how to get our baby eating her greens / good food

[goldenbolls]

dont want to be running my wife down here but i think she is too soft when it comes to reprimanding our baby when she,s naughty. baby will try slap me, she will throw tantrums, she wont eat her vegetables, when shes with mum she mum will feed her iceland packets of bolongese , cottage pie etc, when she is staying with my sister she willl eat porridge, potatoes and veggies etc, then i take her and she wont eat for me, all she wants is cookies and crisps etc, i gave her shepherds pie with mashed carrot and parsnip yesterday and she turned her nose up at it, all she ate for me was 2 fruit yogurt tubes, and a little spagetti out of tin. seems her mum spoils her and gives her chocolate and sweets when she throws a tantrum. i tried to make her go hungry yesteerday, i wouldnt give in when she wanted crisps and sweets, but all she had was the yogurts and a little spagetti and half bowl of super noodles, she is very picky. what can i do ? is it best to stop sweets . lollies, chocolate altogether? how do we get her to eat her cereal in morning, i bought her porridge, sugar puffs, mini shreddded wheat bites and meusli but shes not touching it even when i add a little honey, i dont know what to do she is 2 years 4 months .

[johnk]

If you don't buy the sweets you can't give her any. Chocolate is OK in small amounts as a treat and also ice cream. Have you tried any fruit? Bananas, kiwi, plums, grapes and strawberries tend to go well. Don't give in or she'll eat rubbish all her life. My grandsons are spoilt everywhere else but not in our house where they tend to behave much better most of the time so stick to it ans she'll realise what she can't get away with and as well as being firm be fair and love her.

[rowanwitch]

The more of an issue you make of it the more she will struggle just put food in front of her that includes some things she likes plus one thing you want her to try if she tries it reward her with praise ... ignore the other stuff...its a powergame and instinctive, Another trick is to have the stuff you want her to eat on your plate and tell her its special food and not for littleones....that might make her interested enough to want to try it...but make a secret game out of it...
Third option... but only if you can get safe vegetable colours... white cabbage appeals to little girls if its dyed pink....ditto mashed potatoes... or turned into magic food with a little cake decorators glitter...

[Old_Geezer]

Accepting I've never been a parent, but I have some past experience as a child. Seems to me that you create a rod for you own back when you take the easy way out. You need to correct being too willing to cave in, in the past; which I suspect isn't that easy.

And of course it is true that we all have genuine likes and dislikes so one doesn't want to force things on your child they truly do not like, but since they eat the same things elsewhere then we know it is just a power game, she is playing up.

I suspect if she is hungry then she will be less picky. Resist offering an alternative. If she isn't eating then assume she isn't hungry, and take it away until she does want it. Save treats for appropriate times.

The only other thing I can think of, off the top of my head, is that sometimes food textures can be unpleasant. Probably not the issue here, but if it becomes so, liquidising, or at least chopping very small, and adding to something more palatable may allow vitamins/nutrients to be consumed without problem.

[redcrx]

make up some little bowls of fruit and veg nibbles, and just leave them around the room when shes playing. let her see you eating them but dont try and make her eat tham. You may well find her curiosity gets the better of her and she tries them to see what it is you like about them.

[goldenbolls]

i am going to definately stop the chocs and sweets although its her mum who gives her these, my sister rounded on her for buying the child so many sweets. i think im going to let her go hungry untill she is ready to eat proper nutritious food ie veggies, fish and cereal. shes just after 3 fish fingers 10 am in morning....thats because her mum allways makes fried food and thinks kfc is a treat which i know is not !!!! i made the fish fingers only because she wouldnt take cereal this morning and i guess omega 3 proper captain birdseye fingers are bette then nothing, but definately no sweets or chocs the rest of the week untill she starets learning, ive also told her no more cartoons or funky monkies adventure park untill she eats her proper food food up.

[sherrardk]

You and your wife need to agree a game plan and both stick to it - give her the food you want her to eat and is she doesn't eat it then take it away. Dont make a big fuss about it as it will just make things worse. Save treats for appropriate times. (PS - it does sound like you are running your wife down.)

[ummmm]

Be careful with the cereals....they can be loaded with sugar and salt.

How about some toast?

[redcrx]

maybe you could also make your own bolognese, and hide veg in it. Cheesy pasta sauces can also hide veg.

you can make a lot in one batch and freeze it yourself.

[goldenbolls]

my wife loves our baby, i am not running her down im telling it how it is !!! why lie ? my wife eats fatty food all the time and we are constantly at eat others throats because of this, my sister has also told her that fatty food is just not good !!!

should i be giving baby ( 2yrs 3 mths ) multi vitimins as she is not getting the proper vitimins from fruit etc, by the way , bought baby pears and bananas yesterday, ate half a pear and threw the rest to side. me and wife goin g through bad patch and doc thinks she is suffering post natal but i just dont know :-(

[goldenbolls]

redcry baby loves spaghetti bolognaise but obviously cannot eat it all the time, i try add carrots chopped into the sauce , plenty of garlic and a little cheese.

im going to buy her a loaf of veda today, hopefully she will eat that with a little low fat butter.

[redcrx]

i realise she cant eat that every day but stop with the iceland packets and make your own. If your wife cant then you do it. Its not difficult. You can also make cottage pie / shepherds pie and even things like cauli cheese and freeze them in portions.

Make sure that you all eat the same and that will also help.

[Old_Geezer]

"my wife eats fatty food all the time and we are constantly at eat others throats because of this"

Your wife is a big girl now. No doubt she appreciates other's concern, but will decide her own diet for herself. IMO probably best not to make it an issue within your relationship. Just saying.

[rowanwitch]

And don't put adult food rules onto children they don't need low fat foods especilly if she's not eating much.. as children don't eat large quanities their food needs to be slightly more calorie dense. if you want her to have more variety let her have tomato sauce with fish fingers if she likes it....a lot of studies show that children get their nutrients albeit in ways that seem odd to adults...if she wants fish fingers for breakfast why not.... adults eat kippers... if she doesn't want to eat fruit... dilute real fruit juice... as redcrx said hide veggies in sauces pureed carrots hide well in tomato based sauces... the more you make an issue the longer it will go on... The only dairy my sister would have when small was ice cream so mum was advised to buy a good quality one without fancy flavourings

And if your wife is depressed try taking over the cooking for a while so she gets healthy food . and can I just say the cereals you have chosen would appeal to adults but not to children the whole marketing strategy for kids food is based on things like the cartoon characters etc and is more about associating food with fun..... not about something to be endured Start trying to think like a 2 year old you might find it all makes perfect sense then

[Nosha123]

how about if you involve your daughter in the food preparation...
eg.. making your own pizza.... you do the tomato bit and she puts the toppings on she wants... of helps make the spag bol... puts the mushrooms in the saucepan...
She might show more interest if she enjoys seeing the food cooked?

Just a thought!