food ideas for toddler

Hi I have a two year old who will only eat veggies, mainly brocolli and carrots. Lately this is all he is eating. i make sure i give him his multi vitamins and this morning he is drinking a pedia-sure. Is this common? He used to have such a healty appittite( i canb't spell todayt:( )

Any ideas to get this kid to eat???

thanks:)

All my boys wanted to eat when they were toddlers was macaroni and cheese - I would have loved it if they were hooked on veggies. 

Will he eat a dish that has veggies as the main component?  Like broccoli and carrots mixed in macaroni and cheese?  Would he be willing to eat something like an egg or chicken salad if there were a bunch of chopped broccoli and carrots in it?  How about a crescent roll with cream cheese and broccoli and carrots on top, rolled up and baked for a veggie roll up?

And, while convenient, I don't know about pedia sure.  You could make homemade smoothies with fruit, milk, yogurt, flax seed, wheat germ, and egg whites.

Do you know the nature of his aversion to other foods?  (Color, texture, particular flavors, etc.)?  It will be easier to come up with a solution if there's information on the root issue. 

on edit:  Have you taked with your pediatrician about your concerns?

I wish mine would eat veggies!  All my 2yo wants is chicken or hot dogs.  I can't get him to eat anything, and he used to love everything I put in front of him.  I'm hoping it's just a phase because he's only recently started eating like this.  He does like to eat bananas, blueberries, and strawberries, though. 

Does your son like to feed himself?  I think that's the problem with mine.  He wants to feed himself, and he won't let anyone help him with a fork or feed him.  I'm pretty limited on what I can give him since it has to be some sort of finger food, or something he can eat with a fork-otherwise, he refuses to eat it.  

Original Post by cecilyb03:

 I'm pretty limited on what I can give him since it has to be some sort of finger food, or something he can eat with a fork-otherwise, he refuses to eat it.  

 I had some good results with "Food for little fingers" - it's all toddler oriented finger food recipes.  I jumped for joy when I discovered my boys liked the "green cheese squares" (sort of spinach and egg casserole).

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Little-Fingers-Fin ger-Without/dp/0312960972

Original Post by cecilyb03:

All my 2yo wants is hot dogs.  

Why?

OP have you tried edamame? My daughter likes to pop them out of the pods. She'll eat a whole bag to herself.

My daughter likes veggies & sometimes when she's been on an all veggie bender I'll add cheese sauce or butter & nutritional yeast. I'm convinced that kids eat what they need & that it's ok as long as they're eating healthy choices. They haven't been corrupted into eating more than they need.. yet!

This is a thread on another website about snack trays & some great choices for them. http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthre ad.php?t=257621&highlight=toddler+snack+t ray  

 

 

Two year olds are going to eat what they want when they want just keep serving him healthy balanced meals and eventually he'll eat a few bites here and there.  Sorry there really isnt any good advice.  You can try making things more fun like dipping, making silly faces, letting him choose things at the store and help prepare them but really it comes down to: he'll eat what he wants when he wants and if you try too hard you'll make you both crazy. 

thanks everyone...great advice. i'll try all of the suggestions:)

I would skip the pedia sure. Its mostly corn syrup and artifical flavoring.

I would offer well balanced meals..which is what I have done for my DS who will eat most anything. I don't make him clean his plate but I will encourage him to eat one food over another if he's been hooked on one food for a while.

Also, with a two year old you can do a picking tray. Take an ice tray and put a different finger food in each hole. like carrots, raisins, cucumber, grapes, cheerios, ect.  Leave it out for no more than four hours  and you'll be suprised by what he eats.  I used to do this with my DS. I didn't have to worry about snacks and the tray had plenty for him to eat. 

 

Denise

santonacci, thanks for the book idea! 

Here's a few websites I found that offer toddler food/snack ideas.  Some of these I've tried and he's hated, some are staples in our house, and some I'm going to try. :)  Also, most of the ideas I saw were pretty healthy, but not all, so beware.

http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/index.htm

http://chefmom.com/askchefmom/toddlerlunch.ht m

http://www.superbabyfood.com/recipes.htm

http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfil e69e.stm

http://toddler.yeahbaby.com/toddler-foods.php

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2910 80/5_easy_recipe_ideas_for_add_vegetables.htm l

Original Post by carleyrapp:

Original Post by cecilyb03:

All my 2yo wants is hot dogs.  

Why?

Can we please not start this again.  Thanks.   

 

Luvmyboy ~  I, too, deal with the picky two year old eater.  My little one is the prince of picky eaters.  I completely agree with what linablue suggested.  Getting them involved in making the foods makes it only that much more intriguing to them and they are more likely to be interested in eating the food they prepared. 

I also like weddingmama's picking tray idea. 

Original Post by undertherainbow:

Original Post by carleyrapp:

Original Post by cecilyb03:

All my 2yo wants is hot dogs.  

Why?

Can we please not start this again.  Thanks. 

 Fair question Big Brother! My kid eats whatever she wants from the choices I buy! We use the "picking tray" (aka "snack tray") too. The thread I posted is full of healthy ideas.

kids will generally eat what you eat...try using blender to add elements to diet...broccoli mixed in cheese...or scrambled eggs  lots of protein there...

when my daughter was a toddler, she wanted to eat tomatoes and cottage cheese for dinner

occasionally she would eat something else, but I bet she had tomatoes and cottage cheese more than half the time

I tricked her as often as I could to manipulate her into eating things I wanted her to like (when she was a little older, like 3 - 4).  For example, I'd fix her a plate of maybe just one thing - baked chicken and rice or whatever.  And then I'd fix my plate with the entree AND some colorful veggies.  When she noticed that my plate looked different from hers, I'd say, "oh I'm sorry, but you know I can't give you any of these lovely green peas - they're only for grown ups"  this instigated a debate about why do grown-ups get everything?  and then I'd "give in" and say, ok, I'll give you some but whatever you do, don't TELL anybody! I don't want to get reported for this!  This worked on every vegetable except for green beans - she still doesn't like those.

But you do have to be careful in using this tactic.  For one thing, they get wise to you, so you can't use it after they've spent much time in kindergarten.  And for another thing, kids can be very literal.  At one point I told her that if anyone found out that I'd given her broccoli florets, I might get fired.  She took it seriously, but I found out later that she thought that meant that I would be set on fire -- so I scared her needlessly.  I still feel kinda bad about that.

But I don't feel bad for manipulating her because she is a very healthy, very health-conscious young woman now.

He'll probably grow out of it.  My philosophy is that it's best not to let food be the center of a struggle.

:)

 

Bumps on a log - celery sticks with peanut butter and raisens...you could do dried cranberries just as easily...will not work with children who throw things as it results in a nasty sticky mess.

Singing Oranges - roll an orange around on the floor, microwave it a bit, break up the inside tissues and then punch a  hole in it and use a peppermint stick (see's works best) to such out the juice.

Snap peas and pea pods (better than edamame because you can eat the pod).

Stinky cheese and bread...take the skinniest baggette you can find and slice it up and then spread a blue cheese on it.

With my nephews, it often depended on the person around them as to what they'd eat.  For their parents, they were picky and demanding eaters.  With me, at the toddler age, they'd happily eat whatever I ate (BBQ chicken pizza, chinese food, eggs, etc.).

My friend's toddler generally eats anything finger sized as long as he can run around and dance while doing it...although, the exception seems to be anything his mother does not want him to have he wants.

Yes, the party try worked great and letting him tell me what he wants instead of me picking it. i am confused about the singing oranges by smwhimple. also i save the bad snackes( ie fruit snack bites) for important things...ie doctors and grocery shopping.

he enjoyed me making his chicken into rocket ships and stars. i will try anything. as my father says he will eat when he is hungry. I don't let my son eat hotdogs yet, i don't like whats in them but i do let him eat tofu dogs. i don't know if they are any better. He also has never tried ketchup...should i try...?

thanks for all the wonderful ideas.

xo

luvmyboys:)

My kids go thru stages of eating, only tuna, only chicken  etc... my pedi told me as long as they continue to grow all is well. I would still try to gently encourage other items but I am sure it is just a phase. One of many to come :)

Wow!  Most parents have a hard time trying to GET their kids to eat broccoli & carrots!  I think most toddlers go through a phase of only eating certain foods for a while.  My daughter chose Goldfish crackers and then fruit snacks...religiously!!!  She also liked to drink more than eat but when I asked my doctor she wasn't worried at all.  As long as my daughter had an appetite and was active she was fine.  I am sure if this went on for too long there would be cause for concern.  Wait it out and keep trying.  My daughter has a much more open appetite and shows no negative signs from her earlier food obsessions :O)