Eating Habits - Corpus Christi,TX

will she eat dry cereal? My son ate cheerios, bananas, and milk for 3 weeks straight! Seriously, that was it for 3 weeks, the dr. said it was just a phase... if she eats cupcakes, could you make mini-muffins with some sort of icing and she could eat that for breakfast? The meat is great- will she drink V8 Splash... it is great stuff in my house- Good Luck!

Maybe try putting pediasure in the danamils container? I don't know. My son (2 1/2) has gotten a little better with eating. He has had to have carnation instant breakfast and pediasure (or boost) in the past. He's finally eating well enough and finally able to tolerate whole milk, so we've stopped the supplements and sometimes give him 1/2pack of carnation instant breakfast (choc milk). The way we have always gone about it is he gets what we give him and if he doesn't want to eat it, then he doesn't eat. We had friends that catered to their oldest child and had issues getting her to eat what she was given. Our theory (and even the nurse practioner at the peds office) is that they wont let themselves starve. You can always talk with her pediatrician about it too and see what their recommendations are. Has she had her 2yr appt yet? Good luck!

Sounds to me like she's actually eating quite a bit except for vegetables and fruits. I have a 14 year old that still barely eats any meat- texture issues. I sneak baby food carrots and sweet potatoes into her spaghetti sauce (easier than going the Jessica Seinfeld route of pureeing them myself!). Maybe put some fruit baby food in her yogurt? This same kid of mine eats very few fruits also, same with veggies- Lord knows I've tried and keep trying- but for her it truly is a texture issue. You should see her gag if a piece of lettuce gets on her bean burrito. Patience. At two they are still learning about foods. Try different things. And if nothing else- wait until they start going to friend's houses. I'm amazed at what my children would NEVER touch that has now become cool because their friend made them try it. (Pomegranates! for Miss I Don't Eat Things That Grow on Plants!)

My mother had a similar situation with my brother up to his teen years. He would fixate on one food or food group and that would be it. He went through the dry cereal stage, the soft-boiled egg stage, the hamburger stage, you name it ... The pediatrician recommended a vitamin supplement and to keep putting other foods on his plate (whatever the rest of the family was eating) but to ignore his response or lack of to the new offerings. Sometimes, he would see us enjoying the "new" thing and would cautiously try it on his own. Funnily, this would occasionally lead to new stages, the carrot stage for example, but this low/no pressure tactic worked. He was one of those kids that if he felt any pressure to eat something he decided he didn't want, he'd vomit.
Another idea, even though she's so young, ask her to "help" you cook, even if it means just pouring cereal (pre-measured) into her bowl. Maybe if she's involved in the process she'll want to taste-test her creations.
I like the idea of substituting muffins for cupcakes. Quick breads such as banana, carrot and zucchini make great muffins. Top them with a dab of Cool Whip might be even better. Also consider ditching candy and cookies and substituting better things like fruit chews and chewy granola bars. You can also find good and easy recipes for your own bar cookies using oatmeal and fruitspreads or applesauce.
Don't be discouraged. With perseverance, this too shall pass. Good luck.
(My brother's pediatrician's outlook was at least the kid was eating.)

She'll eat anything that looks like a cupcake, what about a muffin? Homemade whole grain and fruit muffins swirled with a light spreadable cream cheese on top (to look like frosting) might be similar enough to pass the cupcake test. You can also make corndog muffins - chopped up all-beef hotdogs baked inside cornbread muffins topped with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. I've also done little mini meatloaf muffins with a schmear of mashed potatoes as frosting. Green peas and carrots make great "sprinkles"!

Here's some good info about children that are picky eaters....good luck!
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/12/26/...

i think that is just the way 2 is. i am in the same boat. and hear other mommas of 2 are also.

She's 2, she has just found out she is an independent being, this is to be expected. By what you listed, what she is eating is not bad. If you're worried about nutrition, give her a daily vitamin. Otherwise, don't fret over it so much. She will get past this stage. My son was always a good eater, but as he aged we couldn't get him to try new foods. He's 7 now and finally this year he is willing to give new stuff a taste.

My mom's rule when we were kids was that if it was new, we had to try one bite. I have continued that rule to my family.

My daughter is going through that faze right now. I got a book from the library called "Salad People" and it has all kinds of cute, kid-friendly recipes. There is also a book I've had for a while called "Deceptively Delicious". It shows you how to "hide" healthy foods in your child's favorites (like cauliflower in eggs, pureed veggies in dipping sauces for chicken nuggets, etc.) to make sure that they get all the vitamins, fruits, and veggies that their little bodies need.

She can only eat what is available to her. The meats are great... but if you don't set boundaries now, how will she know how to eat well? The thing is, she might have a few tough days, even be hungry... but she probably won't starve. Get rid of the junk and make healthy options available. Buy fresh fruit, veggies with dip, string cheese, yogurts without all the sugar and corn syrup. Your daughter will be happier and healthier in the long run, and your doctors and dentists bills will be much lower, too!

Go buy the book "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld.
If you don't want to go to the bookstore, go to Amazon.com.
It is an entire cookbook devoted to showing you how to "sneak" vegetables into your children's meals.

Also, I had a picky eater with my daughter. When she went to preschool, she would eat or try what the other kids were eating such as salad.
Try to get your child to eat with other children who are eating different foods. kids like to copy. My 3 year old will drink all her milk when she sees her big sister doing so. Monkey sees, monkey does.

I just saw this blog post and it looks interesting:
http://www.goaupair.com/Blog/post/Healthy-Foods-and-Child...
Hope that helps!

She is really just being a 2-year-old. This is perfectly normal and she will go through many stages ike this a she grows. My son went through an entire year where he would only drink milk and eat yogurt and the occasional chicken nugget. I talked to three different doctors who all told me that as long as he was growing well and developing well, there was no reason to worry. He's almost 12 now with a geniuslevel IQ. If you don't want her to have sweets like cupcakes and llipops simply do not have them around the house.Remember that you are the example for her.