Need help getting 19 month old to eat more, he only weighs 10kgs!

pinky13_2

Hi.

I am a bit worried about my 19 month old. He is ickle. He only weighs 10kgs. He is very very lively always running around and he is very picky about his food. He even pushes away food at the moment. We try to give him a real mixture of healthy foods - fruit and veg but also some less healthy foods such as baked beans with sausages etc. Anyway, he hardly eats anything. He will eat choco pops in the morning with full fat milk and a muller rice and I give him bits of fruit throughout the day but I want him to ear more and much more variety. I don't want to have picky child when it comes to food. I think he is also in the lowest centile for weight although me and his dad are short-!!!!!! too :rotfl:.

Can anyone give me advice on how I can get him to eat more (and more savoury foods). He is very stubborn.

Thank you!

elainew

I think you need to stick to 3 meals a day and only give fruit as a snack in between. Maybe lose the muller rice and replace that with some fruit at breakfast coz he might still be full up at lunchtime.
Sit with him up at the table and eat with him-I found this helped my dd eatings so much. Keep offering him a good variety of foods even if he does push it away. I know my own DD wouldnt eat veg at one point but now she loves veg like asparagus and runner beans just because we kept offering it to her.

He must be getting enogh if he is very energetic so dont worry about him too much. If you are then maybe write a food diary and shop you health visitor
Good luck

xx

liney

Have you spoken to your HV about your concerns? if you and his father are both slight, then there is no reason that he shouldn't be too, and it maybe he is perfectly normal for his build?

As long as you are offering the 'right' foods you are doing the best you can; you cannot force him to eat, as much as we mothers would like to.

I would try something different for breakfast such as weetabix, or porridge sweetened with some honey. Don't over do bread as it fills little ones tummys very quickly, and remember he is only little, with a very small stomach, and will only eat small portions. Oh and give him mainly water to drink during the day as milk and squash take the edge of the appetite.

As you are obviously concerned you should go and see the HV to put your mind at rest though firstly.

fsdss

10kg is ok for a 19month old child - 25th centile which is nearly at the middle of the chart.so NOT at the bottom as you thought.
remember he's only little, and portion sizes needs to be considered. just keep offering a variety of food - slack off on filling up with juice / milk / snacks and eventually he will eat.

pinky13_2

fsdss wrote: »

10kg is ok for a 19month old child - 25th centile which is nearly at the middle of the chart.so NOT at the bottom as you thought.
remember he's only little, and portion sizes needs to be considered. just keep offering a variety of food - slack off on filling up with juice / milk / snacks and eventually he will eat.

Can you direct me to the chart/page where it says that is the 25th centile? All the charts I've found online seem to show the 3rd centile. I'd be very appreciative!

Thanks

shirlgirl2004

According to this chart he's just below the ninth

http://shop.healthforallchildren.co.uk/pro.epl?SHOP=HFAC4&DO=USERPAGE&PAGE=SINGLEPLOTWEIGHT

I really wouldn't worry. Weight is only one part of the equation. What is his height like? Personally I'd cut out the junk food because that is what will make him fussy. If you only offer decent food then he will eat it. If you offer cocoa pops then that's what he'll prefer. Also don't let him fill up on milk between meals. Offer milk after meals unless he is still breastfed in which case it doesn't matter because it is digested much faster. Make sure any milk etc is full fat. I'm sure it is stuff you are doing anyway. Make sure his snacks aren't too big and just one mid morning and mid afternoon will be fine.

HTH and don't worry.

fsdss

i was looking at my sons chart in his red book

edit: apologies i was looking at the girls centile chart in the red which indicate 25th centile

should read 9th centile ( but still ok if he has followed a similar pattern and NOT on bottom line)

mrcow

If he's got lots of energy and eats a healthy diet then why are you worried about him putting on ore weight? Unless you want him to become fat that is? If you and his Dad are both small, then he's never going to be a Geoff Capes is he.

My daughters both weighed less than your son at this age but are both happy and healthy. They don't eat lots either but do have a varied diet. Just feed him lots of different foods. Beans and sausages are not unhealthy btw! If you are unsure about what to feed him then speak to your health visitor.

thatgirlsam

smaller parents will produce smaller kids (usually, not always) but if you are worried talk to your hv.. if they suggest adding more fat to his diet, cheese is fantasic as it can be grated onto just about anything -
hth

Barneysmom

It doesn't sound to me like you're doing anything wrong - except worrying
He might never like savoury foods, but as long as he's getting plenty of fresh fruit and veg, he'll be fine. The only time to worry is if he starts getting letargic and cranky, but if he's energetic and active then you have no problems.
And he's getting his milk which is good.
I think Muller rice is quite high in sugar, maybe you could make your own?

craftyfox

not all children are the same and you might just have to face the fact that your son might not need to eat as often as you would like - i found this out with no 2 son and it turns out that he gets on better if he can graze all day on small amounts of food rather than sit down and eat 3 big meals a day and he usually starts his day of with porridge and toast and a big mug ot tea and can spend the rest of the day eating small portions every couple of hours and he is doing very well now that we are working to his diet for want of a better word and i did the whole doctor and health visitor bit as well and at the age of 5 he weighs just under 3 st (sorry don't know what that is on new money) but is happy health and very active so i don't get so hung up about it now - maybe you need relax a little about his eating and he might just surprize you when your not looking and ask for more some day