Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Writebrite — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:06:56 GMT

Kids Greens vitamins. They are fantastic! Kinda strange looking with their lack of coloring...a little like the contents of those new-born diapers molded into animal shapes...but whatever, my kids love them. I saw an actual definable change in their behaviour and (sorry) poop as all those carbs were being beat down by the greens. But really, who wants to play nice when they are having (sorry, again) poop issues?

The boy went through a french toast phase for 3 months of dinners, and is now sitting strong in a Captain Crunch phase, 3 weeks and counting. At least the Captain gives some sort of variety though.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

notmyneurosis — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:54:31 GMT

My 4-yr old has recently decided that granola bars, toast, and organic peanut butter will be his sole nutritional components. This menu replaces scrambled eggs with mustard, multigrain crackers, and raisins. Much to his chagrin, the constant efforts to include candy as a staple have not been successful as candy is a rarity in our house. It is anticipated that earnest protesting will continue.

This child has been phasing like this for a good year now, with an occasional fruit and/or veggie in the mix. There was a broccoli period that we were initially excited about, but also greatly relieved to see the end of. Good God the smells that came from that child!!!

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

EllaAnne — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:33:23 GMT

My son is an amazing food prep chef, can pit olives, chop and crush garlic, seed peppers, etc, but will not eat anything but PBJ sandwiches, cereal, chicken and carrots. I'm jut letign people know that helping you cook will not guarantee that he'll eat it. Loves to help me cook, won't eat it. He's been helping me cook since before he could walk.

He ALSO refuses jam with bits of fruit! Even candy that TASTES like fruit! Hes 4.5 and otherwise lovely.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

K. C. — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:18:15 GMT

Being a parent is HARD work. I wish judgmental people would just zip it. We should support each other instead of tearing each other down about our kids' eating, sleeping, pooping, playing, or just living habits.

Sorry. :). Reading that someone made a comment about your son eating mac and cheese made me mad.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Heide — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:48:16 GMT

My girly has always been a good eater too, and now at 2.5 she is starting to develop these annoying OPINIONS, and is getting pickier about food... I'm just waiting for it all to fall apart and for her to start living on pizza and mac'n'cheese like every other kid. Oh well, at least she had a few good years of nutrient-rich food that hopefully gave her wee body a healthy foundation.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Don Mills Diva — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:25:33 GMT

When my son was one he ate swordfish and wilted spinach like a champ. Now at three he insists on canned mini ravioli 2-3x a week and french fries every time he dines out (at least once a week).

He's also smart, funny, strong and has had exactly one cold in the past two years so...whatever...

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

No Mommy Brain — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:35:15 GMT

thanks for the reminder that forcing our kids to eat is stupid and unhealthy. we have pretty much made peace with the fact that our 3 year old will only eat certain things (fruit, oatmeal, kashi waffles, goldfish, milk, veggie bites, and lots and lots of organic peanut butter) but recently my husband's sister did the whole, "aren't you worried about his poor eating habits?" it's like, no we're not worried! he speaks in complete sentences, can count and add and subtract and has memorized half the books in our house. if he was malnourished, i think we'd know! not that i didn't wish he would just eat whatever we put in front of him, i just wish people would mind their own business.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

nmsuarez — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:53:28 GMT

Here's something we recently discovered for our two year dol: pumpkin seeds. They are loaded with iron, magnesium, manganese, protein, zine and other good stuff. I started eating them in large quantities when I was pregnant with my dd. They are sort of addictive. I picked up the habit again now that I'm expecting #2, and lo and behold, dd *loves* them. To her, they are a fun and crunchy snack. We buy the roasted tamari ones in bulk... so good!

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Raquel — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:24:48 GMT

There is a 10, 11 and 12 year age gap between my two youngest brothers and little sister. That said, their eating habits and wants were left up to me and my older sister. I remember complaining to my mother why she let them get away with eating Honey Nut Cheerios for dinner and slices of Wonderbread for breakfast. Her answer? "Because I'm tired of working all day and then coming home to work even more. If they want to eat raw hot dogs out of the package, then let them. They're hungry." I felt like they were savages. But I took my mother's mentality and ran with it. If they were hungry and all they wanted was toast and beans, then so be it, toast and beans it would be. If my 3 year old brother insisted on drinking his milk out of a bowl like our cat, then have at it, just as long as he drank the whole bowl. And now? They eat everything...they are not picky. But years later I see my mother's point of view. I have no children of my own but she told me that it was all just a phase and that soon enough they would be stuffing their faces and the picky-ness would be gone. Mom was right.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Kaci — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 09:43:56 GMT

Okay, that kid's hair is so shiny what ever he is eating couldn't be that bad!

Plus, at least he is eating...right?

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Susie Felber — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:30:30 GMT

I'm loving this post. I too was cocky about how diverse and healthy my boys tastes were -- now, as the # of fruits and veggies he eats diminishes daily like sands though and hourlass -- I realize that I, was a dumbass.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

denese — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:57:01 GMT

right on lady, not forcing it & keeping optimistic for the future! my parents practically tortured me with food...i had to eat things i didn't like or just didn't want, had to eat everything on the plate before getting down from the table, and got made fun of when i would express any of my many food issues.

i never developed a typical eating disorder, just food OCD. no onions, peppers, mustard, pickles, olives, anything pickled, lots of things. things can't touch on the plate. i always have to use extra big plates just so things don't touch. thanksgiving dinner is a nightmare for me because gravy, juice from cranberry sauce or fruit salad, wet things mixing everything up, i flip out. can't share anything with anyone (even my husband) due to saliva phobia and germs and the way they eat said thing will not mesh with my way (i have a certain order for eating certain things like sandwiches? have to eat them from the bottom up, and sharing things like slices of cake...i was planning on eating that bite after this one but before that one).

i'm 24 on the outside. on the inside, food-wise? 4. or howard hughes.

i love cooking and now eat healthier than my parents. growing up, it was totally a control thing. i'm happy to see that one less kid is getting the food shaft, and i will use your inspiration when my baby hits this stage. thanks!

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

jennie — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:04:19 GMT

my son's ped told us to give him chocolate milk when he first came off formula, since the good milk part outweigh the chocolate bad part.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

beth — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:35:12 GMT

ps: the earthbox couldn't be easier- I water it once a week other than that it takes care of itself.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

beth — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:32:16 GMT

Have you tried growing any vegetables? Maybe if Archer is involved in watching a seed turn into a sprout, into a plant, into his dinner he'd be excited about eating it- or at least would want to try it? I started using a earthbox (http://www.earthbox.com/) to grow tomatoes on my patio and my four year old, despite his picky eating elsewhere, will happily pop cherry tomatoes into his mouth off the bush. Anyway, good luck!

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Brittany — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:50:35 GMT

My son Kyler will eat almost anything. But we also make him at least "try" everything. He will tell us I don't like that. Doesn't matter you still have to take a bite, then AMAZINGLY enough, once he's tried it, he LOVES it. Funny how moms know best. Don't stress it. My brother is a twig and won't eat much of anything so when he asked for something my step-mom adds as much fattening stuff to it as she can, LOTS OF BUTTER PLEASE or whatever else she can to get him to eat something.. He'll grow out of it. Maybe try to give him control over something else, and then food will be less of a battle. I don't know this for sure, but I'm just thinking with not eatting anything but mac & cheese is his way of controling a situation. Maybe let him know that he can pick out his own clothes every morning for school or something similar. And no matter what he picks, you don't change it. Just a thought, it might not work, but that's my 2 cents. I also like the sword idea. I might do this just for fun.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Rachel — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:15:56 GMT

My boyfriend also eat fast food every day - if not twice a day - and is super thin, with a high metabollism (I, on the other hand, am a vegetarian who tries to steer clear of that junk). He is also wonderful/amazing and I wouldn't change a thing about him! Archer will be just fine! Don't listen to those turds.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Lauren — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:51:38 GMT

Yay! I'm not the only one!! My son is 3 and has refused to eat veggies for over a year now. I used to freak out and yell and scream and force him to take one bite. You know what that got me? Both of us crying and vomit on the floor. Kids are fun!

Now I try my best not to stress about it. Hopefully he will eat something new someday. I'm just glad we're all on this boat together. Thanks!

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Jen B — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:05:38 GMT

MY 11 yr old son wouldn't touch a vegetable until the past six months. No joke. I mean maybe the rare carrot stick now and then. However I've been able to get him to eat a bit of veggie at his meals. I just give him a small amount and he eats that up, and now he's stopped fighting us over it. It's amazing. But 11 years and nada. Bizarre. He's also the least adventuresome with eating and hates anything with a lot of taste to it.

My 2 1/2 yr old daughter was great when she first had solid solids. She'd eat anything. Loved it all. Anything I made she'd eat. Now? The last three months or so, she's picky as hell. She'd live on ham & cheese sandwiches, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, veggie burgers and mac n cheese if given the chance. OH and the Mac n Cheese can ONLY be the Kraft kind that are Spongebob Squarepants. No joke. ONLY Bob will do. I made homemade mac n cheese last weekend and she won't touch it.

BUT she also loves most fruit and for veggies she'll attack the grape/cherry tomatoes like they're m&m's. She also will eat steamed broccoli and mushrooms(raw only). But if I make chili, or chicken, or some other nice cooked meal she turns her nose up. Dinner time has become a nightmare. And she rarely eats much at breakfast time. And at that I can ONLY feed her an hour after she's been awake. She's not hungry that first hour.

So yeah, kids go through cycles and I try not to stress too much about it. And personally, I eat pretty good but have a serious sweet tooth that's my downfall. And my kids have it too. I don't ban sweets because if they're banned they want them even more.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Stacy — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:57:26 GMT

Eh. My two-year-old will eat almost anything, but he eats about two bites of it and then he's finished for the day. Literally. He's as tall as a three-year-old and skinny as a twelve-month-old. Pants shopping is way fun, let me tell you.

My ped continues to be unconcerned, so I guess I am too. I just make sure he gets his vitamins every day, and the occasional Nutri-Pals drink if I feel he's gone too long without a decent meal.

***Yvonne, you can find those cocktail swords at party supply places like Party City.***

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

ninja — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:06:45 GMT

oh, and in our case shopping and *cooking* together helped as well. you've probably been down that road a long time ago...

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

ninja — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:05:15 GMT

have you tried freshly made juices at home? you sound like you might have a juicer in the kitchen, and i have yet to meet a preschooler who can resist putting their own fruit (and, gasp!, veggies) down the chute. maybe you can get him to drink his health food on a daily basis that way ... of course, the twice-weekly smoothies are already a great start.

btw, my daughter was the same way: trying every food and eating nearly everything we offered her. when she started pre-school at 3, her food preferences rapidly decreased but we're still hovering at a tolerable level (just a notch above daily mac'n'cheese). she gets those organic multi-vitamin gummies though, which she consideres a treat.

i like that you're trying hard, but not making him entirely miserable over it. he'll probably outgrow it much faster this way.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Tracey — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:01:28 GMT

mine is also very picky and we, like you, USED to pride ourselves on all the things our brilliant daughter would eat...tofu- yes! spicy thai - yes! veggies - the greener the better! now, no way. pretty much lives on bread products and dairy. It is frustrating but I do remind myself it HAS to be a phase. We eat well and will continue to eat well, so she will eventually come around. I thought I should tell you though - hearing from someone who took their picky kid to a dietitian, I was told to measure their intake by the week, not by the day. so if archer eats all bread products "most of the time" but gets his fruit and veggies in "some of the time" over the course of a week, you're good to go!

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

Meredyth — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:36:37 GMT

When I was a kid we had a rule, we had to have a "No Thank You helping" meaning we had to at least try it before we could answer 'No thank you' if we were asked if we wanted seconds. I used to always complain that I could just say 'No thank you' the first time because I'd KNOW I didn't want it. I don't know if it would work for a 3 year old, but it definitely helps with table manners later. I think you're on the right track as far as his eating habits. At least you're trying to get him to eat other stuff. Don't give up! And someone's suggestion to have him help you in the kitchen might be good too. At least you're encouraging the healthy stuff, and eating it yourself. That's probably the best example.

re: Macaroni and cheese is TOO a four course meal! #denial

sarah — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:53:59 GMT

I've heard butternut squash is a good mix-in with mac and cheese. Mmm...sounds good. I might have to try it myself!