advice on what to feed a toddler

thriftylass

I agree with basically trying to agree with her in terms of doing the best. Read up on stuff yourself like how how certain vitamins in the fruit and veg she eats need "good" fat to be absorbed by the body. Or how good lean protein helps her muscles. Or good whole grain helps digestion and prevents colon cancer. Basically suggest food she's not eating and find a health benefit associated with it. Like omega 3 etc in fish for the brain. The list is endless.

As she is anxious etc. maybe seem to support her ways, and encourage it by finding suggestions of additional foods that fit into her model of ideal nutrition without her thinking she's doing sth wrong.

Good luck

Air_Cooled_75

Thriftylass has it spot on about 'selling' different foods to your DIL. I'd be really concerned too, this little girl is eating food that a weaning baby would eat (although we did baby lead weaning so LO pretty much ate what we did, we skipped pur!es).

I'd be surprised if LO has much energy, they are usually tearing around at 3.

Good luck.

Mojisola

littlerock wrote: »

She has never been separated from Elsa since she was born.

This is also a worry. Does she really think that not allowing a child to spend time with other people allows healthy development?

How will the poor child cope when she starts school?

Kaye1

Get her an Annabel Karmel cookbook. Lots of healthy suggestions she could try.

littlerock

thanks for all the replies. I think part of problem is they are quite isolated where they live. being here for a week d-i-l has eased up a bit. we had. organic pies from butchers yesterday (their idea ) and Elsa tucked in with relish. also think the concern about smoke alarms took mothers mind off fretting over food briefly. but still none of family is allowed to eat potatoes. have not got to bottom of that one. but they used to eat a lot of sweet potatoes and don't anymore. so maybe they disagreed with Elsa and all potatoes got banned......idea of Annabel kermel cookbook is a good one and will follow up

Mojisola

littlerock wrote: »

but still none of family is allowed to eat potatoes. have not got to bottom of that one. but they used to eat a lot of sweet potatoes and don't anymore. so maybe they disagreed with Elsa and all potatoes got banned

So she doesn't realise that potatoes and sweet potatoes aren't related? It would be like saying we can't eat apples so we mustn't eat oranges either.

Kaye1

I found the Annabel Karmel book very useful for interesting snacks- sometimes they can get fed up with the same foods, so I go one of her books from the library.
I ended up buying my own copy- it tells you what they should be eating at roughly what times.
I also like the Charlotte Hume vegetable book.


We make a mean beetroot and cheese pizza which the kids love.


Good luck.

HOWMUCH

I have a 2 year old grandson his diet is as follows:

Breakfast: Weetabix he has 2 with milk, Porridge 3 heaped dessertspoons with milk. He often has a slice of wholemeal toast after.

Snack: Raisins or grapes or apple or banana

Lunch: Sandwich 1 slice of wholemeal bread with either ham, cheese, jam, peanut butter and afew crisps.

Snack: as above morning snack.

Dinner: Shepherd's pie and veg, Fish and veg, Sausage n mash, Spag bol, Quiche and baked beans. Left over veg made into a omlette. He more or less has what his parents have had the previous evening.

Bedtime: Milk and biscuit

Drinks during the day are watered down pure fruit juice.

topdaddy_2

Little one eats what I eat in smaller portions. I try to eat quite well so same goes for junior. Op whats the situation here?

Make-it-3

The child is small and thin, what frame are her parents? Maybe she's genetically petite.

Is she otherwise a happy, healthy child - if she is hungry does she ask for food and is provided with it - is she allowed to eat as much as she wants?

It sounds like her mother is anxious to be a perfectionist and probably picking up on many of the food scares the media likes to feed on (most of which are aimed at adults). Kids nutritional needs are different she needs full-fat and plenty of carbs & protein to grow. They need easy to eat calories which is why many children actually reject fruit and vegetables (much to anxious parents annoyance) cos a bowl of lettuce isn't going to give them the energy to run round a playground.

Also, if DIL deliberately makes some foods sound like a sin in front of the child it can backfire on her when she grows up.

I'd be more concerned about getting plenty of variety rather than worrying about quantity. Sometimes they go through phases of eating tons and then pick like sparrows - depending on growth spurts. In contrast to HOWMUCH my LO rarely even finishes 1 weetabix at breakfast and I don't think has ever got through a whole apple even a small one for a snack.


BTW: I'd be surprised if she did baby-led weaning as the philosophy behind it is about the child leading the way and eating the types and quantities of food they want. Your DIL sounds a bit too anxious to have taken such an approach.

Sounds like she is opening up to some new ideas if she was ok with the organic pies, maybe you can encourage her to try some new recipes while she is staying with you.