Needing Help on Feeding Toddler!

Tell him that everything in moderation. If you vary the meals, he shouldn't have to worry about cholesterol. You might try putting the grilled chicken with some white sauce and noodles and see if he likes it better then. You can also mix in the broccoli.

I agree a lot with what the last person said. I don't think pizza and pasta is a great choice for every meal, but is fine in moderation (as all things are). And I agree about the cheese, meat, and eggs thing. Eggs especially! Eggs are very low in calories and a great protien source! If you are really concerned about colesterol, you could just give the egg whites. But I wouldn't shy away from eggs personally. And cheese is another great protien source - again, given in moderation. Cottage cheese is a great option.

And I also agree with what everyone has said - your child won't go hungry. It can be hard to let them go through a meal without hardly eating anything, but they will be just fine. When my almost 2 year old doesn't want to eat something healthy (that I know she doesn't strongly dislike), I say "That's fine, you don't have to eat it. But you're not getting anything else." And sometimes she will choose to eat the healthy food, or sometimes she just chooses to get down without eating. In that case, she usually eats great at the next meal.

Good luck!!

First, tell your husband that when he makes dinner, he can chose what he tried to force your son to eat (even though he doesn't want to eat it).
Second, try other ways of cooking. My kids only like steamed/blanched vegies so they are softer. Give him something to dip them in. A little ranch or ketchup won't hurt. My kids will eat chicken if it's shredded, so I cook it in the crockpot all day and it gets tender enough I can shred it with 2 forks.
Third, you don't need to worry about cholesterol in a toddler. Natural fats from foods are needed to help him grow. It's the man-made transfats that aren't good for ANYONE. Also, a few eggs each week won't raise cholesterol on healthy, active adults, and it certainly isn't bad for children.

I think what you really need is a good book on child nutrition so that the fight with your husband over what is healthy can stop and you just have the fight with your toddler over what he's willing to eat:)

Try these books:
Whole Foods for the Whole Family (a La Leche League Publication)
The Nutrition Book (Dr. Sears)

D.,
Some of the things my 1.5 yrs old likes:
-sweet potato
-Pasta w/sauce
-any kind of eggs (try hardboiled too)
-hummus (he eats it w/pita bread, and on his cooked veggies he might not otherwise like. I suggest making your own, it has a better texture).
-plain yogurt (I can get him to eat vegetables when I add some yogurt on top of it...sounds gross, but kids palates are less conditioned I think!)
-Wheat bread w/peanut butter
-Grilled cheese
-Cottage cheese
-Beans (he'll eat right from the can)
-Quesadillas (beans, cheese) and I add sour cream. He loves it.
-Fish (we had salmon the other night and mixed it w/rice)
Brown and white rice w/cooked veggies added

I just read the book Too Many Cooks. Its all about how the author worked to get her kids to try different cuisines and just foods they didn't want to try. I liked her method and it didn't have todo with hiding the veggies in brownies or anything like that!

Your husband seems to be projecting some of his issues onto your son. I would assume that your son has had the regular check ups and had his height and weight assessed in comparison to other children his age. Unless he is already showing signs of weight and cholesterol problems it's a little early to be stressing. Yes parents should be provide their child with healthy meals and teaching them how to eat a balanced diet, but you also don't want to put too much emphasis on food as fuel because then you end up with a kid who sneaks the good stuff at a friends house when their older. I would ask your pediatrician to intervene on this one and help your husband understand the concept of middle ground. As far as getting your child to eat healthier foods one thing that I've had work is to transform a healthy food into a favorite food. Take a food that he already likes and substitute some of the main ingredients with healthier alternatives. Keep offering fruits and vegetables as snacks, along with yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit juice cookies, etc. If he won't eat grilled chicken try baked chicken mixed with mashed potatoes and corn.

He will eat it if you don't give him the option for the other foods. Your son will not go hungry.
Your husband is right. He shouldn't be eating pizza, chicken nuggets, etc at every meal. Once in a while is OK. But, there's a huge childhood obesity epidemic because people give into their kids instead of being the parent. However, I'd really challenge your husband on the beef and egg thing.
Our 3 year-old goes through spells at dinner where he gets distracted or excited to go play and doesn't want to eat. If we tell him that he has to eat 4 bits of broccoli or 3 bites of his turkey burger, and he can NOT leave the table until he does.....he will eat what we tell him to. Be firm and don't give in.
At his age, he does still need a decent amount of fat in his diet, so ask your pediatrician if things like cheese are bad.
Our kids love edamame and lima beans. Who knew? Our son loves cauliflower. If you put it in front of him and make him try it, you never know what they may like. No matter how hard I try, my son hates cottage cheese, but he loves yogurt.
I'd only give him something different than what you and your husband eat if he can't chew it or if there's a known allergy. Otherwise, it should be a family meal, and it will make your life a LOT easier.
Most importantly, don't deprive him of all those great things kids love - donuts, pizza, cookies. Just keep it in check and let him have fun being a kid.

I have a 2 and a 5 year old - and at 2 years, sometimes you have to resign yourself to feeding them what they'll eat!

I remember hearing a conversation among about 5 mothers laughing about trying to take the kids out to eat. None of them would actually order anything for themselves, but would rather look at the menu in the light of "What can I order them that if they won't eat it, that I might like?"

I'm not so sure I'd be worried about cholesterol with a 2 year old as much as any food allergies. BUT I do understand his point. My kids LOVE chicken nuggets, PB&J's, mac-n-cheese, fruits, yogurt, spaghettio's, hot dogs, cheese, etc. Sometimes they'll venture to taste something we made for the "adults" (grilled chicken or something), but we usually (right now anyway) just try to give them things to eat that are reasonably healthy.

If he doesn't like grilled chicken, see if he'll eat baked chicken. Our kids ate smoked chicken (from a bbq place, without the sauce of course) and loved it. They'll eat turkey too.

I've heard with kids that age that you have to try serving them something about 5-7 times before they'll actually try it and/or decide whether or not they like something. So keep tryng the other things, but be prepared just in case.

For what it's worth, and good luck!

We make healthy meals for the family and expect our 2 year old son to eat it. We do not give him his own special "toddler" meal. Believe it or not, he will eat most things. Sometimes it takes a little bit of a encouragement(or maybe some ketchup) to get him to at least try it.

He's two. As long as he eats the not so healthy stuff in moderation, he will be fine.

Hi D.,

First of all congrats on being a new mommy.......I had my first child at 41 he is 5 now. I want to share with you what my grandma used to say "if you have a refrigerator full of food he won't starve"! Just keep serving healthy food dont give in.....my son now eats almost all veggies and fruits he even eats sushi! I always serve a veggie and fruit with dinner and there is bound to be something he will eat. I don't give him a snack at night cause i tried that and he would not eat and wait for that now he knows that he has to eat dinner or nothing. I know that sounds mean but it's not. I think most of us grew up that way and we didn't starve and look at the kids these days, overweight, diabetes, etc.....Remember he doesnt need that much as well his stomach is as big as his fist! hang in there!!!!!
Cathy

D., i'm sure if you research online, you will see that kids need those fatty foods, because they play so much and use all those carbs for energy! I really don't think your husband needs to worry about his cholesterol until he's older, that's when your body can't break down those fatty foods as well and yes they start to build up!