13 month old little boy doesn't eat. what should I do?

Nomsa - posted on 09/11/2012

i`ve tried almost everything, she just eat one scoop and the next goes on the floor

Nomsa - posted on 09/11/2012

i have two kids, the older one used to eat almost everything i give to him but the younger one i dont know maybe its because its a girl and she has to nurse her figger but recently she`s not eating i have to force her to eat cause at night she cant sleep with an empty stomach, so what do i do if she`s like that. at crech she eats cause i am not around, i dont know what to do, should i stop breast feeding her. what should i do?

Ashleigh Jade - posted on 09/07/2012

my son is just 14 months n never been a very good eater, but the last month he wont eat hardly anything he was sick n all he would drink is hid formula but iv noticed his losing weight his lost half a klo in 4 days i dont know what to do iv tried everything does anyone know what i should do, or will this pass

Ashley - posted on 10/10/2011

did you ever figure it out? my 17month old daughter is the same way. if you figured out how to get your child to eat can you give me some tips. She won't eat at meal time, no matter if she's had it before or not. She won't even taste things! she just likes snacks, like pretzels, fruit snacks and cookies. I have tried limiting her snacks and liquids.The doctor says that i need to give her 3 snacks and 3 meals. Ugh, I can't hold her mouth open and shove the food in....

Erin - posted on 04/11/2009

Okay I to have been going through this with my 15 month old girl as well. She isn't picky really but she just is too busy to eat or isn't just interested. I felt like a really bad mom for a while bc we all want our kids to grow big and strong but after talking to my childs doctor I realized that it was okay that when she was hungry she would eat so all I can suggest is go out and buy foods that would appeal to a kid, even ones you wouldn''t normally think of (my daughter loves Smart Ones by Weight Watchers for some reason) and just keep trying to give him new foods and eventually you will find some things he likes, and just remember that if he was really that hungry he would eat anything in sight and would not be so picky so he is okay! Also what might help is since I know my daughter doesn't get as much food in her diet I give her an older child formula (9 months- 24 months) in the morning and at night in a bottle which helps fill her belly and get her vitamins she's missing out on!
Some Suggestions: (if he has teeth)
mac and cheese
hamburger meat
turkey or chicken cold cuts
cheerio's
toddler's yogurt bites (my little one loves the strawberry banana ones by Beech Nut)
toddler's little Gerber Graduate meals
apple sauce
banana's
hamburger helper (my daughter LOVES it and you can save it to give for a few days if you like)
chicken nuggets and strips

Hope this helps and if you need anymore help just let me no!

Jeni - posted on 03/17/2009

My son is a fussy eater as well.  I tend to give him finger foods that he can eat himself over the entire day when he is hungry...cheese, diced apples or peaches, pasta, etc, and I will add a food that maybe he has never had before occasionally to see if he will try it "on his own".  It seems to have worked better than I thought actually.  Now I just need to get my newly finicky almost-4-year-old to eat!

Felicia - posted on 03/17/2009

I have a fussy eater too. Recently found that if I let him have some milk or even water first he is more willing to eat for us.

Emily - posted on 03/16/2009

I'm going through the same thing. My 14 month old seems to think he can exist on Ritz crackers ONLY!

Sarah - posted on 03/14/2009

He doesn't like anything but water. So that made me a little worried when I weaned him. But thanks for all the advice. I won't worry about it anymore, I'll just let him eat as much as he wants.

Laura - posted on 03/13/2009

How much milk is your 13 month old drinking?  You may need to reduce the amount of milk if he/she is filling up on it.  I noticed a big difference in my son when I went from 4 bottles to only 2 bottles a day.  He became much better and more interested in his food.  We just cut out the bottles yesterday and now all his liquids (milk, juice, water) is given to him in a straw cup - so we'll see how that changes his appetite too.

Alliage - posted on 03/13/2009

Sarah, it's quite normal and profesionally proved that children lost their appetite as they get one year, so don't worry that much. You should give your child vitamins to compensate what he's not eating right now. Try to let him eat by himself because one of the reason they don't is because they want to "feed themselves" as Kara said before, no matter how messy and dirty they can get. My son started too early to try many things (such as walking at 9 months and a half) by himself and I can assure that it works. Keep offering healthy snacks during the day because even when he eats well, children should eat five times a day, but as I said "healthy snacks or meals" such as oranges, a roll of turkey ham, fruit juice (they also contain calories, see at the label on the back of the product) and a couple of cookies because they are kids right? I hope this tips could help you with your son.

Alliage - posted on 03/12/2009

Sarah, it's quite normal and profesionally proved that children lost their appetite as they get one year, so don't worry that much. You should give your child vitamins to compensate what he's not eating right now. Try to let him eat by himself because one of the reason they don't is because they want to "feed themselves" as Kara said before, no matter how messy and dirty they can get. My son started too early to try many things (such as walking at 9 months and a half) by himself and I can assure that it works. Keep offering healthy snacks during the day because even when he eats well, children should eat five times a day, but as I said "healthy snacks or meals" such as oranges, a roll of turkey ham, fruit juice (they also contain calories, see at the label on the back of the product) and a couple of cookies because they are kids right? I hope this tips could help you with your son.

Anna - posted on 03/12/2009

My son is a pciky eater as well. I brought him to the doctor and he basically told me "look, the kid is not going to starve, he will eat when he is hungry." So I stopped worrying about it and eventually he started eating better. One thing I would do though is make a game out of it and tell him that I was going to finish my food before him. he seemed to like eating better if I found a way to make it fun.

Desiree - posted on 03/12/2009

As long as your son is healthy that's all that matters!  When Emma, my picky eater,  was little I gave her a pedia sure drink once a day to supplement and she loved them.  I had talked to her pedi first though. My pedi always told me she wouldn't starve to death, she would eat when she was hungry... and he wasn't wrong.  I

Lucky for me Lilly hasn't met a food yet she doesn't like.  She will eat anything and everything I put in front of her... she loves veggies. She eats like a horse and they still tell me she is under weight for her age. 

Sam - posted on 03/12/2009

Hi moms,my son also has a thing with the colour orange,must of his foods he will eat is that colour,and his cat is a ginger tom,?????????

Sarah - posted on 03/11/2009

For Stacy: I would give him the same foods because I know he will eat it, then I would put something new (maybe just a little) on his tray so that he can get familiar with it, even if he doesn't eat it the first couple of time.. I hope it works, but who knows? My little boy goes through stages of liking/hating foods too. It's so frustrating because I get confident in something and then all of a sudden he hates it. So I guess just keep trying new things, but keeping the constant foods (if there are any) to fill him up.

Thanks for all the help guys! It's nice to know all these tips.

Stacey - posted on 03/11/2009

We are having pretty much the same problem with our 14 month old son...

He has never really been a good eater but he is really fussy with what he eats, he only really has rice pudding or custards which some times doesn't even fill him...

He goes through stages of likeing something and then totally hateing them. Like Mash potatoes, at 1 time he would scran the lot, now he wont touch it sometimes...

Am i doing the right thing by giving him the same foods all the time, he wont eat veg, and the only fruit he will eat is an orange.

He loves ready brek on a moring or toast...

Just wish he would try other things :(

Daisy - posted on 03/11/2009

I have two picky eater myself. It take me a while to learn the trick but..this is what work for me. Since I'm a stay-home mom. I pack up foods and we all go to the park. This get them to eat because they can't play if they don't eat. I also cut them off their milk if they don't eat. I also feed them a little at a time but more through out the day. I hope this help. Best of luck...

Elizabeth - posted on 03/11/2009

I have to say that I was like Olivia in the WWF of mealtime with my daughter.  Mealtime would get so bad one or both of us would end up in tears.  I did the pin too since doctors made me feel bad that she was/is little.  We figrued out Mia likes shredded cheese so we put it on almost EVERYTHING.  then she ate better.  However after one god awful weekend my husband figured out she likes to eat alone and at her own pace.  We started to give her the food on her tray and would essentially ignore her but be nearby - low and behold she started to eat MUCH better.  So now we give her the food, prepare our own and sometimes she finishes before we sit down - but hey she is eating better.  Guess she didn't like the pressure of my shoveling the food in.  If only I could get her to eat her veggies like she downs her fruit.  I also agree with Janice that mealtime should become less of a struggle and try to make it more enjoyable.  Weaning her from the bottle was an adventure too.  Now if she does not drink from sippy cup, no drink.  She is also starting to understand the 3 strike U R out rule..... throw the cup 3x and meal time is over. Good luck! 

Elizabeth - posted on 03/11/2009

I have to say that I was like Olivia in the WWF of mealtime with my daughter.  Mealtime would get so bad one or both of us would end up in tears.  I did the pin too since doctors made me feel bad that she was/is little.  We figrued out Mia likes shredded cheese so we put it on almost EVERYTHING.  then she ate better.  However after one god awful weekend my husband figured out she likes to eat alone and at her own pace.  We started to give her the food on her tray and would essentially ignore her but be nearby - low and behold she started to eat MUCH better.  So now we give her the food, prepare our own and sometimes she finishes before we sit down - but hey she is eating better.  Guess she didn't like the pressure of my shoveling the food in.  If only I could get her to eat her veggies like she downs her fruit.  I also agree with Janice that mealtime should become less of a struggle and try to make it more enjoyable.  Weaning her from the bottle was an adventure too.  Now if she does not drink from sippy cup, no drink.  She is also starting to understand the 3 strike U R out rule..... throw the cup 3x and meal time is over. Good luck! 

Kara - posted on 03/11/2009

My 13 month old won't eat food that is "fed" to him, meaning, if he is allowed to pick it up himself, he is all for it! Even mashed potatoes (as messy as they are), has to be in front of him for Mr. INDEPENDENCE to feed himself, and now he is eating like a trooper!!! The greatest thing I've found for him is the Gerber Graduates-Pasta pick-ups!!!! He will demolish them like no other food, and they are not very messy, and taste ok even if they are room temperature. So if you take a jar with you, and your baby gets hungry, you can open them up and feed him (although the juice inside of the can needs drained a bit)

Janice - posted on 03/10/2009

I cook all my food for bubs and have from the beginning. The only problem I have now is that she won't eat anything that doesn't have flavor :) She won't touch the stuff in the jars. She spits it out, or vomits it up. But she eats anything I cook. A really good cook book is by Annabelle Carmel, she makes the best kids foods. Sometimes it's just a matter of making eating, more fun and less stressful. There are some delicious nutritious and fun recipes in there. Formula is good, but the child needs to know that food is what they should be eating now, and not formula ( I am currently weening mine off the boobie, she won't take a bottle anyway) Some mums feel worried that their child isn't getting enough nutrition and therefore constantly supplement with formula. If the child realizes he isn't going to be getting a bottle to fill him up, he will eat when he gets hungry. Try and work out the foods that he likes and have a variety of them frozen and ready in the freezer, that way, it won't be a struggle for you when it comes to meal time, and little bubs will get sometimes that he likes to eat. Kaelyns favorites are broccoli, and cauliflower in a cheesy creamy garlic sauce with couscous, pasta stars with organic tomato pasta sauce with added zuccini, carrot, and mushroom and garlic, milk tomato and coconut milk curry with lentils, beans, and rice, she loves veggie mixes like fried onion, carrot, potato, then stew with corn, pean and beans, then puree in a blender- tastes like bubble and squeak, I do a roast vegetable puree with quinoa as well which she likes, but you have to try a few to work it out. Good luck!

Kara - posted on 03/10/2009

Oliva,

This is kinda a side note, but if you're little guy likes orange foods there are several things that you can introduce that are close to baby food but have a little more texture.  You could: boil baby carrots, bake a sweet potato at 400 for about 45 minutes (I rub it with a little olive oil to make sure the skin doesn't dry out), give him canned mandarin oranges (rinse off the sryup first), they also sell a frozen butternut squash that is very close to baby food texture and totally easy to prepare.  Good luck! 

Olivia - posted on 03/10/2009

It's more like I occupy his hands so he can't knock the food all over the place. : ) and then he actually eats. Good idea Kara... it's funny but my baby tends to like mostly the orange foods and his skin is kind of orange! It's like he already has a tan for the summer, but mostly it reminds me of jaundice.

Kara - posted on 03/10/2009

Wow, I would never hold my child's arms down, but hey that's me.  A good way to make sure that you can get all your nutrients is to supplement with the toddler formula.  It's a bit more expensive, but definately worth not having the food battles.  Is there any food that he will eat consistently?  There really isn't a reason why you need to worry about him eating the same thing over again, and again.  A picky eater doesn't really care about variety.  Something that helped me was when my doctor told me to look at the whole nutrition over a week, not just a day.  I would keep offering him a variety of things to eat and let it go.  As long as he isn't losing weight or not gaining milestones during the proper range, I would not worry about it.

Olivia - posted on 03/10/2009

My baby usually shakes his head no to food. I then grab both arms and hold them down and shove the food in his mouth. Then he determines that he likes it and I can let go and feed him. I know it sounds horrible, but he would not eat if I didn't do this from time to time. My biggest problem right now is he is not interested in eating regular food. I am still buying jars. I bought almost $60 worth of baby food jars last night! I hope he starts eating real food soon. I'm sure I have to try harder.

Olivia - posted on 03/10/2009

My baby usually shakes his head no to food. I then grab both arms and hold them down and shove the food in his mouth. Then he determines that he likes it and I can let go and feed him. I know it sounds horrible, but he would not eat if I didn't do this from time to time. My biggest problem right now is he is not interested in eating regular food. I am still buying jars. I bought almost $60 worth of baby food jars last night! I hope he starts eating real food soon. I'm sure I have to try harder.