Luke has always been a pretty good eater but in the last few days feeding him has become a nightmare.
Firstly, he now refuses to sit in his highchair. When we try to sit him in it he starts kicking and screaming and flailing his arms around and if we don't immediately abort the attempt to strap him in, he gets insanely worked up and starts breathing funny and gets really angry and red in the face. He kind of looks like he should have smoke coming out of his nose. It's kind of funny but distressing at the same time. The moment we stop trying to get him in the chair, he is 100% fine. Even giggly. It is annoying for me to see him go from insanely upset to perfectly happy in 1 second flat - just as soon as he gets his way.
We don't really need to get him in the highchair, but when we can't and have to feed him on the go, or while he's sitting on someone's lap, he gets so squirmy and food pretty much gets everywhere but in his mouth.
But this was all fine when he was actually eating. These days he just doesn't seem to want to eat anything we prepare for him. He used to love his baby food - oftentimes a mix of cerelac or rice or potatoes with Plum organics red lentils or beef stew or turkey baby food. He also used to really like yogurt, and oatmeal, and mangoes and a mixture of apples and pears. But now all of a sudden he is refusing to eat it all. If it is soft and mushy, he doesn't want it.
Yesterday after refusing food for nearly 24 hours, we were out at Neva's for lunch and he proceeded to eat from my plate -- he had chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes, and the better part of a third of a slice of pizza. I was so happy he was eating though he disproved my theory that maybe he was teething and just didn't want anything in his mouth.
So today I resolved to make him food that is more like grown up food. I cooked up some ground beef with pieces of potato, and once cooked I left the food as it was and didn't blend or puree it. I was excited to feed him dinner cause I thought he'd like it. One bite and then he refused anymore. If we managed to trick him and get spoon-fulls in his mouth on the sly, he'd promptly spit it all out. Then he was willing to take bites if he could feed himself, but again, as soon as the food was in his mouth, he spat it out. I tasted the mixture and it tasted good. I don't understand why he won't eat it. I thought it might be too bland, so I mixed some (not-spicy) chicken tikka masala sauce from our dinner in with his, and he again took one bite but refused any more.
So... what to do? Marcus isn't too worried. He figures Luke will eat when he's hungry enough. Which may be true. But I would like to have more ideas for food to make him if he is really actually done with baby food.
He seems to like cheese, so I thought I could cook a bit of pasta and grate some cheese on top. Maybe try this ground beef mixture again with carrots or cheese mixed in. He loved spaghetti a few weeks ago, so I'll try that again. But what else can I try? I get overwhelmed when I google toddler recipes because so much comes up, and a lot of the meals seem so complicated, or need ingredients I can't get in Palawan.
Please share your favorite things to make for your babies/toddlers/kids! The simpler the better ;-) (Please feel free to email me or direct message on FB or twitter if you'd rather not post here). Appreciate any and all suggestions! Thanks!
PS - I should add that I haven't started just feeding him whatever we're eating because Marcus and I don't prepare our meals, and a few months ago when I started giving Luke whatever food we were eating, he got amoebiasis, twice. Marcus and I didn't get infected so it may have been something else, though the cook later turned out positive for the same parasite. She's since been treated and none of us have been sick, but for now I'd prefer to keep prepping Luke's food myself...
Some great posts from mama friends on facebook! Will include here in case any readers want to be inspired by new ideas as well:
ReplyDelete* Hmm. The long-term solution would really to get the "normal" food to be kid-worthy. My kids ALWAYS want the food on my plate even if it's exactly the same as on theirs.
* My kids were pretty picky when they were toddlers. They ate lots of scrambled eggs, cheese, rice, macaroni and cheese, bananas. A meal usually consisted of a bunch of little stuff. You should try a muffin tin meal. http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/?m=1
He might think that's a lot of fun!
* Boiled chopped veggies mixed in scrambled eggs, topped with cheese. Corn on or off the cob is always a big hit. Plain peas. Pumpkin bits no, but pumpkin soup yes. Actually, any vegetable pureed in a creamy soup is gobbled up even if the same veggie in normal form would be rejected.
* L has never eaten very much but we've backed off and just put food in front of him and if he doesn't eat it, no big deal. I agree with Marcus, toddlers will eat when they're hungry. L does eat a lot of what we do except seafood (he's allergic for now). He loves chicken so if we have leftover chicken, I just pull them into small chunks with a small side of rice (usually seasoned with whatever the ulam was, i.e., adobo). Chicken nuggets, hotdogs, potatoes (in fries or hash brown form), and mac and cheese. Like the above suggestion, we usually put a bunch of little things on his plate and see what he eats so pretty much expect a lot of wasted food (or not, I end up eating them since I hate waste!). When we do eat, Logan will want to taste our food so we've discovered some foods he lilkes that way. I've actually bought ready made meals at the grocery stores and if he likes them, I'll prepare them later at home. If not, I don't feel bad putting all that effort into a certain dish that he won't eat!
* the above plus marinated tofu cubes, couscous, fish baked or steamed, rice, cottage cheese, yogurt. M won't go near vegetables (much to my despair) so I continue to put them on his plate so that he gets used to them and sneak them into pancakes (sweet potato or pumpkin in pancakes, brocolli fritters, corn fritters, etc). hopefully he will overcome his fear of veggies someday soon. We've noticed that if we provide M with too many options he gets overwhelmed and refuses to eat anything, so we keep it simple and just make sure that he gets a variety of different foods throughout the week. And smoothies! Those are a big hit, especially because he gets to push the button on the blender - great way to get him to eat fruits and veggies.
ReplyDelete* I never gave H rice cereal or baby food, and I think that's why he eats everything. I agree that the long term goal should be to get Luke to eat what you eat. In the meantime, have you read Annabel Karmel? She has a website with recipes, and they're pretty easy. I like that she offers recipes for all ages. Things H will always eat: spaghetti, corn on the cob, any kind of fruit, chicken, peas, broccoli (we call them baby trees). Finally, I know a few mom friends who ate struggling with feeding their toddlers, ad the best strategy for them has been to present the healthy food and then not be emotional about whether or not their child eats. They will eat when they are hungry.
About the high chair issue, we went through the exact same thing with H when he was younger, and discovered that what he really wanted was to eat at the table with us. So, we bought a high chair without a tray and scooted him up to the table with us. It's actually had a great secondary effect; he's really well behaved in restaurant high chairs because he's used to eating at the table.
Hope that helps!
* I absolutely agree with letting the child eat whatever he will or will not eat. He'll eat when he's hungry. I think of my job as providing variety. I KNOW they don't like zucchini but I WILL put in on their plates and eventually they will eat it. I know that's not what you asked for though. :D
Hey Ami -- I just read a great blog post about this today. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realmomnutrition.com/2011/04/22/dinner-drama-part-4-dinner-games-other-crazy-tricks-that-actually-work/
That blog link is great Emily, thank you for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteMore great advice from my facebook page...
ReplyDelete* I know you asked more about food, but I've started making fresh fruit juice for everyone here. J is kind of resistant but everyone else is having their salad that way. ;-) A hit with everyone is orange-apple-carrot juice.
*I also love Annabel Karmel - her recipes are really easy and don't use ingredients too hard to find - yet they are versatile and give me ideas so as to not bore O to death with pasta....He loves pumpkin, apple, carrot, butternut roasted in the oven with cinnamon - it gets nice and caramelly and I let him eat the chunks by himself. If it's mashed he won't eat it. He also likes fish boiled in milk with grapes - which seems to hide the fish taste and sweetens the meal a bit. Beans are a hit too. I also put in some freshly squeezed OJ in some dishes, fresh herbs, or spices to jazz it up a bit. It's a lot of trial and error... And anything with yoghurt and cheese - he's got the Dutch genes! And yes, he will eat when he wants to! xx
*My half Filipino son will NOT eat rice! In any shape or form. We've even tried risotto. I think he's a fussy eater, but only because when I was 4 I was willingly eating curries and a mixture of Filipino and Western food. In Palawan my Ma buys good quality beef mince from somewhere like Brunos and we cook and freeze bolognaise sauce for spaghetti with loads of veggies chopped in. My stand bys are potato omelettes with sweetcorn and ham, pasta carbonara (sometimes with added chicken for extra protein), pasta alfredo (butter,cream, parmesan) with added veggies, sandwiches, French toast. E doesn't like milk so add dairy into main meals when I can. I used to hate milk at his age and pour it down the drain behind my aunties'/ma's backs! Your freezer is your friend for home cooked ready meals. Even if there's just two of us I menu plan to make sure ahead of time there is a balance of variety for me and stuff to freeze for E when I eat curries etc. Always offer him food off my plate because you never know.
*Hi Ami. My baby L is only 9 months old but we've been exposing her to tasty food. I sprinkle curry on her chicken and broccoli, cinnamon on her oatmeal and applesauce. I prep everything once a week and freeze it and store them in ziplock bags. We just pop one out when needed. Though she is still eating puréed food, we are slowly introducing stuff from our plates. Just yesterday she ate half of my pancake and grabbed some potato hash. She also enjoys sucking on a chicken leg bone. Can't wait to give her hummus and other homemade fruit/veggie spreads for her little bread cubes in a few weeks when she turns 10 months. I've been reading a lot about BLW (baby-led weaning). It really encourages parents to let their babies "play" with their food, get messy and have meals together around the table. It helps the baby be more independent and feel secure all while exposing them to "real" food :) I hope you find what works for you and the lil man.
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ReplyDelete* I used to make pish-pash for the twins - it's a bengali rice soup - sort of like congee. It has some flavor, but is mild and easy to digest:
Here's the recipe - I still make it if they get tummy bugs: BABIES PISH PASH
-2 cups rice (washed)
-1 flat tsp ginger
-1/2 tsp garlic
-2 green cardamoms (opened)
-6 peppercorns
-2 cloves
-1/2 inch cinnamon stick
-1/2 bayleaf
-1/4 onion sliced
-1/2 tsp coriander
-1/4 tsp cumin
-2 flat tsp salt
-1 TBSP oil
-1 cubed chicken breast
-carrots
-potatoes
-peas
- fill pot until 3/4 full with water
-cook until mush
-blend
(I would pick out the chicken before blending - and after a certain point, you don't need to blend). I'd make a big batch and freeze it in mini tupperwares in the freezer.
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ReplyDeleteAnyway, since he is older, you can thin down the puree chicken with a little milk and drizzle over his rice or noodles. And, since he is older, you can keep some chicken back and shred it on top. Every child I know loves noodles so you can make a sauce with fire roasted peppers which is milder and less acidity than tomatoes--just puree with a little chicken broth or whatever liquid you have on hand. Children want mild taste and not too complicated dishes--that's why all baby food taste pretty much the same with just a hint of whatever it's supposed to be. Also little ones, the age of your little fine fellow love colors and shapes: they love peas (peas are very nutritious with lots of fiber), skinny carrots cut in 1/6" circles, green beans cut in very small diagonal pieces , etc. He might be ready for grill cheese sandwiches--children love bread, but it can be a choking problem--so I would toast the bread, spread with a little butter and use a mild cheese in between. If you have a panini press that's great because the ridges can be great cutting guides and the flatten bread will elimate the hazard of choking. If not, put it in a skillet and place a clean brick wrapped in foil on top. Cut it up in different shapes. You can also cook a pot roast in a slow cooker or crock pot with a cup of white wine and when it's soft enough to shred you can take some out for him and chop finely and sprinkle over rice with a little of the remaining juice which can be can be thinly thicken with a little flour. I like to cook my vegetables separately and add them at the end, (that way they are cooked the way I like them). Put some on the side for Luke to cool and cut before putting the family's portion in with the roast. Bottom line: it's all about simple flavors, shapes, and colors; and when he is in a growth spurt, he will eat. By the way, I was told today at Trader Joe's that if you mix 1 part cider vinegar with 10 parts water and wash you berries in the mixture, it will kill a lot of bad bugs and keep your berries longer other wise I suggest you cook your fruit first before making smoothies, etc. You actually gave me an idea for my cookbook--cooking for children section. And, as Julia Childs always ended her program: Bon Appetit!
* Chciken noodle soup is a favorite of J's. Of course the home-made kind, with all fresh ingredients. :)
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