A Toddler Carb Addict

Our LO is just the same way. As he has entered toddlerhood, he seems to get more and more picky about eating, and will only want carbs. DH uses "bribery" to get him to eat other things. For example, he will dangle a piece of cracker in front of him, and the only way he gets to eat it is if he has a piece of fruit first. It is painstaking really, since each bite of food is such a battle. If anyone else has some suggestions, I'd love to hear from you!

Head Games helped me. Dr. Pescatores book Thin For Good was very useful for me in learning and getting behind some of my resistance to change which I think makes carb cravings have more power. If I recognized the craves as a positive sign I was changing that helped and now 5 months later I'm rarely craving. Virtual eating was an interesting game. Some stupid food would worm into my mind and instead of eating it I would imagine eating it. Imagining it in great detail, for the entire duration of time it would take to eat it. Spending the time doing it in itself really took the charge out of certain craves. Curiously I would also find the belly aches, headaches, fatigue after a virtual eating experience and that helped me get very clear that I didn't want to feel like that any more. One day My denial departed and my excuses were left on weak ground. Excuses were not something I needed to act on. My actions help calm my carb cravings. Just like a crack addict should probably avoid crack houses I try and avoid seeing those glistening delights (de-light as in you'll get fatter) trying to tempt me from their bakery glass coffins. I accept that they are good, and instead of saying to myself, "never again" I say, "not today" and my mind seems to accept that easier. I quit watching Food TV, reading food magazines and closeted my treasured bread baking books. When I'm feeling cravy or weak I use distraction actions; yoga, sauna, massage... I sourced for more courage, for courage seemed required to change when the world at large seems to suggest you can't age beautifully and with excellent health. Courage was needed to go against the common dietary advice and try something really different for me. I sourced for this courage near and far. Walking where I had not tread. Boarding jets alone for distant lands where my native tounge is not spoken and my courage would be tested. This all made me stronger and thus it is easier to resist a choice away from my goal. Through resisting craves I got stronger and I learned I don't fall apart like a toddler when I don't get some snacky thing. Through self acceptance I learned I had a problem I cared to fix. The latest thing helping me is adopting a warrior mentality, rather than a scavenger mentality. I try and choose from what I am free to choose from, and to recognize that I don't want to be a scavenger picking tidbits food that I encounter at the schools, stores, etc...If the warrior wants ice cream, she finds the best, most satisfying one even if it takes a couple days, the warrior doesn't go for second best. The toddler is weak for food, and around food. I told myself to grow up!

Didn't the tortellini have something inside it, like cheese? If he ate the whole thing he is getting some protein... I've always subscribed to the school of thought that I offer a well balanced meal and choose when they eat, they choose how much and what to eat from what is on their plates. If he eats all the carby stuff from his plate and wants more, I would have him finish what he has before seconds of anything. All my kids eat veggies and love salad, but it took a while, I just kept offering. That's what has worked for me, my oldest child (who is almost 18) was picky and loved pasta, crackers, bread, etc the most! He is healthy, 6'1" and slender.

My tot wouln't eat ham or your pasta thing,I would let it go,try with other things,that he will eat.Maybe vitamines and chicken.Tots can be very picky.

I have had toddlers that only wanted to eat junk foods/carbs. Because your FS is so overweight, you might try to first worry about getting him eating other foods, rather than worrying about him getting food from every food group. That will come with time. When kids get hungry, they will eat. Remember that. My DD would on occasion go a day or two without eating because we would not give her the 3 C's; cookies, chips, crackers. So many kids that come from neglectful situations have been eating whatever they can find whenever they want which is usually cereal, chips and crackers. It's hard to undo all that learning when it comes to food. It's a slow process. By slow, I mean a long, long time depending on the history of the child. Our 4 yr old came her at 18 months old. We saw a significant change in her eating with 6 months and when she was about 3 I really saw that the food issues were almost gone. She eats at a normal pace now and doesn't ask for food 24/7. She still does ask for breakfast as soon as she is out of the bed in the morning though. Lots of threads have been written on this very subject and I took a lot of the suggestions from the forums and put them to use. First thing is: Routine, routine, routine. Here is what worked for us: There are always fresh crunchy veggies available( crunchy because they have more fibre). I made snack plates with crunchy veggies, a little peanut butter on whole wheat crackers(2) or dressing( not a lot). Yogurt and nuts are also good. If she said she was hungry, I could get a snack plate from the fridge asap. If she wanted to eat, it was right there. No sugar drinks. Milk or water. You can add a Boost type drink if needed for nutrition during the day. No taking a bottle/cup to bed either. Food happens at the table. Routine.Meals and snacks at a set time every day. Sit at the table to eat even if it's a snack. This helps to teach them that food/drink is eaten at the table and not all over the house.( one of my pet peeves is to see a toddler walking around with a sippy cup of liquid as though they were in danger of dehydration in the living room) Fix meal plates with appropriate amounts of each thing. reduce the carbs to a small amount. If the carbs are eaten first and he is still hungry, there are more items to eat. No dessert. Remember, he will eat when he is hungry. Sometimes, kids eat because it's an emotional comfort and they only know the flavor of certain foods. Carbs are necessary, but you can control them.I reduced( almost eliminated) anything that was sweet or excessive carbs from our DD diet the first year. That meant there was no mac and cheese or cake, and no soft drinks or juice except for special occasions. We had to get her taste buds back to normal and over time it worked. She began to eat veggies within a short time because she was hungry. By setting a routine, she could expect that food would be on the table every day at the same time and snacks also. It does help their mind re-wire to expect food at a particular time rather than all the time.