Thursday, June 28, 2012

Will She Really Eat When She is Hungry?

Abby is pretty proud of herself this week.

She managed...believe it or not...to actually eat enough food to graduate to size 3 diapers!

Barely.

Mostly she just graduated because we used the last of the size 2's. But hey! We will take what we can get!

Abby with her new diapers!
(My laptop is at the doctor's right now, so I don't have a place to download my photos. I have to stick with phone photos for illustrations. Hence why it is blurry.)


I seriously don't know what I'm going to do with this kid. This is about all she will eat, and we've come pretty far to be able to list all of this:

-Yogurt
-Bananas
-Crackers
-Dry Cereal
-Bread
-Peanut Butter Sandwiches
-Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
-Cold Beans out of a Can (sometimes)

And that's just about it. It's really frustrating to sit through mealtime with her because she will just sit and stare at her tray of food or watch her siblings eat. It doesn't matter how hungry she is or how long she sits there, if she doesn't like the way something looks, she won't eat it. I'm always torn between giving her something I'm sure she will eat so that she gets the calories, or making her sit it out since I don't want to start the habit of being a short order cook.

Because calories have always been such a huge deal with her, I tend to be a bit more lenient than I want to be in the food department. Can my child end up being malnourished if she subsists almost entirely on graham crackers and Chex cereal?

My mom likes to remind me that from 18 months to 3 years of age, I would only eat yogurt and hot dogs. Literally, nothing else. I now have a pleasantly balanced diet and enjoy lots of different foods (except calamari. If I don't say that here, I'm sure my husband will leave a comment telling all about my aversion. Eww!)

She may not like or eat something, but I always offer it to her anyway. I've heard that a child doesn't officially "not like" a food until they have refused it fifteen times. I'm pretty sure we've reached that number for many of the food items we've tried.

I guess there is hope that eventually she will learn to eat different things, but I am definitely open to suggestions! If you have one, please, please, please leave a comment! I can't have the only toddler on the planet who is this picky!

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26 comments:

  1. Wish I had a suggestion for you. Andy is my picky eater. He subsists on Yogurt, Mac 'n Cheese, Bananas and Milk.

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    1. I'm so glad I'm not the only mom who has a kid like that! Our grocery shopping lists probably look a lot alike! :)

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  2. This sounds like our Abby too. All about the same foods! As a young child (under 5 yrs old) we mostly gave in because, I too, was worried that she needs to eat SOMETHING. And, ultimately she was fine. When she got old enough to understand we started making her try whatever we were having - at least a bite or two, and then she could have her "other foods" if she was still hungry.

    At this age (the age of your Abby) I wouldn't worry too much. She'll grow; she'll be fine. Plus, you've listed some decently nutritious stuff that she WILL eat. Just keep trying! (I know that's cliche, but it's true!)--Andrea C. from Blue Ridge

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    1. Thanks, Andrea! It's good to know that your Abby is eating different foods now even if she was this picky when she was younger. And you are right, my Abby does eat some decent food...it's not all chicken nuggets and french fries! :) It's possible I'm over-thinking it too. From the moment they arrived, their food intake was calculated down to the milliliter. In many ways, I'm still in the mindset.

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  3. I just want to say that I LOVE your blog. I love all your tips and how organized you are (I suppose you have to be when you have quads!). A big thank you for sharing, from New Zealand :)

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    1. This is quite possibly the very nicest thing anyone has ever said about my blog! Thank you SO much for taking a moment to type that out!

      I'm trying to start incorporating more "how-to" things so that my blog becomes a resource for multiples parents and those needing to streamline their busy lives a bit. You have totally blessed me by letting me know that I'm heading the right direction!

      And if I may ask, how in the world did you find me if you are in New Zealand?? (which is way cool, btw!)

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    2. Well it's a bit of a story, my friend writes a baby blog and asked me to vote for her in the 'Top Baby Blogs' site. I noticed that 'Great Umbrella Heist' was number one and thought wow triplets, I have to read about how she raises them. And then I found the 'Circle of Multiple Moms' site and saw that you have quads and thought WOW, I HAVE to read your blog too!

      I don't have children of my own yet, but reading about raising multiples is so interesting and exciting. I wonder how you do it, and that is why I love reading your 'how-to' guides.

      I'll continue to follow your blog and no doubt will comment more often (I have spent the last few days reading your entire blog from the beginning til now, so this is why I have only just commented). Your little ones are so gorgeous and are such a blessing, I wish you all the best for the future :)

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    3. Wow, that is quite the story! Well, I'm so happy that you found me! I do hope you stick around for awhile, and definitely let me know if you have any questions or come up with an idea for a great "how-to" post! I'm always looking for new post ideas, and chances are, I'm missing something that someone is curious about. :)

      Thank you so much for commenting and making my day! :)

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  4. I think that is a good list of foods for her age. :) Do they still drink some sort of formula or ensure or anything? :)

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    1. They are down to just a bedtime bottles these days. I really do need to end that, but I'm having a hard time letting it go. I really enjoy our cuddle time! We only have a can or two of formula left, so I won't have a choice in a few days.

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  5. Hi, I am a reader of your blog. I am not a mom, can't have kids, but I have been around / watching children all my life. How about hiding fruits / veggies? Maybe make a grilled cheese sandwich but put a piece of tomato on it? Whenever I make meatloaf or meatballs, I add in chopped spinach or broccoli, you can't taste it but it adds some veggies. On her peanut-butter sandwhich spread some fruit puree on top of the peanutbutter instead of jelly. Does she like to dip? I know she is still on the young side, but cutting up lightly steamed veggies and then putting a tablespoon of dressing, so they can dip it, helps with some kids. I think you are doing all the right things, continue to offer her new stuff, but have something she likes on stand-by so you know she will eat something. Best of luck to you, you are a good mom.

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    1. I love the idea of putting a bit of tomato in her grilled cheese! I can't believe I haven't thought of that! I like to put veggies in our spaghetti and scrambled eggs that the rest of us eat just to up the nutritional side...but I never thought about adding fruit puree or tomato to her sandwiches. Brilliant!

      We haven't tried dips yet (mommy is just a little scared), but that is a good idea. I"m going to have to try that the next time I do some steamed veggies for them.

      Thank you so much for your suggestions!

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  6. She won't starve to death, all of those foods have protein and nutrients that are good for her. As she gets into the "mine" phase she may see something on one of the other's plate/tray/hands that she will think is hers and not realize she is trying something new. I always look for your posts every morning I so enjoy watching them grow.

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    1. That's a good point. They do seem to always want what the other child is playing with, so at some point, I'm sure it will extend to food. I'll just keep putting in front of her and someday, hopefully, she'll come around!

      Thanks for reading along with our adventures! I love hearing from the folks who follow along. You guys are full of such great ideas and advice!

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  7. I love your blog! Your kids are so precious!

    My son went through a picky stage...one trick that helped us was mixing fruits/veggies in foods he would eat. Ex: my son would eat yogurt, so we mixed in pureed baby food (in small amounts...maybe 1/4 jar or 1/2 jar per yogurt container) so that he would at least be getting some veggies/fruits.
    Also, we spread the purees in small amounts on his toast (since he would eat bread...much like Abby).
    One thing my son loves is waffles...the frozen kind. Not sure if you have tried those but they are a hit at our house...especially with peanut butter spread on them.
    My son won't eat lunch meat...unless I put it in the middle of a grilled cheese sandwich! We call then "turkey melts" and he will actually eat the meat then! This is just what has worked for us :) Maybe it will help you, I hope so.

    It might be something that she will grow out of (much like my son mostly has) or the picky-ness might stick around into her adult life (like my brother-in-law...who lives on chicken and chicken). Just don't force her to eat something she doesn't like or it will make meal time into battle time and both of you will just end up stressed out. You are doing an AWESOME job, mamma! :)

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    1. I LOVE the turkey melts idea! I'm pretty sure she would eat that since most of what she can see is all bread! She will also eat waffles since it's bread-like. I haven't tried peanut butter on those, but she would probably be okay with it since she will eat peanut butter sandwiches.

      Thank you so much for your ideas and the encouragement that your son has mostly outgrown it! I can't wait to try the turkey melt idea! (and by try, I mean that I'll probably make myself one too!)

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  8. My 5yr old stepson is a very picky eater and I understand what you mean about the line between just fixing what I know won't cause a fight and making a point to try other stuff. He is bad enough that if I cut hot dogs the wrong way or the mac and cheese is a different shape or color than Kraft he throws a fit. It is a trial every meal. But I have to look at him and see he is not starving. If i can add a new item or win one battle every couple months I think he will eventually learn. I know my palate has grown tremendously from childhood. And I am grateful his 3yr old sister is not picky at all. Lol! Your kids are beautiful and thriving! I love reading about your adventures!

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment! :) It's always nice to know other moms are in the same pickle! :)

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  9. I know someone else wrote about hiding food, and that's what I'd suggest too. Spinach is great for that because it is PACKED with nutritional value and you can't really taste it. You can puree it and mix it into her sauces, etc... You can puree it with fruits and water and make "juice" for her sippy cup. When Juliet was little, I'd puree it with apples or sweet potatoes. All you taste is the sweet.

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    1. Great idea mixing veggies with a sweet fruit! She loves bananas and those have a pretty strong flavor, so I could definitely do that!

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  10. Hey Becca!
    Maybe you should try cutting her food into shapes. Like a dinosaur. Everyone Likes to eat dinosaurs. Also, I like to make landscapes out of broccoli and pretend to be a giant eating a forest with chomping sounds and everything! Wait.... I mean used to..... I USED to pretend.....Riiiiiiight...... *shifty eyes*
    But in all serious, whenever i got josh and kiff up and have them breakfast and they didn't want it, I just made it into a game. And games with food are the best.

    - love SIS

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    1. Lol! It's probably good you aren't here to teach my kids to play with their food (cause they already throw it everywhere!), but I'm willing to let you do that with them if you come back to visit!

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  11. Have u seen Jessica Seinfeld Deceptively Delicious cook book? I love it! It's all about hiding better nutrients In food for picky kids (and grown ups). I think I paid $12 for it and it has lots of recipes.

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    1. Thanks for the tip! I'll have to see if the library has it!

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  12. One of my 15-mo old twins is picky. She loves no sugar added mandarin oranges which is at least a fruit! Maybe Abby will like those?

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    1. She's never tried those, but they do go on sale fairly often. Next time the sale cycle comes around, I'll pick up a few cans for her to try. I never think about mandarin oranges although I love them in my salads!

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