Re: What do your kids eat?

[Guest guest]

> The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat, are popcorn,

> quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and apparently she

> has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread also.

,

What do you want him to eat?

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy...I want him to eat fruits, veggies, and some source of

protein/fat/iron/zinc which is low carb....when he eats the foods I

mentioned he gets congested immediately, like he'll sneeze after a few bites

and all this snot will come out down to his chin. He then becomes hyper,

cranky, angry and if he eats those foods for several days in a row, gains

weight very rapidly. For example, I stayed with my mom for the hurricane

Isabel...he gained 3lb in 5 days! For a little guy, that is way too much. He

was only sleeping 7 hrs a night instead of his usual 11 w/2hr nap, and he

was extremely stressed and miserable. When he has those foods he will not

eat anything else, even foods he loves. Diabetes runs rampant in both sides

of the family. I control mine by not eating cooked carbs; I am not even

considered diabetic if I eat only raw carbs as my blood sugar is normal.

Just wanted to give some detail about my reluctance to feed him grains....

good morning!

Michele

>From: " realfoodie2003 " <realfoodie2003@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: What do your kids eat?

>Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 11:27:07 -0000

>

> > The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat, are

>popcorn,

> > quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and apparently

>she

> > has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread also.

>

>,

>

>What do you want him to eat?

>

>Kathy

>

_________________________________________________________________

Enjoy a special introductory offer for dial-up Internet access — limited

time only! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup

[Guest guest]

if you were eating vegetarian while you nursed him, that is one issue that

you might need to think about - he did not have everything that he needed

from your milk. also keep in mind that soy is ...well, it's bad, and i'll

leave it there cause this is long!

his behavior and this sudden pickiness could be based on a few things, and

here's my (without knowing you or him) thoughts in no particular order:

- when did this start? what else was going on in your life and your

family's life at that time? what is going on in *his* life at that time and

now? just like a " nursing strike " , if you're familiar with that, food

strikes can be the outward manifestation of emotional issues - whether it's

his reaction to a negative input (family fighting, some trauma, etc) or

even his own frustration at trying to master a new task, for example.

- if he hasn't had enough fats and cholesterol in his diet throughout the

2.5 years, he may have reached his body's " critical mass " with the poor

nutrition.

- even if you've never used the word " gross " to describe meat, he is likely

still getting this opinion from you. if you do not eat meat and your

partner does, then your son sees that you *choose* not to eat it. he trusts

you and likely believes from your example that there's a reason to avoid

it. your tone of voice and your body language around the meat is also

contributing to this influence.

- fish is definitely not the starter food many american children don't

like fish, and the same with eggs, so start off with something easier. if

you're looking for an easy protein, go for raw milk cheese - preferrably

something mild like moterrey jack.

- instead of telling him what he can't eat, make no comment about the stuff

he eats that you don't want him to. but do *share* the foods with him that

you want him to eat, such as cheese and preferably meat. it might help you

to be honest and tell him that meat is healthy and good and that although

you haven't eaten it in the past, you think it's important that you try to

learn to like it *together*. even if it's only one bite a day, that's

something. make sure that your partner is supportive and does *NOT* make

jokes about this process, even behind closed doors.

- if you feel that you can't eat meat or animal protein without making yuck

faces or noises, then turn it into a game. after each bite, go ahead and

make your face, but make it as crazy and zany as you possibly can. allow

him to make his faces too and let it be fun. if you need to take deep

breaths before each bite to work up your courage, again, let that be as

silly as possible, but make sure that you get that bite down! it can be

completely ridiculous, just don't spit it out, and don't abandon him to

eating it alone.

- buy some celtic sea salt (*not* ordinary salt or ordinary " sea salt " -

these are both toxic) and use it liberally on the meat that you want him to

eat. if he's gotten a taste for potato chips, then this healthy,

mineral-filled salt may help him enjoy the taste of meat more. try many

different kinds of meat, but the easiest to start with may be ground beef

and chicken.

- try hard not to punish him for his behavior. instead try to talk to him

about his feelings. you've identified his behavior as a symptom of a

nutritional problem, and you wouldn't punish a child for vomiting. it can

be very very hard to be rational when kids act up, so just do the best you

can. a good book is How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and How To Listen So

Kids Will Talk, by farber and mazlish.

- talk to your mother about your nutrition plan, and ask her to comply.

explain to her that if she can't respect your efforts and comply with it,

then you won't be able to leave him in a position to be fed by her. even if

she is your day care solution, in this case, it is likely worth the extra

money and hardship to hire a babysitter until you can convince her to comply.

above all, ask for help!! you can email me privately any time, and everyone

on the list will also have lots of supportive advice too. plus, if you need

to blow off some steam, we're here!

At 03:18 AM 1/8/2004, you wrote:

>Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very well and

>had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though my milk

>supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints a day now

>compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three weeks he has

>developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal, on his

>nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and increased

>pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was one, with

>about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't want to

>walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

>

>He eats vegetarian, though I decided recently to allow him to eat meat if he

>wants, but he has been around it (my partner eats grass fed beef and organic

>free range chicken) and says it is gross. I've never referred to it as such

>in front of him, and after seeing my placenta it really doesn't gross me out

>anymore, so I'm thinking this is his own opinion. I have added some fish to

>my diet recently, and Cod Liver Oil; thanks to ya'll good people's advice I

>chose Carlson's which was very impressive with it's non fishy flavor and the

>fact that it was really cold in the box. He does not want to try any of

>these things. He put a flake of fish in his mouth and spit it out. He was

>eating many eggs until this month, but now the good ones are MIA, and he

>won't touch the Horizon eggs I tried(never again)... they are very pale to

>the point where he asked why they were white when I scrambled them!

>

>The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat, are popcorn,

>quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and apparently she

>has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread also. He

>won't even eat fruit except for occasionally pineapples, has suddenly become

>disgusted with greens, etc. In the past I would just have healthy stuff

>around, and he would eat, but now, even if he knows I have nothing other

>than the good stuff, he just won't eat at all!

>

>His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he never could

>sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and let him eat

>lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which constipated him

>for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and great

>diet, arghh!

>

>I am worried this will lead to more serious problems. Maybe I'm just

>overreacting, but every toddler I know, aside from Gaby, is sick ALL THE

>TIME. Many of them have asthma, ear infections, etc. He doesn't get

>sick(knock on wood). I don't want him to start.

>

>So, sorry to run on so long, any suggestions?

>

>Sincerely and thanks in advance,

>

>Michele

>

>_________________________________________________________________

>Enjoy a special introductory offer for dial-up Internet access — limited

>time only! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

sorry - add to this email:

" hi, michele!! man, this sounds like a tough situation...here's my advice,

i hope it helps! "

i didn't mean to just jump right into it so abruptly there, but you got my

brain going

-katja

At 10:59 AM 1/8/2004, you wrote:

>if you were eating vegetarian while you nursed him, that is one issue that

>you might need to think about - he did not have everything that he needed

>from your milk. also keep in mind that soy is ...well, it's bad, and i'll

>leave it there cause this is long!

>

>his behavior and this sudden pickiness could be based on a few things, and

>here's my (without knowing you or him) thoughts in no particular order:

>

>- when did this start? what else was going on in your life and your

>family's life at that time? what is going on in *his* life at that time and

>now? just like a " nursing strike " , if you're familiar with that, food

>strikes can be the outward manifestation of emotional issues - whether it's

>his reaction to a negative input (family fighting, some trauma, etc) or

>even his own frustration at trying to master a new task, for example.

>

>- if he hasn't had enough fats and cholesterol in his diet throughout the

>2.5 years, he may have reached his body's " critical mass " with the poor

>nutrition.

>

>- even if you've never used the word " gross " to describe meat, he is likely

>still getting this opinion from you. if you do not eat meat and your

>partner does, then your son sees that you *choose* not to eat it. he trusts

>you and likely believes from your example that there's a reason to avoid

>it. your tone of voice and your body language around the meat is also

>contributing to this influence.

>

>- fish is definitely not the starter food many american children don't

>like fish, and the same with eggs, so start off with something easier. if

>you're looking for an easy protein, go for raw milk cheese - preferrably

>something mild like moterrey jack.

>

>- instead of telling him what he can't eat, make no comment about the stuff

>he eats that you don't want him to. but do *share* the foods with him that

>you want him to eat, such as cheese and preferably meat. it might help you

>to be honest and tell him that meat is healthy and good and that although

>you haven't eaten it in the past, you think it's important that you try to

>learn to like it *together*. even if it's only one bite a day, that's

>something. make sure that your partner is supportive and does *NOT* make

>jokes about this process, even behind closed doors.

>

>- if you feel that you can't eat meat or animal protein without making yuck

>faces or noises, then turn it into a game. after each bite, go ahead and

>make your face, but make it as crazy and zany as you possibly can. allow

>him to make his faces too and let it be fun. if you need to take deep

>breaths before each bite to work up your courage, again, let that be as

>silly as possible, but make sure that you get that bite down! it can be

>completely ridiculous, just don't spit it out, and don't abandon him to

>eating it alone.

>

>- buy some celtic sea salt (*not* ordinary salt or ordinary " sea salt " -

>these are both toxic) and use it liberally on the meat that you want him to

>eat. if he's gotten a taste for potato chips, then this healthy,

>mineral-filled salt may help him enjoy the taste of meat more. try many

>different kinds of meat, but the easiest to start with may be ground beef

>and chicken.

>

>- try hard not to punish him for his behavior. instead try to talk to him

>about his feelings. you've identified his behavior as a symptom of a

>nutritional problem, and you wouldn't punish a child for vomiting. it can

>be very very hard to be rational when kids act up, so just do the best you

>can. a good book is How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and How To Listen So

>Kids Will Talk, by farber and mazlish.

>

>- talk to your mother about your nutrition plan, and ask her to comply.

>explain to her that if she can't respect your efforts and comply with it,

>then you won't be able to leave him in a position to be fed by her. even if

>she is your day care solution, in this case, it is likely worth the extra

>money and hardship to hire a babysitter until you can convince her to comply.

>

>above all, ask for help!! you can email me privately any time, and everyone

>on the list will also have lots of supportive advice too. plus, if you need

>to blow off some steam, we're here!

>

>

>At 03:18 AM 1/8/2004, you wrote:

> >Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very well and

> >had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though my milk

> >supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints a day now

> >compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three weeks he has

> >developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal, on his

> >nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and increased

> >pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was one, with

> >about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't want to

> >walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

> >

> >He eats vegetarian, though I decided recently to allow him to eat meat if he

> >wants, but he has been around it (my partner eats grass fed beef and organic

> >free range chicken) and says it is gross. I've never referred to it as such

> >in front of him, and after seeing my placenta it really doesn't gross me out

> >anymore, so I'm thinking this is his own opinion. I have added some fish to

> >my diet recently, and Cod Liver Oil; thanks to ya'll good people's advice I

> >chose Carlson's which was very impressive with it's non fishy flavor and the

> >fact that it was really cold in the box. He does not want to try any of

> >these things. He put a flake of fish in his mouth and spit it out. He was

> >eating many eggs until this month, but now the good ones are MIA, and he

> >won't touch the Horizon eggs I tried(never again)... they are very pale to

> >the point where he asked why they were white when I scrambled them!

> >

> >The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat, are popcorn,

> >quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and apparently she

> >has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread also. He

> >won't even eat fruit except for occasionally pineapples, has suddenly become

> >disgusted with greens, etc. In the past I would just have healthy stuff

> >around, and he would eat, but now, even if he knows I have nothing other

> >than the good stuff, he just won't eat at all!

> >

> >His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he never could

> >sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and let him eat

> >lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which constipated him

> >for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and great

> >diet, arghh!

> >

> >I am worried this will lead to more serious problems. Maybe I'm just

> >overreacting, but every toddler I know, aside from Gaby, is sick ALL THE

> >TIME. Many of them have asthma, ear infections, etc. He doesn't get

> >sick(knock on wood). I don't want him to start.

> >

> >So, sorry to run on so long, any suggestions?

> >

> >Sincerely and thanks in advance,

> >

> >Michele

> >

> >_________________________________________________________________

> >Enjoy a special introductory offer for dial-up Internet access — limited

> >time only! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

>His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he never could

>sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and let him eat

>lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which constipated him

>for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and great

>diet, arghh

If he is vegetarian, and you don't want to feed him lentils

and quinoa (grain type things?), what is left to eat? Fruits and

vegies have a lot of vitamins, but not much in the way of

calories to keep a kid going.

My daughter does eat a lot of grains, albeit no WBG grains (Wheat/barley/rye).

THOSE give her very erratic behavior. So do some commercial foods

(eggnog being a biggie) though I'm not sure what it is about them

that is problematic. I think she does have problems with some

dairy products, so I try to use cheese or kefir more than plain milk.

A lot of foods seem to cause mental responses in kids -- of course,

so does hunger! Kids run around a lot, they need calories, I think.

My sure-fire food when she's not feeling like eating is kefir

smoothies, or baked potatoes with butter, or sausage.

Until recently, she didn't want to eat meat much, but the

issue seems to be that it is hard to chew. She loves pate'

or smoked salmon. Homemade custards are a winner ...

you can make custard with coconut milk instead

of regular milk too. Younger kids have a lot of tooth

pain as their first teeth get loose, and I guess it is

just harder for them to chew, they like softer foods.

If you can find " good " hot dogs, kids sure like them ...

esp. with bbq sauce or ketchup. I also make pancakes

a lot. Crepes are esp. good, with maple syrup (you can

roll them around jam too). Goat cheese on crackers is

also a winner!

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

>He then becomes hyper,

>cranky, angry and if he eats those foods for several days in a row, gains

>weight very rapidly. For example, I stayed with my mom for the hurricane

>Isabel...he gained 3lb in 5 days! For a little guy, that is way too much. He

>was only sleeping 7 hrs a night instead of his usual 11 w/2hr nap, and he

>was extremely stressed and miserable. When he has those foods he will not

>eat anything else, even foods he loves. Diabetes runs rampant in both sides

>of the family. I control mine by not eating cooked carbs; I am not even

>considered diabetic if I eat only raw carbs as my blood sugar is normal.

>Just wanted to give some detail about my reluctance to feed him grains....

I'm not sure you can put a little kid on a low-carb diet, esp. if

they aren't really into meat. But a lot of kids DO have grain

allergies. That doesn't mean they react to ALL carbs, but

grains are harder to digest than most (unless you soak

and ferment them etc.) and most of the food allergies

seem to center on grains, mainly wheat/corn/soy. You might

try challenging him with just ONE kind of carb food, like

a baked potato (don't use something commercial: the commercial

foods have so many ingredients it's hard to know which is

the problematic one). My kids do react to some commercial

foods with erratic behavior, but not to my homemade foods,

regardless of carb/sugar content, as long as it avoids their

allergen foods.

But most people either get their calories from grains/tubers

or meat ... vegies and fruits just don't cut it. The fact he

gains weight so fast might mean he is habitually not getting

enough calories -- gaining a few pounds " instantly " is often

a sign of replenishing glycogen stores (it happens to Atkins

dieters a lot when they eat carbs, gain 10 lbs overnight -- it

is mainly a glycogen thing).

Soooo ... if he really can't tolerate carbs, then he needs

to get more meat, or nuts maybe. Since he doesn't seem

to like meat, that cuts your options! Also if a kid avoids

a food, it might mean that food isn't really what they

need right now.

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I want him to eat fruits, veggies, and some source of

> protein/fat/iron/zinc which is low carb....when he eats the foods I

> mentioned he gets congested immediately, like he'll sneeze after a few bites

> and all this snot will come out down to his chin. He then becomes hyper,

> cranky, angry and if he eats those foods for several days in a row, gains

> weight very rapidly.

Now I understand better. Alot of people would be thrilled to have their kids eat

the food that you described-but I tend to agree with you. It would be nice if

you

could let him choose for himself within reason- I still let my 5 year old decide

when, what and how much to eat within certain limits as I trust her body to tell

her what she needs. She asks for yogurt/kefir every day, carrots, cucumbers

and apples are her favorite foods, and yes, she eats more grains than I ever

would eat myself or choose for her. Sometimes she eats very little. Every once

in a while, she will eat meat and then usually lots of it! I think it must be

when

she is growing. Last night she ate all of her beet greens which she isn't

usually crazy about! Kids go through so many stages and phases-maybe this

one will pass soon! If you feel it is really necessary for his health, then

tough

love may be in order. I would be cautious though about making food a

battleground this early on.

Good Luck!

Kathy

[Guest guest]

yeah. in that case, i'm might defer to what kathy said!

At 02:22 PM 1/8/2004, you wrote:

>Hi ,

>

>I want him to eat fruits, veggies, and some source of

> > protein/fat/iron/zinc which is low carb....when he eats the foods I

> > mentioned he gets congested immediately, like he'll sneeze after a few

> bites

> > and all this snot will come out down to his chin. He then becomes hyper,

> > cranky, angry and if he eats those foods for several days in a row, gains

> > weight very rapidly.

>

>Now I understand better. Alot of people would be thrilled to have their

>kids eat

>the food that you described-but I tend to agree with you. It would be nice

>if you

>could let him choose for himself within reason- I still let my 5 year old

>decide

>when, what and how much to eat within certain limits as I trust her body

>to tell

>her what she needs. She asks for yogurt/kefir every day, carrots, cucumbers

>and apples are her favorite foods, and yes, she eats more grains than I ever

>would eat myself or choose for her. Sometimes she eats very little. Every

>once

>in a while, she will eat meat and then usually lots of it! I think it

>must be when

>she is growing. Last night she ate all of her beet greens which she isn't

>usually crazy about! Kids go through so many stages and phases-maybe this

>one will pass soon! If you feel it is really necessary for his health,

>then tough

>love may be in order. I would be cautious though about making food a

>battleground this early on.

>

>Good Luck!

>

>Kathy

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

When our son was little I insisted that he taste everything on the table.

Half a teaspoon was enough. I did not insist that he clean his plate unless

he asked for more than I knew he would eat. Then I told him that he must be

sure he could eat all he took. If he still insisted on the large serving he

had to eat it all.

I never made him eat everything on his plate if someone else filled it.

It has been interesting over the years (he's 38 now) how his tastes have

changed. If I had not insisted on him taste testing everything he would not

know that his tastes had changed and he would not enjoy the great variety of

foods that he does today.

I do not believe that small children can be depended on to eat just what is

good for them. Set a dish of candy or other sweets before them and they will

clean the dish and be unable to eat the good foods, even though the sweets

are very bad for them.

Judith Alta

-----Original Message-----

Hi ,

I want him to eat fruits, veggies, and some source of

> protein/fat/iron/zinc which is low carb....when he eats the foods I

> mentioned he gets congested immediately, like he'll sneeze after a few

bites

> and all this snot will come out down to his chin. He then becomes hyper,

> cranky, angry and if he eats those foods for several days in a row, gains

> weight very rapidly.

Now I understand better. Alot of people would be thrilled to have their kids

eat

the food that you described-but I tend to agree with you. It would be nice

if you

could let him choose for himself within reason- I still let my 5 year old

decide

when, what and how much to eat within certain limits as I trust her body to

tell

her what she needs. She asks for yogurt/kefir every day, carrots, cucumbers

and apples are her favorite foods, and yes, she eats more grains than I ever

would eat myself or choose for her. Sometimes she eats very little. Every

once

in a while, she will eat meat and then usually lots of it! I think it must

be when

she is growing. Last night she ate all of her beet greens which she isn't

usually crazy about! Kids go through so many stages and phases-maybe this

one will pass soon! If you feel it is really necessary for his health, then

tough

love may be in order. I would be cautious though about making food a

battleground this early on.

Good Luck!

Kathy

[Guest guest]

Did you have the PKU test done when he was a born? If not perhaps you might

consider doing a search on the internet to see if that might fit your

situation.

You could always take him in and see what the doctor says. He surely

doesn't sound normal. At least the doc could give you a diagnosis than you

could treat it if you wanted to.

Do you have a vitamix? My kids love smoothies and you can sneak things in

it like oats or barley, sweet potatoes etc. into a smoothie for a real

healthy " meal "

K

What do your kids eat?

Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very well and

had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though my milk

supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints a day now

compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three weeks he has

developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal, on his

nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and increased

pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was one, with

about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't want to

walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

He eats vegetarian, though I decided recently to allow him to eat meat if he

wants, but he has been around it (my partner eats grass fed beef and organic

free range chicken) and says it is gross. I've never referred to it as such

in front of him, and after seeing my placenta it really doesn't gross me out

anymore, so I'm thinking this is his own opinion. I have added some fish to

my diet recently, and Cod Liver Oil; thanks to ya'll good people's advice I

chose Carlson's which was very impressive with it's non fishy flavor and the

fact that it was really cold in the box. He does not want to try any of

these things. He put a flake of fish in his mouth and spit it out. He was

eating many eggs until this month, but now the good ones are MIA, and he

won't touch the Horizon eggs I tried(never again)... they are very pale to

the point where he asked why they were white when I scrambled them!

The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat, are popcorn,

quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and apparently she

has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread also. He

won't even eat fruit except for occasionally pineapples, has suddenly become

disgusted with greens, etc. In the past I would just have healthy stuff

around, and he would eat, but now, even if he knows I have nothing other

than the good stuff, he just won't eat at all!

His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he never could

sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and let him eat

lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which constipated him

for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and great

diet, arghh!

I am worried this will lead to more serious problems. Maybe I'm just

overreacting, but every toddler I know, aside from Gaby, is sick ALL THE

TIME. Many of them have asthma, ear infections, etc. He doesn't get

sick(knock on wood). I don't want him to start.

So, sorry to run on so long, any suggestions?

Sincerely and thanks in advance,

Michele

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Hello, thank you for replying...

I know now that soy is very bad. I have read much on it and am upset that he

ate tofu for so long and soy yogurt. I have basically cut those and the

only soy he eats now is the very rare 1oz bag of soy nuts... which in my

opinion is worse than tofu/yogurt so it bothers me.

As for the milk, I would think he did well with it...he was advanced in all

milestones, over 100% for growth/weight though he was born at 50%, and never

got ill. He also had " the glow " - his hair and nails were glossy, nice rosy

plump cheeks, round face, etc. There may have been some compunds which were

too low but not absent, though.

" just like a " nursing strike " , if you're familiar with that, "

I know the term, but man, this kid never came up for air! LOL.

He has been regressing a bit, which I believe is due to my relatively new

relationship(nearly 6mos); this would be the first time it has affected his

eating, if that is the cause.

His diet has always been over 50% fat from olive oil, breastmilk(which

contains cholesterol), and recently(until the past three weeks) eggs and

virgin coconut oil.

He eats things I cannot eat(due to allergies), and will not eat many things

I do, so I'm not sure if my example makes much of a difference. He'll

pretend to prepare things we do, such as salads, dressing, and even dp's

chicken. When I was a kid, I thought meat was gross, I cried every time I

went to the grocery store and my mom dragged me down the meat aisle because

it was all bloody everywhere and I knew it was animals. I know there are

probably people rolling their eyes, but I was very compassionate and

sensitive. He may be like I was at that age. He acts just like his father in

a lot of ways though, who is a big meat lover.

For a long time I maintained that I would not let him eat meat until he was

old enough to know and understand what it is, so I'm sure he feels on some

level that he is not supposed to eat it. Meat is something people eat in

front of him, and don't offer, like white bread, candy, soda, etc, so he may

be lumping them all in the same category.

He loves eggs, as long as they are the good kind with nice orange yolks..

he'll eat three to four of those at one sitting. Maybe kids don't like them

because they are pale and flavorless here. My mom came to this country and

hated eggs because they were tasteless, so she started making omelets and

putting garlic, adobo, cheese, etc on them. My mom told me even kids in Cuba

hated fish, so maybe its a universal thing? I loved fish - it was the only

animal I never minded eating- but my mom says when I was his age I only ate

chicken nuggets. I also ate raw garlic and onions though, LOL, so I'm not

sure one can base much on my eating habits back then!

>

>- instead of telling him what he can't eat, make no comment about the stuff

>he eats that you don't want him to. but do *share* the foods with him that

>you want him to eat, such as cheese and preferably meat. it might help you

>to be honest and tell him that meat is healthy and good and that although

>you haven't eaten it in the past, you think it's important that you try to

>learn to like it *together*. even if it's only one bite a day, that's

>something. make sure that your partner is supportive and does *NOT* make

>jokes about this process, even behind closed doors.

I will try this. I don't tell him what not to eat, never have, except for

honey straight from the jar and pennies.

>- if you feel that you can't eat meat or animal protein without making yuck

>faces or noises, then turn it into a game. after each bite, go ahead and

>make your face, but make it as crazy and zany as you possibly can. allow

>him to make his faces too and let it be fun. if you need to take deep

>breaths before each bite to work up your courage, again, let that be as

>silly as possible, but make sure that you get that bite down! it can be

>completely ridiculous, just don't spit it out, and don't abandon him to

>eating it alone.

That sounds fun, though it will have to wait a bit until I can eat proteins

again. I sometimes pretend to eat things he is eating by putting a bite in

my mouth and then getting rid of it later. My partner doesn't even realize

when I'm doing it so I'm pretty slick..ninja mom. We're getting a dinner

table soon, which I think will help. The one we have now is really wobbly,

and we can't eat on it.

I use French Atlantic Sea salt, or this one from Utah. They are both

unrefined and have big grains, though not like Celtic salt. It is a bit out

of my price range...do you know if the salt I use is good also?

>- try hard not to punish him for his behavior. instead try to talk to him

>about his feelings. you've identified his behavior as a symptom of a

>nutritional problem, and you wouldn't punish a child for vomiting. it can

>be very very hard to be rational when kids act up, so just do the best you

>can. a good book is How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and How To Listen So

>Kids Will Talk, by farber and mazlish.

I have been meaning to get that book. I agree with The Continuum Concept, or

it agrees with me as I had the ideas first and it was kind of my

confirmation. I do not believe in punishment, though it has taken a lot for

me to be rational and not yell. I just picture how it would be if I did

something mean and that prevents be from acting it out.

>

>- talk to your mother about your nutrition plan, and ask her to comply.

>explain to her that if she can't respect your efforts and comply with it,

>then you won't be able to leave him in a position to be fed by her. even if

>she is your day care solution, in this case, it is likely worth the extra

>money and hardship to hire a babysitter until you can convince her to

>comply.

I won't leave him with a sitter, but I rarely need child care as I work from

home and do school via internet, so this is usually once a week. She is very

stubborn, but I can try.

>

Thank you again for your advice and support!

Sincerely,

Michele

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[Guest guest]

Judith,

We do something very similar to what you describe. What I meant by letting

her choose is that she can pick from what is offered and what is available-

which is all healthy. Candy is NOT an option! It can derail the whole system.

Kathy

> I do not believe that small children can be depended on to eat just what is

> good for them. Set a dish of candy or other sweets before them and they will

> clean the dish and be unable to eat the good foods, even though the sweets

> are very bad for them.

[Guest guest]

That's what I hoped you meant. It's hard to choose wrong when all choices

are good.

Judith Alta

-----Original Message-----

Judith,

We do something very similar to what you describe. What I meant by letting

her choose is that she can pick from what is offered and what is available-

which is all healthy. Candy is NOT an option! It can derail the whole

system.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

> Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very well and

> had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though my milk

> supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints a day now

> compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three weeks he has

> developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal, on his

> nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and increased

> pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was one,

with

> about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't want to

> walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

-----Nutritional deficiencies can actually CAUSE food aversions. That's why

low calorie diets can lead to aversion to and poor digestion of meat (and also

to eating disorders). I understand the thinking behind not making kids eat

things... but I also think that parents need to use their authority when

appropriate when it is in the best interests of the child. I liked the

suggestion

of eating meat with him so he saw that you were willing to eat what was good

for you, too.

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone...thank you for the responses and advice. I am on vacation

right now, and being as he actually has other kids to play with the eating

and potty training have been much better(except he won't do number two here

because the toilet is high:(), and his behavior has improved. I let him try

some cheese, but he didn't like it. That's ok with me though, because all

members of both sides of his family are severely lactose intolerant, so I'm

not sure if he would be able to eat it after he stops breastfeeding anyway.

He had some fish tonight, like a tablespoon of cod and a half teaspoon of

salmon. He was ok with it, and kept calling it chicken, which is funny cause

he doesn't eat chicken. He is still eating stuff I'd rather he didn't, but

he is also eating more fruit/veggies and trying different stuff. I hope this

continues when we get home.

Thanks again

Michele

>From: " realfoodie2003 " <realfoodie2003@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: What do your kids eat?

>Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:53:58 -0000

>

>

>Judith,

>

>We do something very similar to what you describe. What I meant by letting

>her choose is that she can pick from what is offered and what is available-

>which is all healthy. Candy is NOT an option! It can derail the whole

>system.

>

>Kathy

>

> > I do not believe that small children can be depended on to eat just what

>is

> > good for them. Set a dish of candy or other sweets before them and they

>will

> > clean the dish and be unable to eat the good foods, even though the

>sweets

> > are very bad for them.

>

>

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[Guest guest]

<<<<<He is still eating stuff I'd rather he didn't, but>>>>

Who is the parent?

> Hello everyone...thank you for the responses and advice. I am on

vacation

> right now, and being as he actually has other kids to play with the

eating

> and potty training have been much better(except he won't do number

two here

> because the toilet is high:(), and his behavior has improved. I let

him try

> some cheese, but he didn't like it. That's ok with me though,

because all

> members of both sides of his family are severely lactose

intolerant, so I'm

> not sure if he would be able to eat it after he stops breastfeeding

anyway.

> He had some fish tonight, like a tablespoon of cod and a half

teaspoon of

> salmon. He was ok with it, and kept calling it chicken, which is

funny cause

> he doesn't eat chicken. He is still eating stuff I'd rather he

didn't, but

> he is also eating more fruit/veggies and trying different stuff. I

hope this

> continues when we get home.

>

> Thanks again

>

> Michele

>

> >From: " realfoodie2003 " <realfoodie2003@y...>

> >Reply-

> >

> >Subject: Re: What do your kids eat?

> >Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:53:58 -0000

> >

> >

> >Judith,

> >

> >We do something very similar to what you describe. What I meant by

letting

> >her choose is that she can pick from what is offered and what is

available-

> >which is all healthy. Candy is NOT an option! It can derail the

whole

> >system.

> >

> >Kathy

> >

> > > I do not believe that small children can be depended on to eat

just what

> >is

> > > good for them. Set a dish of candy or other sweets before them

and they

> >will

> > > clean the dish and be unable to eat the good foods, even though

the

> >sweets

> > > are very bad for them.

> >

> >

>

> _________________________________________________________________

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Internet

> Software. http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-us & page=byoa/prem & ST=1

[Guest guest]

When my kids were two and three we started the two bite/three bite rule. If

they were two they had to take two bites of each thing on their plate. If

they were three it was three bites. When they had a birthday we celebrated the

new rule with a party...the three year old now graduated to the four bite rule

the two year old graduated to the three bite rule...It was full sized bites as

well...none of this touch the tongue and out stuff. My kids are now 12 and

13 and they eat everything. The goal is to add some humor and fun to what some

people think are gross/yucky foods. My kids love caviar because they were

taught it was " nature's candy " . They love raw oysters because we always served

them in shot glasses and they learned at a very young age how to make the red

sauce. What fun for a three and four year old to be mixing up red sauce in

the kitchen. To sit down at the table and see 30 shot glasses on a tray really

is quite a sight. Fondue is another fun kid food. They will devour vegies

and meats when they get to dip and cook their own dinner. Often times we just

make a bone broth as our dipping sauce rather than a cheese sauce. The first

few days was a struggle getting the kids started with the two and three bite

rule. In our household there were no compromises. My husband and I both lived

overseas at different times in our lives. Consequently we eat some very

unusual foods. Our kids now are very thankful we held our ground and introduced

some unique foods to them at young ages. They are shocked at some of their

friends eating habits and we have many conversations about that during the

dinner

hour.

[Guest guest]

Hi... For the record, i find it extremely offensive when people say this to

me. Sometimes I need to be flexible, ie, letting him eat foods he loves like

quinoa and lentils or popcorn made on coconut oil so that he does not feel

left out when his aunts(age 5 and 9) are eating stuff like bread, candy,

cereal, donuts, etc, which I will absolutely not allow him to eat. At my

home I do not have foods which I consider to be unhealthy or less than

ideal. The problem with this lately has been that he chooses not to eat at

all. I think one should consider the entire situation and also what they do

not know about it before they make such statements.

good morning

Michele

>From: " Bee " <beewilder@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: What do your kids eat?

>Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 02:09:21 -0000

>

><<<<<He is still eating stuff I'd rather he didn't, but>>>>

>

>Who is the parent?

>

>

> > Hello everyone...thank you for the responses and advice. I am on

>vacation

> > right now, and being as he actually has other kids to play with the

>eating

> > and potty training have been much better(except he won't do number

>two here

> > because the toilet is high:(), and his behavior has improved. I let

>him try

> > some cheese, but he didn't like it. That's ok with me though,

>because all

> > members of both sides of his family are severely lactose

>intolerant, so I'm

> > not sure if he would be able to eat it after he stops breastfeeding

>anyway.

> > He had some fish tonight, like a tablespoon of cod and a half

>teaspoon of

> > salmon. He was ok with it, and kept calling it chicken, which is

>funny cause

> > he doesn't eat chicken. He is still eating stuff I'd rather he

>didn't, but

> > he is also eating more fruit/veggies and trying different stuff. I

>hope this

> > continues when we get home.

> >

> > Thanks again

> >

> > Michele

> >

> > >From: " realfoodie2003 " <realfoodie2003@y...>

> > >Reply-

> > >

> > >Subject: Re: What do your kids eat?

> > >Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:53:58 -0000

> > >

> > >

> > >Judith,

> > >

> > >We do something very similar to what you describe. What I meant by

>letting

> > >her choose is that she can pick from what is offered and what is

>available-

> > >which is all healthy. Candy is NOT an option! It can derail the

>whole

> > >system.

> > >

> > >Kathy

> > >

> > > > I do not believe that small children can be depended on to eat

>just what

> > >is

> > > > good for them. Set a dish of candy or other sweets before them

>and they

> > >will

> > > > clean the dish and be unable to eat the good foods, even though

>the

> > >sweets

> > > > are very bad for them.

> > >

> > >

> >

> > _________________________________________________________________

> > High-speed users—be more efficient online with the new MSN Premium

>Internet

> > Software. http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-us & page=byoa/prem & ST=1

>

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[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My son is 20 months old and has in recent months become much more picky

about food. I used to take the position that if he is hungry he will eat

but that just doesn't work. If he doesn't eat well, he doesn't sleep well

and we are all frazzled. What I have noticed with him is that he needs more

interesting food than he used to. He likes sauces and flavors. He loves

chili, gravies, curry and anything with pizza sauce on it. What he eats one

day he will often refuse the next. Bad news for me since I rely on

leftovers a lot for meals. I have even gone back to occasionally using

jarred baby food just to give him some variation from the usual chopped

veggies.

Hope this helps.

Irene

At 12:18 AM 1/8/04, you wrote:

>Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very well and

>had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though my milk

>supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints a day now

>compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three weeks he has

>developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal, on his

>nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and increased

>pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was one, with

>about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't want to

>walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

>

>He eats vegetarian, though I decided recently to allow him to eat meat if he

>wants, but he has been around it (my partner eats grass fed beef and organic

>free range chicken) and says it is gross. I've never referred to it as such

>in front of him, and after seeing my placenta it really doesn't gross me out

>anymore, so I'm thinking this is his own opinion. I have added some fish to

>my diet recently, and Cod Liver Oil; thanks to ya'll good people's advice I

>chose Carlson's which was very impressive with it's non fishy flavor and the

>fact that it was really cold in the box. He does not want to try any of

>these things. He put a flake of fish in his mouth and spit it out. He was

>eating many eggs until this month, but now the good ones are MIA, and he

>won't touch the Horizon eggs I tried(never again)... they are very pale to

>the point where he asked why they were white when I scrambled them!

>

>The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat, are popcorn,

>quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and apparently she

>has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread also. He

>won't even eat fruit except for occasionally pineapples, has suddenly become

>disgusted with greens, etc. In the past I would just have healthy stuff

>around, and he would eat, but now, even if he knows I have nothing other

>than the good stuff, he just won't eat at all!

>

>His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he never could

>sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and let him eat

>lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which constipated him

>for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and great

>diet, arghh!

>

>I am worried this will lead to more serious problems. Maybe I'm just

>overreacting, but every toddler I know, aside from Gaby, is sick ALL THE

>TIME. Many of them have asthma, ear infections, etc. He doesn't get

>sick(knock on wood). I don't want him to start.

>

>So, sorry to run on so long, any suggestions?

>

>Sincerely and thanks in advance,

>

>Michele

>

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>

>

[Guest guest]

Jafa,

I think this is a great topic and I really feel for you. I think if you are

able to start early, of course that works the best because then so much is

considered part of the rhythym and routine of the day, the week, the month,

the year, it just happens a little more easily. I don't know if your kids

have explosive emotions around all things or just dietary alterations, but I

can share some of my experiences as both a child and parent.

I remember as a child my mother had picked up information (probably from the

government food pyramid, right?) that said that we should be eating more

grains, less beef, that kind of thing. The grains weren't such a

difficulty, as she is Hispanic so we had always grown up eating rice, mostly

the white variety, but then she introduced brown rice. Normally I didn't

mind the brown rice, but she didn't have her water to grain ratios right, so

sometimes what we ate was awfully crunchy!

The elimination of beef was another matter altogether, and I remember as a

teenager when she was particularly avoiding beef the most that I had several

*fits* because my craving for the beef, especially the fat (she personally

hated the texture of meat fat so she always removed it, much to my dislike

because I had life long cravings for meat fats of all kinds!). Finally she

got it that I really *needed* this stuff, and the beef began making its way

back into the house. To this day I am grateful she actually listened to my

tantrums because I believe I was speaking for my body--at that time we were

a margarine consuming family, so truly the only vitamin-rich fats I was

getting were coming from beef, and to a lesser extent chicken.

I didn't get to see the original post about what your children have been

eating, but if they are clamoring for something specific it might be wise to

see what the nutritional need might be--for instance, if they are hungry for

potato chips are they craving potassium? vitamin/mineral rich fats?

something crunchy (which could be celery, a nice crisp fuji apple,

chicarones-fried pork rind, excuse my poor spelling). If they are crying to

get pizza at pizza hut, can you make pizza at home and have them help you,

maybe make your own cream cheese at home and do bagel-pizzas in the oven

after school? (In Brazil I found a wonderful soft cheese, much like creme

fraiche called catupiry, they used to put this on pizzas! The catupiry con

frango pizza has a tomato/pesto base on the crust, soft cheese/catupiry on

top, with chicken on top, so amazingly delicious!) If they are hungry for

pillsbury biscuits in a can or store bought baked goods, can you try some of

the NT recipes for biscuits, and serve with honey and butter, or sugar-free

jam? If they are hungry for sugar (and as addictive as that is, I bet they

will be), can you have them help you bake naturally sweetened things in your

house together? We made an awesome honey-sweetened wheat free fruit crisp

for Christmas, and our friends left the sugar-sweetened pies to eat what we

had because it was so good. I also remember as a teen being introduced to

British-style shortbread, while it was totally naughty white flour, it's

minimally sweetened and I actually liked that!

I think dietary shifts are hard enough in adults, for kids it is probably

way more intense, especially if they are older. Our local WPF chapter lady

had two kids at the time when she switched from vegetarianism to becoming

omnivores, and her older child has not been able to make that shift with

them very easily. I think she is required to take a spoonful of cod-liver

oil in the morning, but I think they realized they couldn't force her to eat

liver, and I believe the older child still does not eat all of the NT foods.

The younger child (younger than 4 when the shift started) has not been a

problem, but she hasn't had as long to get entrenched in the patterns of her

diet. However, she did tell me that the experiment with cultured milk

products failed in her family, especially with kefir--her family *hated*

kefir, and she realized the amount of sweeteners required to make it

palatable for her family turned an otherwise healthy beverage into something

that might also cause health problems. So realizing no one was drinking all

the beautiful kefir, she decided it didn't make sense for their family, and

stopped making it or trying to serve it.

Is it possible to make some agreements, such as Saturday is treat day--and

then make a coffee cake in the morning (I highly recommend _Alaska

Sourdough_ by Ruth Allman, but suggest adapting the recipes a la _Nourishing

Traditions_), or make ice cream at home, or something like that? I think

eventually the taste buds get sensitized to the taste of *real* food, but I

also think moderation might be very important. It also might make sense to

start with one thing at a time--ok the kids are relying on chips too much as

a staple, what can you supplement with? Can they eat chips one day a week

perhaps as you are making this shift? If the kids are eating sugar at every

meal and in between, can you provide easy access to fruit and have a " treat "

once a week?

I also think getting your kids involved in cooking with you, *doing* stuff

together might take some of the sting out of this, although I know with a 13

year old this can seem more like a torture than a fringe benefit. They

might be less excited about eating chicken hearts and helping you skewer

them for the barbecue, but what is the area they might be easily excited

about? Do you live someplace where you can get some chickens and maybe have

your oldest feed them on a daily basis, and both kids gather eggs? Can you

all go to a u-pick berry or fruit farm and then return home to make fruit

crisp or a pie? Can you cut up a pile of corn tortillas and fry them into

chips yourself and eat bean dip with them? (Maybe some day even make your

own tortillas, but even I don't like to go there as it is time consuming.)

Can you sneak some of this stuff into their meals? Like a little grated

cook liver in the spaggeti sauce? (I also like to purree a bunch of spinach

and add it to the spaggeti sauce too, no one ever seems to notice.) Or make

your own broths and stocks that you use to make sauces for other things or

cook rice in? Smoothies in the morning that have cod liver oil and cultured

milk products along with yummy fruit?

I think different parenting strategies will work for different kids,

especially at different ages. We started this while my daughter was (and

she still is) young so our struggles are not so great, mostly around sugar.

At this age I think it is totally appropriate for me to hold a very firm

parental line around this, and I listen to her feelings as I have time and

space for it. But I'm not sure that will be the best course of action with

your 13 year old! Personally, I don't think the reward thing is so bad, but

that's just me, I know we are all different.

For us with the sugar it was very simple--every time my daughter eats sugar

(especially with wheat or dairy, which are almost always the vehichles of

transmission) we end up taking her to the hospital for ear infections that I

cannot treat with our normal effective remedies. We don't have health

insurance, and I currently have $400 in medical bills that say I *need* to

be this firm with her about the sugar and wheat and dairy! She understands

that too. I don't know if your imperative is at that level, sometimes kids

understand these things too. And when I tell her that even I would like to

be able to eat sugar, wheat or dairy with impunity, I think it helps--and

she gets a kick out of watching me gag as I take cod liver oil, seeing that

she isn't the only one " suffering " . All the same, we have " treat day " once

a week, and she is allowed to have a naturally sweetened treat of some sort

(carob or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup on a wheat free waffle or something

like that), but only one, not an all day thing.

One thing that might be useful, especially with your older child--get a copy

of Weston Price's book _Nutrition and Physical Degeneration_ and have your

oldest simply look at the pictures and read the captions. The photos alone

might be effective...

Anyway, good luck, sorry this got so long!

Leann

[Guest guest]

Michele,

I don't know if this is the original post that started this thread

rolling--one thing to also think about at 20-24 months is the

appearance of the molars. Your little one might be struggling with

sleep difficulties, dietary quirks, all kinds of stuff because of

those molars working their way in.

Also developmentally, it's really a big time quite frankly!

When you say you only keep healthy foods around, I am curious what

that means--because quinoa isn't unhealthy in my book!

The whole 2-3 year time period is kind of funny quite frankly--my

daughter went most of that year (without ear infections or asthma)

not eating any veggies, and living on butter, meats, and rice

(brown). Now she eats veggies, in limited quantities, with or

without butter or dips.

Anyway, enough outta me, Leann

> >Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very

well and

> >had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though

my milk

> >supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints

a day now

> >compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three

weeks he has

> >developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal,

on his

> >nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and

increased

> >pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was

one, with

> >about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't

want to

> >walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

> >

> >He eats vegetarian, though I decided recently to allow him to eat

meat if he

> >wants, but he has been around it (my partner eats grass fed beef

and organic

> >free range chicken) and says it is gross. I've never referred to

it as such

> >in front of him, and after seeing my placenta it really doesn't

gross me out

> >anymore, so I'm thinking this is his own opinion. I have added

some fish to

> >my diet recently, and Cod Liver Oil; thanks to ya'll good

people's advice I

> >chose Carlson's which was very impressive with it's non fishy

flavor and the

> >fact that it was really cold in the box. He does not want to try

any of

> >these things. He put a flake of fish in his mouth and spit it

out. He was

> >eating many eggs until this month, but now the good ones are MIA,

and he

> >won't touch the Horizon eggs I tried(never again)... they are

very pale to

> >the point where he asked why they were white when I scrambled

them!

> >

> >The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat,

are popcorn,

> >quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and

apparently she

> >has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread

also. He

> >won't even eat fruit except for occasionally pineapples, has

suddenly become

> >disgusted with greens, etc. In the past I would just have healthy

stuff

> >around, and he would eat, but now, even if he knows I have

nothing other

> >than the good stuff, he just won't eat at all!

> >

> >His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he

never could

> >sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and

let him eat

> >lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which

constipated him

> >for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and

great

> >diet, arghh!

> >

> >I am worried this will lead to more serious problems. Maybe I'm

just

> >overreacting, but every toddler I know, aside from Gaby, is sick

ALL THE

> >TIME. Many of them have asthma, ear infections, etc. He doesn't

get

> >sick(knock on wood). I don't want him to start.

> >

> >So, sorry to run on so long, any suggestions?

> >

> >Sincerely and thanks in advance,

> >

> >Michele

> >

> >_________________________________________________________________

> >Enjoy a special introductory offer for dial-up Internet access —

limited

> >time only! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Leann ... quinoa isn't unhealthy per se, I'd just like to limit grains as

much as possible. I explained why in an earlier thread. If he is going to

eat grains, quinoa and amaranth are the best for him I think, being as his

ancestry is largely indigenous to South America, and they are higher in

protein with better amino acids, less on the GI, etc. He's had his molars

for a bit as he is 31mos. I think the foods you mentioned your daughter ate

were fine ...most of them don't like veggies a whole lot as it is mostly

wheat, corn, soy, dairy(for some), and refined foods which throw the

digestive system out of whack that cause asthma. It sounds like you are

doing a great job

Thanks for the ideas, Irene .. I wish Gaby liked sauces! He has this whole

texture issue where stuff makes him gag and vomit like any sauces,

dressings, nut butters, etc. He can eat certain soft things but others,

blech! He won't eat anything tangy, but he will try anything once or even

twice. He ate some eggs tonight, woohoo! The first time in a long while.

They were gold yolks, not orange, but apparently tasty enough for him. Those

nasty Horizon pale eggs really turned him off for a bit. I can't wait til

the local ones are available again. I am going to try experimenting with

different spices as I mostly cook Cuban style(onions, garlic, cumin,oregano,

bay leaf, paprika, etc) so all my food has the same spices. I make good

curry too, but its been a while. Anyway, take care!

Sincerely,

Michele

>From: " ebaypeeps " <happygardeners@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: What do your kids eat?

>Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 00:02:29 -0000

>

>Michele,

>

>I don't know if this is the original post that started this thread

>rolling--one thing to also think about at 20-24 months is the

>appearance of the molars. Your little one might be struggling with

>sleep difficulties, dietary quirks, all kinds of stuff because of

>those molars working their way in.

>

>Also developmentally, it's really a big time quite frankly!

>

>When you say you only keep healthy foods around, I am curious what

>that means--because quinoa isn't unhealthy in my book!

>

>The whole 2-3 year time period is kind of funny quite frankly--my

>daughter went most of that year (without ear infections or asthma)

>not eating any veggies, and living on butter, meats, and rice

>(brown). Now she eats veggies, in limited quantities, with or

>without butter or dips.

>

>Anyway, enough outta me, Leann

>

>

> > >Hello everyone. Up until recently - mid December- my son ate very

>well and

> > >had no deficiencies. He is still breastfeeding at 2 1/2, though

>my milk

> > >supply has dwindled a bit recently. I'd say he gets about 3 pints

>a day now

> > >compared to about a half gallon before. Within the past three

>weeks he has

> > >developed white spots and ridges, vertical and slightly diagonal,

>on his

> > >nails. I believe this due to a sudden lack of appetite and

>increased

> > >pickiness which leads to him eating less per day than when he was

>one, with

> > >about half the variety. His behavior has worsened, and he doesn't

>want to

> > >walk much anymore outside. He's acting plain out weird.

> > >

> > >He eats vegetarian, though I decided recently to allow him to eat

>meat if he

> > >wants, but he has been around it (my partner eats grass fed beef

>and organic

> > >free range chicken) and says it is gross. I've never referred to

>it as such

> > >in front of him, and after seeing my placenta it really doesn't

>gross me out

> > >anymore, so I'm thinking this is his own opinion. I have added

>some fish to

> > >my diet recently, and Cod Liver Oil; thanks to ya'll good

>people's advice I

> > >chose Carlson's which was very impressive with it's non fishy

>flavor and the

> > >fact that it was really cold in the box. He does not want to try

>any of

> > >these things. He put a flake of fish in his mouth and spit it

>out. He was

> > >eating many eggs until this month, but now the good ones are MIA,

>and he

> > >won't touch the Horizon eggs I tried(never again)... they are

>very pale to

> > >the point where he asked why they were white when I scrambled

>them!

> > >

> > >The only things he wants to eat, which I don't want him to eat,

>are popcorn,

> > >quinoa, millet, soynuts, quinoa/corn pasta at my moms, and

>apparently she

> > >has been giving him potato chips behind my back and " wheat " bread

>also. He

> > >won't even eat fruit except for occasionally pineapples, has

>suddenly become

> > >disgusted with greens, etc. In the past I would just have healthy

>stuff

> > >around, and he would eat, but now, even if he knows I have

>nothing other

> > >than the good stuff, he just won't eat at all!

> > >

> > >His sleep is erratic also, which I believe is due to hunger...he

>never could

> > >sleep well without eating enough. I gave in a couple times and

>let him eat

> > >lentils and quinoa here, and beans/rice at my mom's, which

>constipated him

> > >for two days. This is what I get for boasting his good health and

>great

> > >diet, arghh!

> > >

> > >I am worried this will lead to more serious problems. Maybe I'm

>just

> > >overreacting, but every toddler I know, aside from Gaby, is sick

>ALL THE

> > >TIME. Many of them have asthma, ear infections, etc. He doesn't

>get

> > >sick(knock on wood). I don't want him to start.

> > >

> > >So, sorry to run on so long, any suggestions?

> > >

> > >Sincerely and thanks in advance,

> > >

> > >Michele

> > >

> > >_________________________________________________________________

> > >Enjoy a special introductory offer for dial-up Internet access —

>limited

> > >time only! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup

> > >

> > >

> > >