Not Sure If My 2 1/2 Year Old Son Is Taking Enough Nutrition

Take away ALL cookies and chocolate and junk food. Just dont have it in the house and he cant beg for what isnt there. He will get hungry and he WILL eat his fruits and veggies. If he has his molars he can eat solid food and is just using it as a power struggle. 2's love power struggles.

Hello

Please do not take this as an offence but maybe your son needs more protein in his system (meat, checken, fish etc..) he is just growing and needs all this foods in his diet. I know you are a vegetarian but then again if your son is not enjoying it, maybe you can try meats or something else.

Good luck

I would focus more on getting nutrition into him versus engaging in a battle of the wills.

Smoothies might be the answer. You could add peanut butter or I recommend a great soy shake. Here are a couple of recommendations.

http://search.shaklee.net/?siteURL=aGVhbHRobWF0dGVyczR1%0...

Also, check out www.nosickvisits.com there are some great health presentations and some information on children's supplements. If you are interested I can give you a great protein snack recipe taht is to die for - great for PMS cravings also.

L.

Hi, R.. I read couple of comments and questions and suggestions and here is what I feel and think. I see that your child would eat cookies and that is chunky, but not other things. Now, I was going to say, if he wouldn't eat a cookie either because it's hard and/or chunky, then it would be something to check into. A friend of mine said that her son would not eat anything that was solid and it turned out that he has trouble with textures in his mouth. There was a toy someone gave her and I guess it helped. If you eliminate the cookies and sweets, he will give you a hard time, but don't give in. You're the parent and you are in charge not your son. Also, I think it's important to have meat for his age at this tpoint and then when he gets older and early adult years then he can decide for himself healthwise to cut mean from his diet or not. You need to understand that lean meat is very healthy and will give him iron and things he needs. I do NOT agree with one of the comments from a mom cutting grains (breads, etc.) out of the diet. My second son and myself, I have found that my bowels are better when I have whole wheat bread with grains, multigrains, whole wheat pasta. I know that my second son needs that because for some reason, it's not loose and he eats healthy because that is what I put in front of him. Yes, it's okay occasionally children have sweets but they don't they're missing it if you don't start them on them. This may be where you will have to check into what children need in their diets and you may have to change the kinds of foods to feed him. You are okay with being a vegetarian, but he's at an age and growing and needs lean meats to help him grow and be healthier. You sound like a good mother and I know you will make a wise decision for your son. Talk with your pediatrician too.

It sounds like he's found a way to get around eating his veggies. He'll eat cookies and chocolates when they're not pureed, but not the healthy foods? I would get rid of the cookies and offer him what you eat at each meal. And then let him choose. Don't beg and plead, just let him know what's for dinner and let him decide if he's going to eat it. If he doesn't, he'll come back later and ask for something, and you can offer him what he didn't eat. I know from personal experience that this can be stressful when you are concerned about them getting enough, but right now it sounds like it's a power struggle between you two, and that needs to end before he'll start eating right. Good luck!!

Dear R.,

I am a mom of 4 children. My youngest has some extra needs and had many eating/feeding issues over the years. I have studied for years reguarding this subject and have implented much of my research to help my son.

Our son was a poor eater in very much the same fashion as you describe. He craved the exact same foods (bananas, apple sauce, bread, and cookies). Like you, we worried that our son was not getting the proper nutrition and rightly so.

I know you said you are a vegetarian, but your son's diet is not vegetarian per se, it just doesn't contain meat. You may think that being a vegetarian is a healthy choice and that is okay for you, but in my studied opinion it is not sufficient for a growing child. I'm so sorry to sound critical here. Please know that there this no perfection here and we struggle with many things with our diet too.

Back to your child's diet-- the more of these foods he eats the more he will crave them and around and around you will go because he will continue to resist good foods (not that bananas are not good food,but the rest are not good or at least have minimal value).

Our son's cravings and preferences for these foods changed when we changed his diet. We incorporated bone broth and cooked veggies. We eliminated any grains (breads, etc.) and eliminated sugar (no cookies). We temporarily took out fruits. He can now pass up a cookie, no problem, and believe it or not his favorite food is his mixed veggies (carrots, cauliflower, onion, zucchini). He is now getting loads of necessary minerals (bone broth) and vitamins (veggies and fruits).

Your son's growth could be hindered from lack of proper nutrition, especially from lack of minerals.

If you would like to learn more about this aspect of nutrition, you can check www.westonaprice.org. Weston Price's research is very interesting and he did lots of amazing studies. I realize this may be such a shift from your current vegetarian diet, but I encourage you to be open-minded on account of the health of your little boy.

On another note in reference to the food having to be pureed-- Our son had this problem as well. Other than the food you mentioned above, our son would only eat stage 1 baby food until he was 4! We worked with him on this in several ways. One was to deal with sensory issues in the mouth (if you make it through this whole email and aren't turned off, you can ask me and I'll tell you how we did that). The second thing we did was to use a method of VERY gradually changing the consistency (this took a long time and I can also explain how to to this effectively). And third, the very diet itself of bone broth and veggies, etc (GAPS diet), because of the proper nutrition, improve the sensory issues.

I know this is a lot to absorb in one message, so please contact me to find out more. It would be nice to be able to help someone else, so the don't have to struggle with all that I struggled with. By the way, we started all this with our son less than one year ago. He now eats anything I put in front of him. He is growing like a weed and he is developing!

God bless you. I wish you the best. If I can be of help to you reguarding any issues regarding feeding your child, please feel free to contact me.

T. E.

Hi R.. A 2 1/2 year old should be eating regular meals like a grownup and cannot exist on applesauce, banana, bread and butter. Where is his protein? Being a vegetarian doesn't mean that a child isn't given protein at meals, it just means they don't eat meat, which isn't necessary for their diet. If your child still can't eat food that isn't pureed, I would have your pediatrician look into this because he may have a sensory integration or other disorder, and I would take him to a pediatric nutritionist so that you can learn about what a vegetarian toddler should be eating in terms of meals. I would eliminate all cookies, chocolate, and goodies. He doesn't eat solid food but manages cookies? He should be eating full meals with a balance of protein, whole grain, vegetable and fruits. You are right to worry and I would seek medical attention. You may also try supplementing with Ensure or something like that (Pediasure?) but if he's not eating real food and not eating meals, you really need to seek out help.
Good luck

Dear R.,

I'm responding to this very, very late, but I wanted to suggest something that none of the moms below have mentioned:

I really recommend taking your son to a pediatric dentist and also having your pediatrician look at his mouth and throat. Your son may have a problem with his teeth, and/or he may have some kind of sores or a rash in his mouth or throat -- all of which would lead him to only be able to tolerate pureed and chewy foods.

If you get a clean bill of health on those things, then I do think you need to try some tough love and get the cookies out of your house altogether. Sorry -- I know you've heard from other moms, too, but cookies really have no place at all in a toddler's diet. Assuming his teeth/mouth/throat are okay, it's probably also time to put away the blender. If your son does not learn to chew and swallow complex textures now, it will probably be much harder later.

I DO think, though, that it's entirely possible to raise a healthy child on a vegetarian diet; it just needs to be a healthy vegetarian diet. India is the sixth-largest nation in the world, and it's got more than its share of brilliant people in it; the vast majority are vegetarians. However, the traditional Indian diet does NOT include cookies. Instead, it's got a delicious balance of legumes (beans). If you're committed to vegetarianism, which is a wonderful thing, please put those cookies in the garbage where they belong (sorry!) and look for some kid-friendly vegetarian recipes. The Moosewood Kitchen has a whole book of them.

Best wishes,

Mira

babycenter.com has a great section that describes nutritional needs age by age.

You need to take a strong stand as a parent on this. Focus a week on your son's diet. Stop the cookies and chocolate completely, or any other foods that you're using to placate him or make sure that he is full. Offer him what is served to the family at meals, and nutritious snacks like fruits, veggies, and nuts (not empty carbs) in between. If he doesn't eat, let him be hungry - I promise you he will not starve, but will eat when he gets hungry enough. At two, it's likely just a stubborn streak that is keeping him from trying new things, but he absolutely NEEDS you to help him learn to eat all those wonderful tastes and textures that are out there. Otherwise he'll end up as one of those 6 year olds who only eats plain burgers, pizza, and toast, three meals a day (my nephew!). My husband and I would literally force veggies into our son's mouth (age 2), and once he got that first bite, he'd eat the rest willingly, even asking for more. We'd have to force the same veggies into every time we served it, not because he didn't remember liking the food, but because he wanted to out-stubborn us. Now, at 4, he loves asparagus, broccoli, beans, etc. As vegetarians it is especially important that you get nutritious foods into him - you have to work so much harder than meat eaters to get the vitamins and trace minerals that we get from meat. Is he getting any B-12 or iron at all? Tons of green leaves are necessary if you're not eating grazing meat. Yogurt smoothies - whole milk unsweetened yogurt mixed with your own fresh fruit and a little honey for sweetness, add some flaxseed oil and coconut oil to the mix for omega 3s and saturated fats (which are absolutely necessary for growing children to have - so much of our cells are made from saturated fats). Your son will never taste the oils, but he'll get great nutrition. Buy cultured butter (I buy Organic Valley brand) and sprouted grain bread (Alvarado Street Bakery & Ezekiel Bread are available at supermarkets, or Berlin Bakery Biblical Sprouted bread at health food stores - the Berlin bread is much less 'chunky' - is has a smooth texture). This will make that bread and butter worth something nutritionally, and not just empty carbs and fat. They also make Ezekiel brand sprouted grain pastas. You could check out www.westonprice.org for childhood nutrition tips. If there's no change after a week or two of working on his diet, you might want to explore sensory issues with your ped, but most likely, he's just a normal 2 year old who's never been forced to eat anything he didn't like. Good luck! I've got tons more suggestions; if you're interested, send me a message.

Hi R.. I've been a strict vegetarian myself (now eat fish and poultry) and would guess that you already understand nutritious diet needs without the animal flesh meeting them for protein, so why not feed him what you eat? For children protein can be from the same sources as the adult food. Both Indian and Mexican cuisines as well as mediteranian have great legume (bean family) dishes that are tasty and healthy plus keep things interesting. Your son is beyond puree and would have been ready to actually eat. Go ahead and let him. Make some cheese and black bean quesadillas and let him enjoy. Combine brown rice and red beans together for a 'perfect protein' that is better quality than meat. Let him enjoy food and relax :)

If you want to be a vegetarian.. fine.. don't impose it on a baby.. he needs protien to grow.. seriously.. no offense.. but he isn't getting enough and working from a limited list that you are imposeing on him is your fault not his.. If he is underweight and not growing properly (which you stated is the case) you are HURTING HIM!!!
put away your adgenda and be a mother. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but this is important.
Good luck, sincerely,
M.

First of all, talk to his doctor about maybe testing him for sensory issues, or anything else that might make him avoid chewing. Second, unless he eats a good, well-balanced meal, he should not be having ANY cookies or chocolate. Use them as a bribe--if he doesn't eat what you put in front of him, he doesn't get a single bite. Period. Last, I understand that you are a vegetarian, but if your son likes chicken or tuna you really shouldn't limit his diet. If he were a good eater as a vegetarian, great, but since he's not you might have to experiment. My SIL is a strict vegetarian and it went well with her oldest daughter, but her second really needed the protein source of chicken because she wouldn't eat beans at all. Will he eat eggs or cheese? What about making some special "cookies" that have protein powder in them, maybe some grated zucchini plus a bit of chocolate...be creative. Dr. Sears has a book out about nutrition for the whole family which is a great resource, too.

Here is a link to the most nutritious whey shake that I know of. It is processed at very low temperatures, so it is considered "live" food. It has 71 trace minerals, active enzymes to aid digestion and a very high percentage of the nutrition that your son needs for the day. An adult serving is about $2.50/day (wholesale) - half a serving would probably do him.
...and it tastes delicious!!

http://revive.isagenix.com/ca/en/isaleanshake.dhtml

Hi, I know this may be a little late, sorry.
My youngest, of 4, is also 2 1/2 yeras old. She doesn't like milk very much, so when I first started her on whole milk, I had to switch to soy milk. She took that for a little over a year, we just recently stopped that. Now, I do a little something special for her milk cuppies at nap-time. I use whole milk, with just about a teaspoon or two of flavored coffee creamer. She likes cinnamon creme, and irish creme flavors from International Delight. Then I take the chill off with about 22 seconds in the microwave (or however you would warm it)
And, I don't want to sound mean, or bad, but at 2 1/2 is there a medical/dental reason why you are still pureeing his food??? I would have thought that should have stopped at around 10 months to a year, to give him a chance to start with solids??
Instead of cookies and chocolates, my daughter loves them too, I have switched to the Gerber toddler Graduate snacks, they dissolve quickly)and granola/cereal bars (or make your own). She loves the fruit stuff. Or if you have a dehydrator, make them yourself, like fruit roll-ups, small fruit snacks.
Try mac and cheese, with peas, or carrots, in small soft chunks. Or Oatmeal with raisins or bananas.
And for starting solids, try Cheerios, or other small cereals.
And don't forget puddings, for the milk intake.
I hope this helps.

Try Pediasure. It comes in a number of flavors including chocolate. It is full of vitamins and minerals that young children need. At least you will know that your child is getting the nutrition he needs until he becomes a better eater.

it sounds like he could have a sensory issue...my friend though her son was just a picky eater but when she had him tested for speech she discovered he had sensory issues as well and that was why he avoided certain foods...just a thought...as for foods...what about whole grain pastas? or those puffs Gerber makes some, but I found that walmarts brand has more calcium in them, blueberries and bananas are excellent foods...freeze the blueberries and give them to him frozen my 2yr old LOVES that...also yogurt(freeze that to it's a great treat). I wouldn't offer him cookies or candy on a regular basis...i mean why eat other things if you can have sweets?? My 2yr old loves the tomato basil wheat thins...he calls them his spicy yummy crackers...they taste like pizza and they're better for you than cookies. Also I serve General Mills cereal as snacks...DRY...they have more calciums and good stuff than most other cereals and there's all sorts of flavors from banana cheerios to reese's puffs...my kids also love frosted mini wheats dry...lots of fiber plus a sweet touch for them...as for homemade fruits...dehydrate your apples for all natural fruit roll ups...hope I helped a little..good luck.

Beans have lots of protein, chick peas(hummus dip?), yogurt, cream cheese whole wheat bagels, whole grain bread, cheese sticks, nuts if he is not allergic. My daughter is allergic so we give her "soynut" butter and jelly on 100% whole wheat bread. It is in the organic section. Avacodo's have lots of good fats, and you can cream it up if necessary as a dip. Olive oil on pasta with parmesan cheese?

I would stop asking him to drink the milk and let him get hungry enough first. then give him milk after he has had some food, no before or it will fill him up. I agree it is probably a power struggle.

No snacks between meals unless it is a fruit or veggie. It can be hard to stay strong for your child, and say no to cookies, or not constantly be after him to eat, but you can do it! He needs you to help him be healthy.

Good luck!

My son is also a picky choco-holic, and isn't hungry unless there is a snack around. You have to take control of snacking...only AFTER at least a portion of his meal is eaten and try some healthier snacks. So here is the complete list of what he will eat usually without a problem:

Scrambled Eggs with cheese (though lately he says he is allergic so he doesn't have to eat)
Pancakes or waffles with a touch of butter/syrup
Turkey sausages-for breakfast
Cheese and crackers (sometimes with turkey meat)
Turkey meatballs (with very little sauce)
Couscous
Yogurt
Bagels with veggie cream cheese
Chicken N Apple sausages
Granola bars (quaker oats chocolate chip as a true snack)
I make a Kick_as* turkey meatloaf loaded with all kinds of veggies.
Turkey cheeseburgers (once in a while a burger from duchess,then mcdonalds if i am desperate)
Shrimp sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper and garlic with cheese melted on it.
Chicken Nuggests (at 2.5 years old this was a MUST HAVE)
Raw carrots with dip
Applesause, apples, bananas, strawberries
Pistachio's
Turkey, ham and cheese sandwiches with lettuce tomoto and may is a NEW thing he discovered from Subway OR one of their chicken sandwiches!

He used to eat the gerber graduates meals everyday for lunch and dinner until about a year ago do to large spaces between his teeth which made it difficult and painful for him to chew a lot of adult food. He has since gotten much better. Please unless there is some kind of health concern allow him to have SOME animal proteins for a little while. You probably made a choice to become a vegetarian. Try allowing him to get HEALTHY first with new food choices until he is old enough to make the choice himself or when he is a little older and will eat more of what you eat you can wean him back down.

Due to digestive issues, I rarely eat beef or pork, but my husband loves it and we offer it to our son. On rare occasions depending on the way it is cooked he will attempt it.