fussy eaters

sam said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

I've no idea what you are trying to feed your two-year old.

On the off chance you are serious in your posting (considering you have
posted this three times) ... have you tried just giving her things to see if
she will eat them?

IIRC (and yes, I can remember being a 2 year old!) at that age I mostly
didn't want mushy stuff. By then I had baby teeth and I wanted to use them!
Small bits of cooked meat (like really tender chuck roast in gravy or tender
pork chops). Cooked veggies were fine but please don't puree them into
mush! Let me eat them.

The only thing I recall liking that was sort of mushy (and still do) from
that age is parritch (Scottish oatmeal). A little brown sugar or a drap of
molasses and you're done.

Jill

sam said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

Rice congee? Really soft ones.

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

My son was always easy as far as food. When it was time to stop nursing, my
ex found this cool little hand-operated food grinder. Much of what we ate
also went into the grinder to make soft baby food for him. He determined
portion control, and often wanted (demanded!) more shrimp and whatever else
we'd prepared. When he was older and making friends, lots of parents
complained that their kids were picky eaters. We (and they) discovered by
accident that these parents were all wrong. We did a massive Halloween
party, and put out pizza and a couple of huge trays of raw veggies & raw
fruit. The children descended on the fruits & veggies like a horde of
locusts. They were gone in a matter of minutes, literally. Most of the
parents were pretty amazed.

To summarize (and there will be a quiz): My theory is to offer lots of nice
colors, and see what happens.

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat. People
always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese, well if they
aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't be a problem.
Marie

"Marie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat. People
always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese, well if they
aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't be a problem.
Marie

And, no letting her walk around all day long with a bottle of juice. Anybody
who's thirsty all day long needs to see a doctor. I don't understand what's
up with parents whose kids' best friends are bottles. Is it supposed to keep
them quiet?

Doug Kanter said:

"Marie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any
ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat.
People always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese,
well if they aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't
be a problem.
Marie

And, no letting her walk around all day long with a bottle of juice.
Anybody who's thirsty all day long needs to see a doctor. I don't
understand what's up with parents whose kids' best friends are
bottles. Is it supposed to keep them quiet?

Apparently. I don't recall (and I can remember being very young) not having
a bottle in my mouth all the time. Nor did I have a pacefier.

Jill

Quoted message said:

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat. People
always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese, well if they
aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't be a problem.
Marie

You callin' cheese junk?!

With my fussy kids I just went with fresh everything. Kept things kind of
plain. My kids ate all kinds of fruits and veggies at an early age. Now
that they are teenagers I'm having a harder time, but now I just make them,
but bribing them. "That cookie you want.... well you can't eat it until
you've eaten your vegetables." For the teenage boy "If you want another
slice of lasagna you better eat your vegetables." Works every time.

Lynne

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Quoted message said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

"Marie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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> my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any
> ideas
> on how I can get her to try new things?

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat.
People always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese,
well if they aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't
be a problem.
Marie

And, no letting her walk around all day long with a bottle of juice.
Anybody who's thirsty all day long needs to see a doctor. I don't
understand what's up with parents whose kids' best friends are
bottles. Is it supposed to keep them quiet?

Apparently. I don't recall (and I can remember being very young) not
having
a bottle in my mouth all the time. Nor did I have a pacefier.

Jill

Wait....I'm confused by the two negatives. Are you saying you DID have a
bottle constantly, or not?

jmcquown said:

Doug Kanter said:

"Marie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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>my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any
>ideas
>on how I can get her to try new things?

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat.
People always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese,
well if they aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't
be a problem.
Marie

And, no letting her walk around all day long with a bottle of juice.
Anybody who's thirsty all day long needs to see a doctor. I don't
understand what's up with parents whose kids' best friends are
bottles. Is it supposed to keep them quiet?

Apparently. I don't recall (and I can remember being very young) not having
a bottle in my mouth all the time. Nor did I have a pacefier.

Jill

My daughter stopped nursing when she was 9 months old, and we used
bottles till she was 1. As of her 1st birthday, no more bottles. she
practiced with a sippy for a few months prior, and after her birthday
the bottles all got put away. Then again, she never liked pacifiers, and
always spit them out 🙂
Of course, then we had to get her off the sippys, but it doesn't look as
bad as a toddler walking around with a bottle 🙂

--

saerah

http://anisaerah.blogspot.com/

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
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Doug Kanter said:

And, no letting her walk around all day long with a bottle of juice. Anybody
who's thirsty all day long needs to see a doctor. I don't understand what's
up with parents whose kids' best friends are bottles. Is it supposed to keep
them quiet?

Well, I can understand being thirsty (almost) all day long (I know I
am!), but no need for juice, plain water's fine (that's what I drink).

Nathalie in Switzerland

"Nathalie Chiva" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Doug Kanter said:

And, no letting her walk around all day long with a bottle of juice.
Anybody
who's thirsty all day long needs to see a doctor. I don't understand
what's
up with parents whose kids' best friends are bottles. Is it supposed to
keep
them quiet?

Well, I can understand being thirsty (almost) all day long (I know I
am!), but no need for juice, plain water's fine (that's what I drink).

Nathalie in Switzerland

But, I'm sure you don't have a tube stuck in your mouth all day. 🙂

sam said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

one word: Finger foods. Cut up apples, oranges, pears, banana.
Cereal, toast bits, celery, carrot. Cheese cubes, (no larger than
1/2"😉 , grapes, cut up meat and cooked veggies in managable sizes.

Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, post-nap or mid-afternoon snack,
dinner, and if she's acting hungry, a small cup of warm milk and a
couple of graham crackers before brushing teeth and going to bed.

Nothing in between. If she misses one of her meals or snacks, nothing
until the next food time except water.

Don't force her to eat more than she wants, but give her healthy
choices. My munchkin wenth through what I called the "air baby"
stages, where she would not eat more than a bit or two at a time all
day long. Then she would grow an inch or two, and eat everything at
every meal.

At this age, they won't starve themselves, so if she has good foods to
choose from, and doesn't see Mommy and Daddy eating junk all the time,
she will eat well and thrive.

maxine in ri

maxine in ri said:

sam said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

one word: Finger foods. Cut up apples, oranges, pears, banana.
Cereal, toast bits, celery, carrot. Cheese cubes, (no larger than
1/2"😉 , grapes, cut up meat and cooked veggies in managable sizes.

Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, post-nap or mid-afternoon snack,
dinner, and if she's acting hungry, a small cup of warm milk and a
couple of graham crackers before brushing teeth and going to bed.

Nothing in between. If she misses one of her meals or snacks, nothing
until the next food time except water.

Don't force her to eat more than she wants, but give her healthy
choices. My munchkin wenth through what I called the "air baby"
stages, where she would not eat more than a bit or two at a time all
day long. Then she would grow an inch or two, and eat everything at
every meal.

At this age, they won't starve themselves, so if she has good foods to
choose from, and doesn't see Mommy and Daddy eating junk all the time,
she will eat well and thrive.

maxine in ri

:-D Yes, bite-size and good examples! It's like everything...

"Marie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

Don't let her have junk food, and when she's hungry she'll eat. People
always whine that their kids will only eat nuggets, cheese, well if they
aren't given that junk in the first place it wouldn't be a problem.
Marie

Exactly they're not going to eat good food if they're full! And they're not
going to eat good, but not as exciting food if they're offered junk later
because they're hungry. They won't starve if good food is available, but
they might get malnourished if they're given nothing but junk. No need to
force anyone though, everyone has their own tastes, but a few healthy
choices is all that's needed.

Jen

sam said:

my 2 year old daughter is a very fussy eater has anyone got any ideas
on how I can get her to try new things?

You do what parents have been doing for centuries: she can eat a little
of what's in front of her or she can go hungry until the next
meal/snacktime. No shouting, no forcing her to sit there etc.
Just don't pile the plate high with food expecting her to eat it.

Jen said:

Exactly they're not going to eat good food if they're full! And they're not
going to eat good, but not as exciting food if they're offered junk later
because they're hungry. They won't starve if good food is available, but
they might get malnourished if they're given nothing but junk.

Allow me to giggle. Before rfc, I was a regular for many years on
rec.pets.dogs.behavior. Every so often, someone would post saying that
their dog would only eat abc or refused to eat xyz. It happened so
often that it became a sort of in-joke. The advice was always the same:
If you don't want your dog to eat abc, STOP FEEDING IT TO HIM. And, HE
WON'T STARVE. There were a few caveats about being sure that your dog
doesn't have a health condition that precludes eating. (For example, a
dog might not know how to tell you about a sore tooth.) I finally saved
a post on how to get your dog to eat so I could repost it as necessary.
At the end, I always asked people to try my advice and tell me how it
worked. In only one case did the original poster ever post again.

Now I'm wondering if we need to do the same thing for parents worried
about their kids fussy habits. Some new person gets on, and we all jump
to give the same advice. We even have the same arguments. (Uh, er,
disagreements.)

Granted, toddlers aren't dogs. There are some important differences
(though the similarities are remarkable). The bottom line comes down to
making sure the kid has a few nourishing choices at each meal, not
becoming emotional or involved in a power struggle, stop making a big
deal out of what the kid eats, and stop giving the kid food that the
parent doesn't want the kid to eat.

--Lia

Doug Kanter said:

Quoted message said:

Well, I can understand being thirsty (almost) all day long (I know I
am!), but no need for juice, plain water's fine (that's what I drink).

Nathalie in Switzerland

But, I'm sure you don't have a tube stuck in your mouth all day. 🙂

Heh heh ;-)
Nah, but a water bottle handy :-)

Nathalie in Switzerland

"kevnbro" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

You callin' cheese junk?!

Alot of it is junk! And too much of it is bad for you.
Marie