When it comes to meal time with Lucas these days, let’s just say it’s…an adventure. And it’s not just limited to meal time; we’ll just categorize it as “eating in general.”
And when I say “adventure,” it’s basically code for “nightmare.”
I like to joke about the fact that I completely and totally jinxed myself. When Lucas was younger and starting to eat solids, we could put basically anything in front of that child and he would eat it without question. Lucas LOVED food and, in turn, his mama and daddy certainly loved meal time, too!
Yet, probably around oh, I don’t know, 20 months or so? I noticed his eating habits began to get a bit more picky. Suddenly he was no longer interested in his beloved vegetables or pasta (???). And then he didn’t want meatballs. And then he didn’t want yogurt. And then he didn’t want hot dogs.
And then I started thinking to myself…what the heck am I going to feed this child?!
Thankfully, I’ve noticed that most of his eating habit now go in phases. Currently? He’s obsessed with peanut butter, and on days where he wants literally nothing else to eat, we’ll just spoon feed him peanut butter straight from the jar. Mom of the year, I know.
He’s also pretty good about eggs, so we’ll make him cheese omelets fairly often for basically any meal of the day, along with cereal, cereal bars, crackers, and food pouches. Which, some days, can be the majority of what he eats and I’ve had to stop letting myself feel like a failure of a mom when I put him to bed and realize he didn’t eat one veggie all day. Or in the past three days, for that matter.
At first, I felt terrible, like I wasn’t trying hard enough. But the more I’ve talked to other moms, the more I’ve realized that it can be totally normal at this stage. Some kids are just picky eaters! Our friend Kanika told us that her pediatrician said, as long as they get one decent meal in for the day, you’ve got nothing to worry about. So I’m taking that and running with it!
One of the areas that’s really gotten tough for me though is packing breakfast and lunch for Lucas during the week. Half of the time, I’ll pack something and he wants nothing to do with it. So here I am, sending my child off for the day, and he winds up eating barely anything…no bueno! So my plan from here on out is to send in some “emergency snacks” at the beginning of the week for the days where he’s just not having it. And most importantly, if he’s not eating a lot, I want to make sure that what he is eating is something I can feel good about. Real, honest, pure ingredients.
So when I was recently invited to partner up with Sprout® Organic baby/toddler food, it honestly couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been feeding Lucas Sprout® products since he was just a little guy (he used to go nuts over their sweet potato, white bean, and cinnamon pouch, and their banana, pear, pineapple and buckwheat pouch), and I’m excited to try out some of their other flavors of pouches, as well as their other products geared more towards toddlers.
One in particular is their Red Berry & Beet Cereal Snacks. I think these could be perfect for on-the-go snacks, as well as an easy accompaniment to a packed breakfast, along with some fresh fruit and yogurt.
This past weekend, I picked up a bunch of different snacks at ShopRite while I was out with Lucas, and I’m intrigued to see how they go.
Although, if it’s anything like how he enjoyed them while we were in the store (he ended up eating that pouch before we even got to the register), I think we’re golden.
I’ll be sure to give you guys an update in the next week or two to see how things have been going!
Heads up! There’s a coupon available for $2 Off 5 Sprout® Baby/Toddler food products! Just CLICK HERE!
For the parents out there: How are your baby’s and/or toddler’s eating habits? Have they changed? Stayed consistently good or bad? Any good advice to give? Feel free to share!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sprout® Organic Baby Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.
Christen says
The exact same thing happened with my oldest daughter. She got really picky right around 2. She’s starting to come around now (at 4).
Linz @ Itz Linz says
William is definitely picky but will usually always eat meat, chicken, or fish lol weird I know! He also loves pouches and sprout is a brand I frequently buy!
Brynn says
sobfar my little guy is a good water, but I hear kids go through phases. Waiting for that day (not!).
Katy says
My 2 year old is VERY similar. I’ve been trying really hard to make sure he eats veggies. I’ve made all kinds of things like zucchini muffins, broccoli & cheddar pancakes, zucchini fries…they all end up failures. He will eat peas every now and again, but that’s pretty much it. He does well with fruit for the most part, but I would still feel better if he ate something green every now and again. I also feel like he’s too young to understand the whole “you’re not leaving the table until you eat this green bean thing”. And honestly, I don’t have time to sit at the table with a screaming toddler for an hour so he will each 1. damn. green bean.
My solution is just to keep trying. I continue to give him different veggies in different ways at meals. One day he will catch on. I mean, how many adults out there do you know that won’t eat a single vegetable? Very few. They get there eventually!
You’re doing great and you’re not alone!
Cindy says
You’re not alone! Our pediatrician said something similar, along the lines of “he’ll eat when he wants to eat” so I try not to stress but of course it’s difficult to see my little one not eating. My toddler started to be very picky at the same age, around the 20 month mark, and would often refuse to eat his meals without trying anything and even if it’s something he usually likes. He just turned two and things are starting to get a little bit better. I feel like I’m starting from scratch though, introducing him to a variety of food and have found that there are some food items he didn’t like before that he’ll eat now (quinoa, rice, pizza, apple). I’m always on the look out for healthy snacks and will look out for Sprout when I’m in the States in November.
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
Eating has been our struggle with Hunter since day 1, even when we were breastfeeding! Thankfully, it’s actually seemed to get better within the last 6 months or so, but we still have our days/weeks where he won’t eat anything but yogurt or peanut butter (I totally do the peanut butter straight from the jar with him too… ;) ). At the age of 2, we started implementing a “2 bite rule” with him because I noticed that he wouldn’t try things just because they looked different. Half the time, when he tried it, he didn’t like it, but the other half of the time, he realized it was pretty good and would end up eating more than just the two bites. It’s definitely a battle at first, and we had some pretty gnarly tantrums in the beginning (and sometimes still do), but after being consistent with the rule for awhile, he’s been better with it. I know some people are totally against this, but it’s worked for us!
Courtney says
I wish we could get that 2 bite rule to work over here! Just recently, we’ve been able to get him to eat a bite of something if we offer something else (i.e., last night it was “if you eat a bite of meatballs, I’ll give you some more shredded cheese”) ;-) lol – these kids!
Catherine @ foodiecology says
Love the Sprout pouches; we buy them & other brands depending on sales.
So far, my little guy (will be 1 year old in 2 weeks) eats well. He has his picky days (like last night: he wanted little of his purée but inhaled cheddar bunnies) but he eats pretty much anything we offer.
I’m worried about the picky stage though because my son is struggling to gain weight. Right now he still breastfeeds and takes bottles, so we bulk up his milk with extra formula, but I pray he continues to get enough calories!
Hang in there with Lucas! As you know, everything’s a phase. :)
Katie says
Oh boy, do I feel your pain. I sometimes dread dinners which is so sad! My pediatrician didn’t seem too concerned when I said veggies are hit or (mostly) miss. She suggested continuing to always put it on the plate and just not making a big deal of it. My husband makes fun of me because she hardly ever eats it, but one random night she ate a TON of asparagus and kept asking for more more more! I’ve also noticed since we’ve stopped pushing she’ll at least try a bite before not eating anymore, and I call that a win ha!
Another struggle is that as soon as we get home from work/”school”, she starts demanding snacks (“snaa! snaa!” practically starts in the driveway) so I try really hard to limit as much as possible so she’s hungry when dinner rolls around. I’d say I’m successful about 10% of the time :)
Megan says
My one-year-old sometimes subsists on chicken, cheerios, and cheese all day! (The 3 C’s, haha.) I’ve felt guilty too, like I should try harder, but it’s tough when I spend an hour making something new and she’s having none of it. Thanks for sharing your experience with Lucas!
Jennifer Strickland says
Yep, we’ve experienced some of that with our littles as well. It def goes in phases. Sometimes I forget when they get a little older they still have teeth coming in and that could possibly ly be a source of some of the issues. But its not at the forefront of my mind like when they were little,oh that’s teething.
Laura says
I can totally relate to the picky 2-year-old eating habits – as many of your readers do as well, I see. :) Completely same as you – I used to go to bed feeling terrible if my daughter hadn’t had a single vegetable serving during day. Now I usually let a few days pass before I start the guilt trip. We’ve recently discovered that our daughter LOVES Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and she seems to eat the veggies she’ll occasionally tolerate if she has that to dip it in. Probably not the healthiest or greatest for a 2 year old…but does the trick for now! Don’t give up – I continually put stuff on her plate I know she’ll probably say “YUCK!” to, but apparently consistency is key with raising kids in all manners of the word…Good luck!!
Alyssa says
My Lucas is the same age as yours and just within the past week he will not eat. Eating was never a problem for him especially Lunch, he always ate a lot at lunch time. Well this past week has been a challenge, he barely eats. He will take a couple bites at each meal and tell me he is done. I was starting to worry because i am thinking there is no way he can be getting the amount of food and nutrients he needs. He does like his snacks so I have been trying to substitute healthier snack since he isn’t eating much at his meals. Everyone keeps telling me its a phase but i am with you on the mom guilt. Sometimes we make it a game at the table (dad’s turn to take a big bit, mom’s turn oh and now its Lucas’s turn to take a big bite) and that will get him to eat and sometimes he wants nothing to do with it. I never know what Lucas i am going to get at the dinner table these days! :) oh the struggle!
Lisa says
Your Lucas reminds me of my son in many ways. He is now almost 8 but was a very picky eater. This was very frustrating for me as I am a registered dietitian! I was very persistent at offering him the foods we had and eventually he came around. Over the past 1-2 years he has really changed his preferences. He has really surprised me as now he will ask for seconds of salmon, chicken, potatoes – foods he used to hate to even try. Just give it time.