Nutrition, My Daughter Refuses to Eat.

D.,
I work through a food-science company and we have a kids formulation that gives them everything that the growing child's body needs to have in a shake supplementation form -- chocolate or vanilla. I'm NOT talking ovaltine, i'm talking about vitamins, minerals, herbs, brain foods like Omega 3's, protein, amino acids, etc.
What's more is that it's safe with no warning labels, and has never had a recall, litigation etc in over 22 years since the company was formed. Even Flintstones vitamins have warning labels ;)
30-day money-back guarentee. My kids have been enjoying it and the positive benefits since they were infants, and I took the adult version as prenatals -- my kids are now very good eaters as well; this nutrition is very helpful for that.

Blessings,
Renee
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Kids pick up on everything--all the suggestions made by Moms are very good, but I would also not tease her that she's a bit of a bulldozer...

When she is looking for something, you have to give her something. Have something quick like fruit for while you are making dinner. Sometimes if you go too long to eat, you are just not hungry. We have clementine (cutties, small oranges). Peel one while you are cooking and give her some. She should still eat dinner and wont be so over hungry she will not eat.

I would get rid of the ovaltine. That is likely filling her up and making her not hungry for food. My mom had to wait to give me milk while eating, becuase if it was there at the beginning of the meal I would drink the milk and not be hungry. My son at home gets a sippy cup with milk anytime, but he eats very well. Breakfast today was yogurt, banana, & 2 cuties.

Try a lunch with crackers and cheese, with some veggies & fruit. Crackers are not bad for them, they do need the carbs.

I also noticed with my son, he goes in phases as to what he will eat. Some days he will only eat fruit for dinner. Some days he will eat beans like they are going out of style, then the next day he wont because his body has the protein it needs.

Also try different things, my son likes to eat off our plates so we make sure the food it not to hot and feed him. Cause he wants to eat what we are eating. We do not let him have processed foods like sausage, hotdogs etc.

Pizza is a quick one you can make at home. Put some veggies and cheese on bread, or an english muffin. And that is very well rounded meal. Carb, veggies and milk.

Good luck.

Get rid of the Ovaltine. I haven't had it for years but am sure that it is probably filled with sugar and chemicals, and is probably filling her up so that she doesn't have the desire to eat real food. Stick with water as your primary source for drink options, supplemented with maybe 1 glass of white milk a day and watered down juice. And, as for juice, make sure that the juice that you are giving her is 100% fruit juice. A lot of the juice out there is made with high fructrose corn syrup which is really, really unhealthy and makes the juice no better than soda.

Start putting a veggie or fruit tray out for her to nibble on between meals. She may not partake of it at first, but if she she's you snacking on fruits and vegetables, then she will more likely to do what mommy is doing. Hummus and yogurt (for the fruit) make really healthy and great tasting dips and, if your daughter is anything like mine, it's all about your dipping options!

Hope this helps.

Feeding on demand worked so well when kiddo was nursing, we just kept it up.

By 2 he had his own shelf on the fridge door (with sippys of milk, yogurt, leftovers that need refrigeration, etc.)... and his own "drawer" filled with things that don't need refrigeration. I'd cook 3 times a day, and whatever he didn't eat would go on his shelf.

We noticed some really interesting things.

- He eats the way nutritionists recommend we eat (and don't as a culture). Aka several small meals a day. Typically 5 or 6.

- The VOLUME of the food he eats really tells what stage he's in growing-wise. (There are weeks he eats double what my husband does -aka 4 times what I do-, and weeks he eats less than half what I do). If he's doubling what my husband eats, he's about to chub up... and then we will have a MAJOR growth spurt on our hands. As in, time to buy new shoes and clothes. He gets a couple inches in these spurts usually. Then all of a sudden, he only starts nibbling at food... and starts shooting up. He goes from chub to seeing all the vertebre and ribs in about 2 weeks flat. Then he eats "normally" again... which is right around the same amount I do for awhile).

- They TYPES of food he eats is also really interesting. When he's in a "large motor" phase, there tend to be lots of carbs piled on top of what he "normally" eats. There's always always high fat content in his food, except in very hot weather + a lot of physical activity... and then his fat consumption drops by about half. (He'll still drink milk, only about half as much and trades the other half for icewater... yogurt switches for fruit... meat switches to high protein veggies/legumes or legume+grain combos).

- Nothing in our house is restricted. In fact, certain veggies & fruits & meats (like scallops) are as big a treat as icecream. "If you're really good we'll .... cook an artichoke/ make saag paneer/ let you skewer the shrimp for the Q/ bake an apple..." apparently creates the same desire "If you're really good we'll have cookies/ icecream/ candy". In fact, it usually takes about 10 months for halloween candy to get totally consumed.

- There are also trends. Like the hot weather = hummus and pita over meat... or cheese sauce... or salty... or sweet... or dark green. When I start noticing these trends... I've tried limiting (not limiting foods is a LEARNED thing for me), and I've tried just making more available. When I limit... the phase goes on and on and on... when it's available EVERYTHING is covered in cheese for a week or so, and then, the phase is over. Some phases are really strange (like sauerkraut and avocado phase), some are totally normal.

It's really fun to watch.

It also drives my mother up the freakin' wall.

My feeling is that we had set mealtimes, and all these rules around foods (good foods and bad foods, treat foods and "you have to eat it" foods, and "I cooked it you will eat it and enjoy it and show some respect" foods) and all of us struggle with our weight/ relationship with food. One of my aunts on the other hand, did something similar to what I'm doing and got the exact same results I'm getting.

As far as table manners go... we make it a game. We eat in different cultural styles all the time. And teach the "tricks" to dining (aka do exactly what your host/hostess are doing, plus looking at the people seated immediately near them for confirmation for guest behavior). It's a "but of course" trick because we travel... but we also do it at home. AKA pretend to be at a restaurant (family, casual, upscale, or posh) in America, Japan, UK, Middle East... pretend, pretend, pretend. When he's older we'll actually enroll him in a dining class at a local hotel (most offer these for kids... they teach everything from which side you're served on, which silverware to use when, how to "talk with your silverware" and "talk with your glasses")... but really no matter if your at a campout, the ghetto, suburbia, or being served 6 courses... the trick of watching your hostess will see you through 999 times out of 1000. (The one time it won't is when a guest is supposed to eat first, and that's really really rare in this hemisphere). Because it's just as rude to be using the wrong manners upwards, as it is down. If other people have their elbows on the table, you put yours there as well.

I'll never forget one of my dining lessons as a child. "If you show up to a dinnerparty, and your hostess is stark naked... you ask where to hang your clothes. And then you strip down to exactly what she is or is not wearing."

This seems to be a growing problem today and I think many cases are from the kids not sitting with parents to eat in a relaxed atmosphere so I'm glad you are doing that now. I think kids need a snack during the day but a healthy one and maybe fruit or something. I, just my opinion, wouldn't give the Ovaltine because many kids just fill up on the drinks and then don't eat. Limit the drinks, except for water, and see if that helps at mealtime. Otherwise, just hold your ground and she will eat when she's hungry. I had 8 kids and I never made special meals or only what a child wanted and they had to try it at least and we never had a problem with this like I see so often now. I did have a couple who outlined the plate with peas so when the table was cleared there was a ring of peas. I let that go but otherwise that was our meal. They stayed at the table until we were all finished and it was a calm time to eat and visit. Well, usually. :-) Keep trying healthy things and making her sit to eat, with your family, and she will hopefully learn to eat soon.

At three, bazillions of kids "refuse to eat." It's a normal stage, and by itself is usually pretty harmless (though not ideal from a nutritional point of view), and in spite of their parents' deep anxiety, they don't waste away. They are just very, very particular about what they would choose if left to their own devices. Kids this age can be sincerely disgusted by certain flavors and textures, and that can last for several months to a few years.

Unfortunately, parents getting anxious often leads to battles of will over food, which in turn can lead to long-term food issues, including serious eating disorders. (Once your daughter begins to have a concept of her self-image, calling her a bulldozer could also contribute to eating problems, so caution about those casual jokes would be a good idea.)

My 4yo grandson isn't much of a mealtime eater, either, and would much rather play than sit there. He's never been much of a self-feeder, but if he's engaged in interesting conversation, he'll fairly easily accept bites of food from his parents, which they offer because he's on the skinny side. He is often willing to "graze" on healthy snacks, like cut up apples and fruit, raisins, peppers and cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, whole grain crackers and cheese. There's also omelet, yogurt, olives, peanut butter on toast….

Some kids are just much better grazers than mealtime eaters, and that's actually a fairly healthy way to eat. They can grab a few attractive bites right when they are feeling hunger. You might consider trying that, along with having her sit with you for a little while at meals to maintain the family bond.

And kids do go through periods where their appetites seem to disappear completely for days at a time. There's no real point in force-feeding, which makes for an unpleasant mealtime experience, which further kills appetite. It also teaches them to eat when they're not hungry, which can become a very bad habit later on.

Offer a variety of healthy foods, and keep empty calories out of sight, or better yet, out of the house. Snacks are too attractive and easy, and tend to replace healthy eating even for lots of adults. If her build is a bit chunky, she might be even more susceptible to snacky foods.

Have you tried instant breakfast? That or Ovaltine is fine maybe once a day, if she likes it, but too much sugar will meet her caloric needs before she's eaten a variety of solids. It might help to save sweet drinks as a special treat, offering those only after she's eaten some more nutritious foods.

Maybe save the Ovaltine for after a meal or just for a snack. The milk used to make the Ovaltine drink can be an appetite suppressant. Will she eat any other crackers that are a little better than Ritz? Not the best meal ever, but if she will eat crackers, cheese and a little meat and some fruit or veggies then it's kind of a meal. Or yogurt instead of the meat. As a snack you can do pediasure. It's full of lots of vitamins. Good luck! My kids are on an eating strike today and it's always a little frustrating....although yesterday I thought they were never going to stop eating!

Children will not starve themselves..
They also go through growth spurts where they cannot eat enough and other times, when they are just not hungry..

I always keep sliced veggies in the fridge. We are allowed to eat as much as we want.. There is also a fruit bowl always filled with fruit and in the summer, sliced watermelon, washed berries, grapes, plums, apricots, peaches.. We are allowed to eat these at any time as much as we want..

If while preparing dinner, daughter was hungry, she could have a cheese stick or some fruits or veggies.. But we had the rule that you do, that we all sit and eat together. Give her a small plate with a taste serving of everything you have cooked. If she eats something, do not say a word, just give her another tasting of that food.

She does not have to try it or eat it, but if she does she could receive a sticker for being a brave taster.. No ugly faces, no ugly comments.. When she receives enough she can pick what will be served at a dinner as our daughter got older, if she did not like what was served, she was allowed to serve herself a bowl of non sugar cereal. No comments were made..

All my kids went through that. Once my daughter refused to eat anything but poptarts and chocolate milk. Her doctor said it's a phase and she did outgrow it. He put her on multi vitamins.

You need to keep offering her a well balanced diet full of veggies and fruits too. If she won't eat the veggies cooked, try them raw with a dip. Try fresh fruit, canned fruit and frozen fruit. There has to be one she will like.

You can also look at a local book store. There is a recipe book that shows you how to sneak "good nutricious" foods into a meal and she won't even know she's eating them.

I would continue to require her to sit at the table unti the family is done eating. We do that too. We have a rule that if a meal is not finished, there is no eating until the next meal. This might sound mean, but it has helped. Cut her drink intake down a couple of hours before her meals might help also.

I would probably take all snack items away (such as crakers and cheese). If she can't eat her meals, she shouldn't have snacks.

You could also try a compromise. Sometimes we would require the kids to eat a specific number of bites of each item on their plate and then they could have something else. We called it the "no thankyou" bite. Half the time they realized it was good and they would eat it all.

It is just a phase and she will outgrow it. Before you start any vitamin drinks or supplements, I would consult your pediatrian and see how they want you to handle this.

Have you tried Pediasure? (this is a meal drink, for kids, with protein, fiber and vitamins).
Or Yogurt drinks?
Or does she eat cereal? The 'healthy' kind (not kiddie cereal)? Then that way she gets fiber, vitamins, whole grains in her body.

Try to stay away from processed foods.

Leave a tray of finger foods, out on the coffee table everyday in the living room or wherever she plays or hangs-out. Just an assortment, with small portions. In cute bowls. And a cup of water. NOT juice. Then, while she is playing and bopping around, she can help herself... and she may, surprising you. That is what I do with my PICKY son. Make things cut up, in small pieces. My son, if something is TOO big... in size, he won't eat it. Make it finger-grabbing sized.

INSTEAD of Ritz crackers... get whole grain crackers. BUT, don't tell her its "healthy kind" blah blah blah. Just tell her is a cool cracker!

Or my son likes pasta... but with NOTHING on it. Or he likes lettuce... JUST lettuce. NOTHING on it.

good luck,
Susan

First of all, preschoolers need to snack! Skip the 3 meals a day thing and let her eat 5-6 small meals a day. It's the healthiest thing to do. Her stomach is small and can't hold much food... if she only eats 3 times a day there's no way she'll get the nutrition she needs.

Second, toss the sippy cups - they are for babies and toddlers, not 3 year olds. She is more than capable of drinking out of a cup. And make sure water is what is in that cup.

Third, nix the ovaltine - she's filling up on that instead of food. Also skip the juice - that is just soda with (maybe) vitamin C added. Most juices have more sugar than soda, actually.

Remember the split of responsibility -- it's your job to shop, prepare, cook and put the food in front of her. It's HER job to actually eat it. Offer her a wide variety of healthy food 5-6 times a day, sitting at the table, and she will be fine (especially if she's eating with the rest of the family and everyone is eating healthy). Write down everything she eats over the course of a week and then review it. You will probably find she is eating what she needs. My kids have days when they don't eat anything but a few days or a week later they inhale everything in sight. Also keep in mind a serving size for a 3 year old is just a couple tablespoons - much smaller than an adult serving size. A banana is 2-3 servings of fruit/veggie!

My kids are also more likely to eat if they help cook it. Even my 2 year old stands on a chair and helps to stir and pour stuff in. My 7 year old can make several entire meals by himself and my 4 year old is in charge of the salad (if she washes/tears the lettuce and tosses it herself she eats it, if she doesn't get to help she won't touch it at all).

pedisure might be a better alternative than ovaltine

Here are some quick articles that may guide you in the right direction.
Also our kid's products! Let me know if I can help in any way.

http://www.reliv.com/includes/userfiles/file/wellness/US/...

http://hopeshared.com/KidsHealth.aspx

http://hopeshared.com/library.aspx

Sincerely,
A.

I wouldn't let junk and juice even be an option. 8 ounces of apple juice has the sugar of SIX apples and none of the fiber. Other juices are similar. They are ok as part of a balanced diet, but if she isn't eating other things, I wouldn't let her have that. Stick to milk and water. Get the junk out of the house so she can't sneak it.
Get one of the books about sneaking food into kids like "The Sneaky Chef" or "Deceptively Delicious" and try some of those recipes.

Good Luck:) I'm guessing it's just a phase and that she'll go through a growth spurt soon and be eating lots again:)

I know they aren't cheap, but I'd be getting a good quality juicer and start throwing all kinds of things in there. Fast, too. Let HER start picking what goes in, once you get her going. There isn't a kid out there that wants to help make their own choices, INCLUDING what they're eating.

I used to teach preschool to 3s & 4s & we "cooked" every day. I taught them all KINDS of things. Talk about WHERE food grows, how it grows, let her plant something, if you live in a place where you can.....even a pot in the window, talk about WHY these things are essential (obviously you bring it down to their level), let her help grocery shop and pick something new from the produce section. Talk about the fun of trying new things, and of course, you need to try them, too.

If you understand the WHY behind it, you're much more apt to do it, including eating/not eating something. Make it a LEARNING EXPERIENCE for both of you, if need be. I can be fun! Start putting some quality juices in the sippy cup with WHOLE fruits and vegetables. Add some protein powder and make some smoothies. NOW, spring/summer - is a PERFECT time to start.

First of all your kid should be gettting three meals and 2-3 snacks a day. So you need to start letting her snack. Kids have smaller tummies and cannot always hold out till the family dinner time. A slice or two of apple or a couple of crakers won't spoil her dinner and it might also help her. AIso you can giver her a good multivitamin with dha. The problem is she is starting to sneak food and you don't want her doing that because it leads to poor self esteme and eating habits latter on. I have two boy 5 and 3, some days they won't eat and other days they eat up out of house and home. Thats how toddlers are. You cannot make them eat regularly they are not wired that way. You have to average their nutrion over a 2-3 day period.

First off, I would talk with your child's pediatrician to see if you need to be worried about her nutrition. I understand your worry, but sometimes I think we need to ease our concerns by communicating with the doctor.

From personal experience, every child grows differently. My daughter eats like a horse and yet, she is not even on the growth chart. Go figure.

My question for you is, why don't you allow her to snack? Is there a specific reason? I think it's healthy for us to teach our children to eat when they are hungry---to trust their internal cues. If we are only letting them eat at specific times, we are not allowing their bodies to receive what they need, when they need it.

Good luck.

Hi D.,
While I wouldn't be too overly concerned, you probably should supplement. Shaklee makes a wonderful meal replace drink kids love, Meal Shake. They also have the best children' vitamins. Shaklee is the number one seller of natural supplements. You can find them at http://www.shaklee.net/healthforlife
Keeping healthy snacks around for when she is hungry is a good idea.
BTW, I really didn't start eating much until I was 25 and I've made it to 55.
Good luck and God bless.
Victoria

I believe we all need supplementation and that it is impossible to get all we need through foods. These are all things to consider for your daughter. Adding just one to her diet would be great:

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I hear you! I just did a similiar post, but my child won't even TRY anything let alone eat. ARGH!!!
I have started buying apple sauces (100%, no added sugar) - with pears and peaches, etc mixed in it, and adding it to her water so she thinks it is juice. One way I can get in some fruit.
I make her a smoothie each day and sneak some more fruit in there.
I make my own chocolate covered raisins with the real dark chocolate (so no corn syrup etc) so she'll eat some raisins.
Sigh.... I am glad to see everyone posted that it is a phase and they'll grow out of it.
Good luck!
~G.
www.bebettertoyourself.blogspot.com

i have a hard time getting my 3 yr old to eat veggies just like all children lol but they have came up with solutions to this problem like the v8 drinks that have veggies and fruits in them of course a multi vitamin is a good idea but i have been giving my son something called instant breakfast, he thinks its chocolate milk but its filled with vitamins and calories it comes in both a powder form and pre mixed just get some of that and put it in milk. children will eat if they are hungry you will drive yourself crazy always worrying about making your baby eat so just prompt her to eat and if not dont worry she will live! have a great day!