Ultra Picky Eater....HELP

[lilmermaid]

DD3 will be 2 in August and has to go in for a weight check at 21 months. She is the worst eater EVER!!!! I think I can count on my fingers the things she will eat regularly. She may eat something 1 day and then the next refuse to eat it. It is driving me crazy! Personally I was tiny as a child and think she just takes after me with her size. The Dr said if she doesn't maintain the curve at this weight check she wants to do some testing. I'm getting worried that she hasn't gained any weight.

Anyone have any ideas of foods to try, ways to get her to eat more or anything else that might be helpful?
Thanks!!!!

[bunsy]

Gosh. I just don't think there is any way to MAKE them eat. All you can do is keep providing foods--new ones as well as the ones you pretty sure she will eat. I would err on the side of being more accommodating to have things you KNOW she likes--even if that is just a slice of bread with butter. Calories are calories. It would be great if everything was supernutritious but sometimes it's just about getting the meat on their bones however you have to do it.

I have a friend whose kid gets a nightly milkshake. Not really nutritious but it gets those guaranteed calories in every day. If she likes milk, add Instant Breakfast to it--chocolate, vanilla, strawberry--gives the milk more calories.

[dara1012]

Is she a distracted eater?

I watched my niece this weekend who is the pickiest eater I know and she barely ate anything for lunch and dinner. Of course she ate cake (it was DS's birthday) just fine, but at dinner I served spaghetti and strawberries (her request) and she took forever to eat. Finally the rest of us got up from the table and didn't talk to her and eventually she ate (after spilling her milk all over). I was just wondering if with 2 big sisters she gets too distracted? You could try getting up from the table and being somewhere where you can keep an eye on her for safety but not engage her or distract her.

Does she like yogurt? DS will eat yogurt for every meal if we let him. That has calories and good fat. Maybe the simply gogurt, that might make it more fun. I also will buy big tubs of vanilla yogurt and put some fresh fruit in there and add sprinkles. DS will eat anything with sprinkles on it.

[sweetpeamom25]

We've gone through a similar thing with our DD. She's not too picky, but she just doesn't eat much. She's been tiny since she was born. We have to bring her in for a weight check this month and I'm nervous she hasn't gained enough.

When we've discussed with her dr. he has said "You cannot force her to eat, keep offering food and when she's hungry, she'll eat." He also suggested pasta made with extra butter, bread w/butter or peanut butter and Pedia Sure. We've been giving her the Pedia Sure drinks/shakes at her bedtime snack. She really likes them and I think she's put on a pound or two. She was 24 months last October. I know it's hard not to worry, good luck!

I like the idea of yogurt with fresh fruit and sprinkles.

[lilmermaid]

Thanks! She is at the point now that she can tell me if she wants it if I show it too her. That can be good and bad!

Dr said butter(real) EVERYTHING you can, LOL!

She also mentioned the PediaSure but said to make sure to brush her teeth right after she's done otherwise she'll get cavities so I've been reluctant to try. She's pretty finicky about her liquids too. Pretty much just milk but lately she has started to take juice with her snack. Worth a try for extra calories though!

I should try yogurt again. She eats those freeze dried yogurt melts for snack but probably not enough calories in them.

I'm going to make a list of the things I know for sure she will eat and make sure she gets 1-2 of them at every meal. I think that will make it easier for me! I know with summer coming and being at the cabin she will eat great on the weekends, we tend to go overboard with food when we are there! Grandma is a retired Home Ec teacher so she likes to cook for all of us.

Thanks again for all your ideas!

[irish]

We've been going through this with DS for almost 4 YEARS now!! He goes through phases where he eats well, and then just stops. I always keep the snacks on hand that he does like (hummus and crackers, apples, goldfish, cereal bars etc). Actual meals are hit or miss, like others mentioned, he'll eat when he's hungry. We do give him a carnation shake once in a while also. He actually had his 5 year check up a couple of weeks ago and was the exact same weight as his 4 year (39 lbs). His ped was really concerned at first, but honestly I think he's just fine. He's always in a great mood, always has a ton of energy and is very active..he just won't eat! I wouldn't stress too much, I know it's hard not to though!! Good luck

[bunsy]

I agree with Irish. If she is healthy, happy and active I wouldn't worry too much. Kids will eat when kids will eat. Kids will grow when kids grow. The list of foods sounds like a great idea.

I always made sure there was bread with butter, sliced apples w/peanut butter and yogurt on the table for every meal. I knew if the kids didn't like anything else, they would at least eat that.

[sharon]

Does she drink ok? You can get a lot of nutrition into a smoothie. We relied on those a lot when Ian would go through picky phases.
Are there things she does like consistently? Can you build on those with things mixed in with them, spread on them or items that are similar in some way?

That must be really frustrating! I'm sorry.

[lilmermaid]

I try not to worry but when they say they want to do tests to "see what's wrong" that bothers me! I think if the Dr says that I'm going to say let's wait until X years old and see where she's at.

She still uses a sippy cup so smoothies are kind of hard to do at this point but I have thought of them.

That's what I was thinking Sharon, if I make a list of foods she does eat regularly then I can build on them or add new things to them.

I did pick up some PediaSure and she drank that well. I also did yogurt tonight and it went pretty well. She was put off by the coldness at first but ate the whole serving. I think she isn't feeling well today so that may be why she's so anti food today!

[lilmermaid]

Thanks Ladies! I appreciate all the tips and reassurance. It's so nice to have moms to bounce my inner monologue off of besides DH!

[bunsy]

She remains YOUR kid no matter what the doctor says. If you are sure she is fine, just small, then you can refuse further testing at this time. If she hasn't LOST weight, wait and see should be doable.

[jrose]

Can she drink through a straw for the smoothies?

DD1 was very picky...she still is but she is more willing to try things now. I always snuck in pieces of meat or veggie in her rice or noodles. I got in the habit of trying to make at least one thing I knew she would eat for dinner. Sometimes if she didn't like something I would make her pb&j just so she would eat something. On occasion it still happens but now that she is old enough I can get her to try new things and she is more willing to eat something if she helped make it...like tonight we had meatballs made out of hamburger(which she thinks is disgusting) she helped make them and she had 2 helpings of it!

[kristin8888]

I don't have any helpful advice but we tried EVERYTHING. I mean everything possible to get my niece to eat more, nothing worked. She's 5 and weighs 25 lbs and there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. They've run every test, sent her to Mayo and the children's hospital in the cities. Its crazy and she's tiny but we love her!!!

[lilmermaid]

Totally agree Bunsy!

She has a hard time with straws still.

Good to know Kristin!

My brothers and I were all tiny under 10% or even off the growth charts and they never questioned it back then!

[bumblebee23]

DS2 went through a phase like this. He was probably 3 or 4yo. I found it to be more of a control thing and so did his Dr. He said at that age he doesn't have control over many things and being picky might be his way of getting that. DH would try to cater to him but that got hard given he would eat one thing one day and find it disgusting the next. Finally I said enough was enough. You are going to eat what we are having for dinner and you can pick one thing on the table that you don't have to eat. The rest I want you to eat as much as you can (I don't believe in making a kid clean their plate). At first it was a struggle but then it really started to work. I let his brother have the same rule so he wouldn't complain when we were having something he really didn't like.