joe's nearby they carry Greek Yogurt, also called Fage. It comes in Mango and Honey flavors, both are delicious and have about 300 calories in an 8 oz. serving. I have a child with the same problem. I put a couple bite-sized pieces of steak or pork chop in the Magic Bullet (little blender) with a small baked potato or 1/2 potato and whole milk, butter and sour cream. I't quite delicious. You can try throwing some cooked veg in, too, but mine likes the veg separate, in very tiny, soft pieces. Try it with cooked squash or sweet potato, too. I am supposed to be giving her three bottles of pediasure a day, it has 100 calories more than 8oz. of whole milk. But it is so sweet it spoils her appetite for food. So I try to give the three bottles, and at least 3 100 calorie meals, to try to get in 1,000 calories a day. Sometimes it works, and sometimes she wants more food and less bottles. She always eats better (and things she never eats at home, like sandwiches) if there are other kids at the table, and she eats well at parties, things like potato salad, shrimp and mango salsa, salmon, things we never had at home. Mine is two, but the size and weight of a nine month old.

J., You might try blending together 1/2 c. fresh or frozen fruit (berries, bananas, papaya, mango etc., 1 tbs. nut butter like almond or sesame (some kids are sensitibe to peanut butter), or a handful of nuts and seeds, 8-12 oz milk or nut milk ,1 TBS ground flax seed, a little honey or maple if it's not sweet enough. Can add vanilla, cinnamon any sweet spices your child may like. Drink throughout the day. Be careful not to give too many sweets. Add protein in the form of organic eggs, avocado, nut butters, beans, fish. Substitute dried fruit or apple sauce for sugar in recipes. R. Pessin, NC, LMT. I am a Nutrition Consultant www.aliveandwellstcroix.com, ###-###-####

Hi J.,
I'd start of by suggesting that you go easy on the sweet foods. I'm not sure what you mean by sweet - whether these are processed foods, or fruit, but I'd say to try limiting those. If they are processed foods, then try phasing them out all together. Particularly if he is not getting a lot of nutritional foods in him, then the sugar foods can really be robbing his body.
One great and healthy calorie booster is to add flax seed oil to his foods. It is virtually undetectable and adds lots of calories and those great omegas. I used to pour it on top of my son's whole grain waffles and he liked it. We called it waffle juice.
Have you tried "hiding" recipes? A modern version of this would be the Jessica Seinfeld book, Deceptively Delicious. Your son might enjoy the recipes that add butternut squash and cauliflower to foods. You can add those two to almost anything, and they just make it a little sweeter. Basically, you just steam them and then puree them and add them to your recipes. I add them to lots of things that I cook. You can even make your regular mac and cheese and stir these into it.
You might also try making smoothies or shakes where you can hide lots of things. You can put in a scoop of protein powder. Just be careful not to put processed or sugar ingredients. Use whole milk, yogurt, bananas, fresh or frozen fruit, and then add the flax seed oil or protein powder.
Another suggestion would be to make his food fun. I used to cut out sandwiches in the shapes of superheroes and he would gobble them up. Getting creative with the presentation can do wonders for their interest in it!
Good luck!
M.

Wow, picky eaters, that is such a common topic. Before you read this, please know that I am a Family Success Coach and you might not like what I have to say. I will share with you what I know:
I know that if you know it is “bad for you” and you bring it into your house anyway, that is your choice.
I know that children learn what they live.
I know that children will model their parents EXACTLY, food habits, morals, exercise habits, etc.
I know that the children as young as 8 have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, an adult disease due to their poor eating habits.
I know that this is the first time in history that our children have a shorter life expectancy than we do, because of disease and poor nutrition.
I know that most children get most of their fruits and veggies from fruit juice and French fries (which by the way are NOT the right way).
I know that you are the parent and YOU get to decide what your child eats. You decide what comes into the house, YOU decide what will be prepared and how AND YOU decide the healthy future (or not) of your family.
I know that food is not food any more, everything is processed, sprayed or modified.
I know that NOT all pizza, fries, cracker, noodles, rice, bread etc is bad.

My family eats very “clean” which means little to no preservatives, additives and a pesticides and herbicides with very little effort. It takes a bit of planning – menu planning and shopping ahead of time WHICH IS TOATLLY WORTH IT - but we make our own pizza (20 minutes from recipe to oven), we make our own bread (bread maker), we eat rice about 3 times a week – we alternate between white and wild, we “prepare dinner” we don’t open a box and trust that the multi billion dollar company that packaged it had our best nutritional interests at heart.

We started with Isagenix to get us on the right path. (www.HaveItAllUSA.com) I made decision of health for my family…it took about a year for most of the transition, it did not come over night. But it was totally worth it. My children now make better choices, THEY REFUSE to eat at fast food restaurants, THEY CHOOSE not to drink soda, THEY SAY NO to potato chips and other candy when playing with friends. I started it, I introduced it bit by bit, but THEY KEPT IT UP. I can help you and your family if you want. All you have to do is ask. But if came to Mamasource to hear that you are right, that most kids are picky, that many kids don’t eat well, then I am not the right person for you. But if you are done “venting” about what is wrong and you are ready to “change” it, let me know.

Destiny, you get to decide what is important. You get to be the parent. Be one. Take a stand for your family now and you and they will reap the benefits of your stand in the future.

B.
Family Success Coach

How about macaroni and cheese? That has milk and the cheese he likes.
Good luck.

My baby girl used to love to eat lots of things, but is currently going through a picky phase. But we are still having success with lemon & lime flavored organic yogurt from Trader Joe's. Organic almonds, cashews & pistachios. Organic blueberries. A variety of dried fruits. Celery stalks & carrot sticks. Popcorn. Hummus & pita bread. Whole grain toast. Orange slices. Veggie pasta spirals.

She eats best when we all sit at her little table with her, or pop bites into her mouth while she bathes, or have a little dish of treats in her stroller tray when we go for walks.

Hope this helps.

Hi J.,
Without giving you so much information it would overwhelm you, look into raw foods. There are so many things that your child can eat, primarily fruits, that are packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and enzymes. Some things, like date/nut balls and pistachio halvah are absolutely delicious and kids LOVE them! They're basically desert, but super good for you! You're looking at an opportunity to get your son healthy!

Best-
K.

Since he won't barely drink milk, try giving him Pediasure... its a "meal" drink for toddlers (you can find it at any grocery store in the baby section). OR, give him Formula for toddlers. And it contains protein and vitamins. Or whole milk kids yogurts.

Also, peanut butter, avocados, putting olive oil on things as well, is dense calorie rich foods.

Just some things off the top of my head.
I know it's hard...
Good luck,
Susan

We feed our 2 year old picky eater generic pediasure.

It doesn't sound like he's getting any nutrients besides the cheese. Have you seen the cookbook Deceptively Delicious? It's a great book and shows you how to add veggies and other great things to recipes.

Does your son like avocado's? Those are really good for him and high in good fat. Cut it up in small pieces, my son loves them. The meat thing is hard, my advice is to just keep giving it to him until he takes to it. I think he will in time. Have you tried turkey lunch meat? I buy ground turkey and make patty's for my son. I just cut it up in bite size pieces and he loves it. Maybe try giving him something to dip it in like a little bit of ketchup.

Good luck. Does your son like nuts? Almonds are high in good fats, my son loves them for a snack and they are really good for you.

Hi J. - you got a lot of great advice here, especially Rhonda's. I don't suggest the ice cream, because you don't want to get him hooked on sweets. At his age you want to train his taste buds to like nutritious foods because that practice will benefit him for a lifetime. To give yourself the peace of mind that regardless what he eats he's getting plenty of fruit and vegetable nutrition, I suggest you try Juice Plus gummies. There's enough natural sweetness to make him consider them a treat, and they are made from 17 fruits, vegetables and grains with their nutrients in their natural combination (not man made concoctions like most vitamins). It really is the next best thing to eating fruits and vegetables. I've got three boys who have been eating them for four years and they rarely get sick, haven't taken anti-biotics). My boys (and myself) also like the Juice Plus Complete nutritional powder which we mix into fruit smoothies, or just mix with milk or water for a "healthy" chocolate milk. It's chock full of additional plant based nutrients and soy protein that can help your son's health. For more info, listen to Dr. Sears talk about the research proving Juice Plus strengthens immune system and helps keep people healthy - 1-800-942-1260. Or check out all the science and what the doctors say at www.WeThriveOnJuicePlus.com. I wish you all the best! Feel free to ask me questions.

My 18 mo old girl doesn't eat alot although she will eat almost anything (she's 25% in weight, 80% in height)! Try hummos with pita bread (lots of protien and carbs)and mejdool dates. they both pack alot of punch and little ones seem to like them. Good luck!

Hi J.,
A number of my close friend were just talking about this issue. They make smoothies for their kids and throw stuff in it that their kids won't eat such as broccoli, etc. For some reason the foods in the smoothie seem to disguise the taste. Perhaps you can make a strawberry smoothie with yogurt, and add some honey for sweetness.

It's good he likes cheese, high in fat,protein and calcium. Try melting cheese over foods: eggs, hamburger, beans, grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas. My little one was needing to gain weight too. Our doc recommended avacado. We also do Yo Baby yogurt, it's made from whole milk, I actually mixed with milk when I was trying to get him to drink it, worked great. Another option is smoothies, whole milk and whole yogurt blended with fruit. I also put ground flax in his baby cereal. It is rich in omega 3 and 4.5 gm of fat in 2 tablespoons. A great book to get is The Family Nutrition Book by Dr. Sears. Good Luck

Hi J.,
Something to try: Pancakes. Use whole grain pancake mix and mix in some veggies and cheese.
My daughter (1 yr.) is not eating ANYTHING but Cheerios these days, but the pancakes were a big hit. I used Arrowhead Mills multigrain pancake mix and mixed in shredded cheese and some canned butternut squash from Trader Joe's. I also put in a small bit of sugar (felt bad about doing that though, but a little better when she chowed down the pancakes). I froze the leftovers.
You could shred carrots, zucchini, etc. into them too.
Good luck! I am reading through the responses to your request and finding some great ideas for my daughter, too.
-R.

My now 15 yr. old son was THE pickiest eater on earth and we still struggle occassionaly with this. A couple of things I did when he was younger were putting Ovaltine in his milk so that I was sure he was getting the necessary vitamins, smoothies, liquid yogurt, french toast, plain pasta with cheese and lots of PB&J. You might want to try cheese blintzes, fruit-yogurt-granola parfait, grilled cheese sandwiches or just a whole grain English Muffin with melted cheese. Kids eventually grow out of this but in a lot of cases (like mine) it takes a long time and is really frustrating. If it continues you might want to take him to an OT, we did food therapy for a long time and it did help.

Our turning point came in 5th grade when his class had lots of pizza parties and he was embarrassed that he would only eat the salad. Up until that point he never ate meat of any kind. He started becoming a little bit more adventurous after that first slice of pizza and now eats oysters, sushi (but not cooked fish!), shrimp, ham, turkey, most fruits, not many vegetables, but lots of chocolate cake. Like most teenage boys he consumes these in massive quantities. Hope your's is just going through a phase.

Hi J.,

I'm a Shaklee distributor and we have a great meal replacement shake. I use it with my daughter and she loves it. It's available in vanilla and chocolate and we make it into fun things like fruit smoothies, orange julius, or chocolate shakes. You can check it out at www.shaklee.net/greennutrition. You may also find other products to help you like the children's vitamins, omega chews, calcium, protein mix, and Citriboost vitamin supplement. With Shaklee you never have to worry about your child's nutrition! Hope this helps and I'm always here for questions.

C.

I totally feel your pain. My almost two year old is all of a sudden doing the same thing. WOW I cannot believe the response from that life coach..... you'd think that you were feeding him poison. I know several families that only gave their children healthy nutricious food and as soon as the kids moved out they packed on the pounds because they starting filling themselves with everything they were denied as a child. With that being said I think that kids need a balance of both healthy and treats so that they learn as a child that they can have sugary treats sometimes, but not all the time. And regardless of what anyone says... You do not control what your child eats.I can make my son healthy meals everyday, and if he chooses not to eat it I can't force feed him.( My daughter on the other hand has a g-tube so if she doesn't eat well, I can force feed her. :o) ) I've talked to my childrens pediatrician about my sons eating habits...just cereal and cheese and graham crackers some days.... and mac and cheese, hot dogs and pizza others..... and he said it is totally normal for them to go through this phase and unless your doctor is worried about it,I wouldn't be. I have 3 older children and all their habits and tastes are very different, all raised in the same house with the same meals prepared, however, they all went through this same phase as a toddler. If you really get concerned then try the pediasure, but don't buy a lot because if he isn't liking the milk right now like my son, then he probably won't drink that either. They have a drink from Boost that has lots of protein in it and it's really sweet so he may like it.(250 calories a drink)Don't let anyone make you feel bad about what you feed your son right now....you just feed him whatever he will eat that day because tomorrow it will probably be different. lol :o)

You may want to check with your doctor again, as some others have suggested, the pedi may recommend pedisure, but you need to be careful that he doesn't just drink that, he needs a variety of other foods too. I would suggest to just keep trying a variety of foods, once he tires of one, try another, even if he didn't like it in the past, he may like it now. Like others have said, maybe try mixing in healthy fruits and veg with other things that he does like, or ration the favorite food of the day between bites of something that isn't a favorite. Good luck!

What about having him help you make his meals.. that way he might take pride in what he made and be more interested?