Toddler pickiness - strategies to overcome

Share your experience, challenges and success implementing the McDougall program with family and children.

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Toddler pickiness - strategies to overcome

Postby EvanG » Thu Jun 22, 2017 10:05 am

When our daughter was 1 yr old, she was very adventurous, eating lots of veggies from our plates. Now that she is 2 to 2.5, she is a little more vocal about getting bread and peanut butter, cheese, or nuts and dried fruit. She sometimes gobbles up veggies and starch, and sometimes shuns it in favor of the salty fatty things. As background, she gets non McDougall food at daycare, and my wife has some meat and cheese around the house. So, her taste buds are and will be quite familiar with those tastes.

Is anybody else in a similar boat? What strategies work for you?

My best luck with her is feeding fresh cooked things. She likes fresh rice plain or fresh cooked potatoes with some addins. She does not like those as reheated leftovers. The other motivator is to play on the monkey see monkey do part of her personality and make sure I'm setting a good example.
Mine likes broccoli. She likes that seasoned with a soy/ginger sauce or bit of salad dressing. She likes brussels sprouts a bit, and asparagus. A somewhat liberal strategy with salt is helpful with her.
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Re: Toddler pickiness - strategies to overcome

Postby Lyndzie » Mon Jul 03, 2017 5:59 pm

:-( Hi Evan.

I have two kiddos, one is 3 and the other is 4, and they are vegetarian, though are egg- and dairy-free most of time. I've experienced similar phases with both of them, and to different extremes depending on personality. Usually for us, the pickiness is reflective of how many "treats" we've been having. The girls were sick a couple weeks back, so we had a lot of crackers, applesauce, Popsicles, etc, and next thing you know, they are feeling better but turning their nose up at reasonable healthy dinners, like burrito bowls, or pasta. Sometimes a gentle but firm option is what I've done, such as offering a banana when they want larabars. The banana is totally reasonable, and tasty, and eventually they will eat it. I guess the biggest thing is to know that you are providing them with a reasonable option, and they have a right to refuse, but that option will still be available when they get hungry.

Also, PB&J is a totally reasonable thing to have every day. I remember picking a sandwich at the beginning of the school year and my mom made me that same lunch every day for the whole year. Maybe give her some veggies to munch on while you put the sandwich together, then fruit when she's finished, and you have a meal.
Lindsey
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www.lindseyhead.coach
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Re: Toddler pickiness - strategies to overcome

Postby michaelswarm » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:06 am

I focus on total calories for growth. My 2 toddlers ages 2 and 4 like basic cooked starchy vegetables: potatoes, rice, etc. Especially oven fries. For vegetables I mostly cook sauces and soups: tomato sauce, green or red salsas, green curry, vegetable soup, etc. They also enjoy fresh fruit, which they eat freely. Especially not trying to feed raw vegetables like salads.
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Re: Toddler pickiness - strategies to overcome

Postby EvanG » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:17 pm

Thanks to both of you for the responses. It seems like fresh fruit, rice, potatoes, pasta are generally easily accepted as well as peanut butter sandwiches. I forgot about the baked potato fries, so I'll try those. My daughter loves french fries, so maybe baked fries will work well.
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