Picky 16 month old

Question
My husband and I took custody of our two grandsons in October.  They are now 16 months and 9 years.  It has obviously been quite some time since we had an infant in our home!  Overall things are going very well.  That said, Elijah, our 16 month old has decided his diet will consist of spaghetti, grilled cheese, cereal and fruit!  No veggies or meat.  It started as a consistency thing and quickly turned into the above preferences.  I tried grinding our meals and he also refuses now.  We always offer first what we are having for dinner, letting him finger feed himself or feeding him ourselves.   have always been a nutrition conscious parent/grandparent....making my children's and then my grandchildren's foods from fresh ingredients.  First pureed and frozen as infants and then prepared steamed without artificial additives later on.  I find myself vacillating between making Elijah pasta or grilled cheese when he won't eat dinner to letting him go without.  Neither feels right. I am concerned that offering other than what the family is eating is setting a bad example, enabling him to continue the behavior and letting him go without is more of a concern.  Snacking between meals is limited to small portions of fresh fruit or crackers and we always dilute juice 1/2 - 1/2 with water. I wonder if adding tofu in place of the meat in dishes is a good alternative....we have never been fans of it and I have never prepared it but at this point I will try anything to get more nutrition into him.  I have even added pureed fresh peas into the spaghetti but now he is on to it and refuses when I try this ploy!  Smart child!  Any guidance you can offer is appreciated.  

Answer
Hi Eileen,

I am sorry for the long delay!

It sounds as if you are on the right path. Try mixing veggies in dishes that might not be as obvious as green stuff in spaghetti.

You are not wrong to let them go without if they choose not to eat. You could even go as far as saving the meal for the next meal- even breakfast (our family doctor raised his daughters this way). A child must understand that the food offered is what there is, someone took the time and love to prepare a healthy meal for them, letting them eat something else is a common mistake. Kids will eat eventually, they will not starve.

I would avoid the tofu however, consistency tends to be a big issue. We are primarily vegetarian and tofu was a big issue with my son when he was younger. There are also many conflicting studies regarding young children and soy products and it may be best to hold off at least for awhile.

As he get older, even next summer, try planting a vegetable garden and letting him take part in planting, caring for, and a little of the prep for eating. Young children often love planting and watching the progress of growth.

It sound like you already limit snack and junk food, if you keep it to a real minimum and use sweet fruits and veggies it may keep his taste buds from becoming numb to the natural sugar found in healthy choices.

There are probably also psychological issues at work as well. I do not know the circumstances of the custody but it may come into play.

Stick with it, it will work. We have a child with Aspergers and had a very, very difficult time but it did work out in the end!

I hope I have helped at least a little!

Good luck,

Dan Haley, CNC

www.marketamerica.com/alkalinenutrition  

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