My 14 month tends to eat only sweet, no regular food, what to do

Question

its not actually junk sweets, i make sweet dish of cracked wheat as it is considered a healthy diet and one more dish which is made of an indian dish. Earlier i used to give him those on alternative days as breakfast items, and he used to eat regular food for lunch and dinner, but all of a sudden he tends to eat only sweet whole day and not the regular food, I am just worried, even if i dont give him sweet after he had his breakfast, he will not eat anything and starve and will be awake in midnight and will just drink water. I am kindof depressed. please suggest what to do? One more thing -- he however likes to drink milk with Complan and 1 tbsp of Gerber cereal

Answer 1

If there are no sweet foods in the house for her to eat, then she will have to take next best, and eat real foods. But if she sees you or anyone else in the house eating sweet foods then that's all she'll want to eat too.

So you, and your household will have to sacrifice your sweet tooth desire for a month (or longer) so that your baby can acclimate herself to eating real foods. then, slowly reintroduce sweet foods in the house, as a treat, not as a meal.



Good Luck!!

Answer 2

I am assuming we are talking table foods? My answer will seem rude and I'm sorry, but I'm being honest here! Don't offer her sweet foods. She will not starve to death before she starts eating regular food. Is she going to throw a fit and refuse to eat, probably, but if you don't give in she will eat the regular food. You could start with foods that are naturally a little sweet. Fruits, sweet potatoes with nothing else added to them, plain cheerios mixed with honey nut, dilute juice to the point of being flavored water, and little changes like that can lead to a new way of eating. Just gradually eliminate the sweet.

Answer 3

I agree with the suggestions of not offering sweet foods, but want to add that you should keep offering other foods. I read that you should offer a child a food at least 7 times for them to get used to it.

I have a 14 month old, and see sometimes she doesn't want to eat what is offered. I do keep offering the food, but I find an alternative that is also not sweet. If she doesn't want what we're having for dinner then she gets the baby food garden veggies or peas, etc. Eventually your child will open up, just keep trying.  

Answer 4

Well, unless she is doing the grocery shopping, YOU are in control here!  Seriously, do not offer her sweet junk food...she will grow accustomed to what you give her...

There are many healthy, sweet things, like fruit, lightly-sweetened oatmeal,etc...

Never make an issue of food, never make her eat the "good stuff" before she gets a dessert...and relax...she will not starve; she WILL eat when she is hungry!

Good luck--and remember:  YOU ARE THE PARENT!!!

Answer 5

Simple. get rid of the sweets and offer healthy meals at meal times. If he chooses not to eat, let him sit there and not eat but DO NOT become a short  order cook. If you do then he will learn to whine until he gets some other meal or food all the time and your meal times will be chaos.

I promise you that if skipping a meal or two is what it takes to get him to eat (and he will) then it's what you have to do.  Don't turn food into a battle ground because  it will make food seem bad to him regardless of what it is and then you have a bigger problem. If he doesn't eat just take away his plate or bowl at the end of the meal, wipe his face and hands and don't draw attention to it.  Toddlers get picky and fussy anyway so it's not unusual.  They will eat when they get hungry.  

Answer 6

No more sweets. No snacks between meals. He/She will get hungry I promise.