Moms I need help?????

Question

My 1 year old only wants to eat junk foods and when I try to introduce anything else to him he absolutly refuses. The doctor suggested I sit him down and dont feed him anything else or remove him until he eats. She says hes trying to assert his control and I have to let him know that Im in control. So right now hes at the highchair crying his eyes out and still refuses to eat his rice and veggies. Its been about and hour and my mother suggest I let him eat what he wants rather than starve him. What should I do?? SHould I let him down???

Answer 1

This is a tough one and heartbreaking to hear your kid cry.  Be strong!  Make the good food as appealing as possible and make it interactive.  Cut whole wheat bread into strips so he can dunk it in applesauce or have grilled cheese cut up so he can dunk it in ketchup.  Don't be afraid of condiments.  To get my baby to eat some raw veggies, I add a little bit of diet ranch dressing. (Bear in mind, she's almost two so she probably has more teeth than yours, but you see where I'm going with this!!)   Blend cooked veggies, mix into rice, add an egg and some seasoning and make rice patties.  Freeze some berries.  Blend them with a banana and milk for a smoothie.  Good luck.  

Answer 2

put a little bit of sugar on his food

Answer 3

i would follow the doctors advice

if you give in now, all this hour would be for nothing, and give your child the idea that pitching a temper tantrum will get him what he wants

he wont starve to death in one day

Answer 4

Try not to give in I know it is hard, but try to make some of the food look like junk food like carrots cut in the shape of french fries and put a little honey on it or ground turkey bugers on wheat rolls good luck and have fun and most important if you eat it and say how good it is he may want some to.

Answer 5

Let him out of the high chair; he's only a year! You don't have to give in to what foods he wants, but don't keep him in there; they get bored, easily.

Let him run around and play, a bit, and try, again... When my 17-month-old does this, I don't give her junk (she's just a picky eater), but I still feed her something, such as Rice Krispies, cause it's low-sugar, and has good iron... She loves it... and spaghetti. :) Good luck!

Answer 6

I would take him out of high chair... he wont starve.  Take him out, and try again when he indicates that he is hungry.  Trust me, a child will not starve!  Just give him a break and try again, but dont give in to the junk food.

How is the presentation?  Have you tried different types?  My daughter loves whole wheat toast cubes with tiny spread of apricot preserves (no sugar added).  She also loves guacamole... homemade.  Whole wheat waffle, vegan butter (it's healthier and tastes great... I'm not vegan myself but she is allergic to eggs and milk).  I also give her fig newtons, no salt added rice cakes, chunks of chicken off my plate....  

She refuses plain green beans and veggies like that, but if I get creative, she will eat anything!

Try your local health food store, you can buy healthy food that maybe resembles junk food.  (Veggies sticks... they taste like french fries!)  

Answer 7

Don't leave him in his highchair crying, that will only make mealtime a very negative experience and set you and him up for serious problems later on.

Let him down, and if he expresses hunger later, try again.  Not necessarily the same food, but something else healthy.

Has he had lots of junk food?  If so, this may be a hard habit to break and may take time, and you should gradually cut it out rather than all of a sudden introducing totally different foods to him.

Answer 8

You shouldn't be giving a one yr old junk food in the first place!  If he won't eat his meal when you give it to him, then he just doesn't eat!  Try again at the next meal!  Listen to your Dr, not your Mom!  He isn't going to starve and you aren't doing your child ANY favors letting him eat junk food!  You will make him unhealthy and rot his teeth!  When he gets hungry enough he will eat the good food you give him!  Stop the junk food all together, he's way to young for it!

Answer 9

Follow the doctors suggestions.  At one a baby shouldnt even know what junk food is.  

Answer 10

my son likes to "dip" his food in catchup or honey-mustard.  He will eat every bite of chicken (or any kind of meat.)

Answer 11

By all means - let him out of the high chair.

He's one.  Letting him starve isn't an option.  Neither is letting him eat whatever he wants if it is junk food.  This is the time when he's going to learn to eat healthy foods - it will be far harder in 5 or 10 years to try to persuade him to eat healthy foods.

One of my 15 month olds doesn't like a lot of foods but we introduce a wide variety, feed him what he will eat and make sure he's still getting enough from breastfeeding (or milk/formula if that's what you're using).  We simply don't introduce junk foods.  They aren't an option.  

He may eat only bananas and yogurt one day but that's fine for where he's at.  The next day he has whole wheat toast with hummus.  

Introduce lots of different kinds of foods.  Don't force them, but don't offer the junk either.  Let him feed himself if he's battling for independence in that way.  Offer him what you have that is healthy and if he doesn't want it, try again later.  Find whatever you can that is healthy and let him eat those things as you introduce the others.

check out more suggestions at http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030100...    

Answer 12

Absolutely do NOT give in!! You want him to like all kinds of foods, and if you only let him eat what he wants he will never be the type of child who likes stuff like veggies and fruit. (my kids love food like spinach and green beans and peas now because I would not give up).

Just let him sit there and cry, and if after a little while he won't eat, let him down, and then get him to eat it later.... I promise  you eventually he will get hungry enough and eat it! Sometimes it takes introducing the foods over and over before they begin to like it.

Good luck!

Answer 13

You can let him down and try later. They say it takes 7 times for someone to like something, so don't give up.

When he is hungry, he will eat. Don't give in, I promise he will eat when he is hungry and if you give in then you are just re-enforcing his bad behavior (thank you psyc. class)

Anyway, make sure you are feeding him what you are eating. Season it and cook it so it tastes good to you, and he will enjoy it as well.

Answer 14

well if he was starveing he would eat the food . leave his food their and when he says hes hungry give it to him again . He will learn he has to eat it . and he will eat it cause he is hungry and may realize he likes it.

Answer 15

You should put him to bed for a nap and let him cry until he falls asleep.  When he wakes up try the other food again.  He will not starve himself, your doctor is completely correct.  It's a lot easier to give them what they want, but unfortunately they just don't know.  Be strong girl...you're the boss...don't let the crying bend your resolve.  It's a game...your baby thinks you are going to give in and this is the time to show him that you will not.  He will eat whatever you give him when he gets hungry enough.

Answer 16

he is trying to have control and crying is a way to get it. He will not starve himself to death. Only give him the options you want him to have and when he is really hungry he will eat. It is going to be a battle but don't give up because if you lapse in your control he will be harder to feed the healthy food.

Answer 17

awww pooor baby!!! My daughter does not like her veggies either, although she loves potato...so what i do is...i put a potato in a bowl and then put the other stuff like rice n veggies in another bowl...and then i try n feed her myself..i tell her if u want the potatoes,  u shud eat the rice first,,once she does that i immediately give her the potato...its like a reward for her..try it out with some fries in a bowl and the rice n veggies in another..the first few times might be difficult, once he knows he will be rewarded for eating the good stuff he will actually like it!! i hope it works..i know its hard to let your lil one cry and just watch...dont worry both of u will be fine!! hope this trick works!!

Answer 18

Let him  out take food away and when he says he is hungry put him back in his high chair and give him back the same food he will eat it sooner or later he is not gonna starve every kid does this

ALso if you make it a game he will expect a game  Dinner time is time to eat not PLAY

Answer 19

Eventually, maybe in a few hours. He will stop crying,

Then make his rice and veggies seem like fun to eat, make a game out of it. Have fun with it, But do not give in, then your letting him no, that he can get away with anything.

Answer 20

he wont starve...little kids eat and drink when they're hungry...there is such an abundance of food in our country that we practically shove things down our children's throats...i would suggest letting him down and trying again in a reasonable amount of time (30min??)...sometimes my daughter only wants to eat what's on my plate or what i'm eating...you might sit down w/ him, but make the plate for you...eat a bite, give him a bite...say Mommy LOVES her rice and veggies and make yummy noises...

Answer 21

Let him go hungry until he eats something reasonable. You can try finding a middle ground, like a healthy, kid friendly snack. Try yogurt, fruit, penut butter and jelly sandwiches, a bowl of cereal ( not the sugary kind). At his age, this picky-ness is normal.

      My best trick was to put rainbow colored sprinkles ( the kind usually used for icecream) on yogurt, applesauce, on top of healthy carrot/raisin muffins (smear a little cream cheese or even a thin layer of frosting to help them stick)

You DO need to assert control at this stage and also set the healthy eating habit now or it will be even harder later.

      Keep all the junk food out of the house, then show him all the cupboards and say "look, no chips, look, no candy here, look, no junk food anywhere". BE STRONG Mommy, you can do it !!

Answer 22

Okay, you should play that "here comes the train" game with him. OR you can bribe him, for example, give him  A LITTLE treat AFTER he eats all his healthy foods, bu then he should be full. Hope this helps.

Good luck!