My 2 year old son is a very picky eater. Does anyone know if it is possible to give children protein powder without any adverse side effects?
Id prefer he just get it from food at this age but he hardly eats any protein. He mostly eats dry cereal and bread.
My 2 year old son is a very picky eater. Does anyone know if it is possible to give children protein powder without any adverse side effects?
Id prefer he just get it from food at this age but he hardly eats any protein. He mostly eats dry cereal and bread.
My 2 year old son is a very picky eater. Does anyone know if it is possible to give children protein powder without any adverse side effects?
Id prefer he just get it from food at this age but he hardly eats any protein. He mostly eats dry cereal and bread.
You gotta remember something, little kids (under 10) really only NEED something like one or two tablespoons of food per year of life/per meal, seriously. A lot of little kids who appear to be picky eaters to their parents are really just what I would call "grazers" who nibble lightly. If you take advantage of this eating habit young you'll actually end up with a child who will have healthy, natural eating habits (i.e., eating only when hungry and eating only to satiation).
Now the trick is to get them eating OUTSIDE their box:
1. Don't turn food into a war. You WILL create a child with fucked up eating habits. Find the few healthy things the child will eat, and offer them if food becomes an issue. If you have a 2year old who eats nothing but 1/2 a peanut butter sandwich with apple slices and a glass of milk for three meals a day, so be it. Little children do not have the same requirements as we do. They need WAY more fat and carb (for brain feeding) and less protein (they are not building much mass). Be matter of fact about it. If you make a dinner the kid really doesn't want, you ask them to just try a bite (again, don't get into a battle of wills) and once they do that, if they still don't like it you say "well, then you can have XYZ" and don't ASK them what they want, seriously. You offer them the default healthy meal. If they don't want that, then they can do without, seriously. Do NOT cater to a kid though meaning, don't let them turn their nose up at dinner and THEN tell you what they want. You tell them what they can have, and if they don't want that then they must not be hungry, huh?
2. Learn to be happy if they "try" it. Just get them to eat ONE mouthful of a strange food. Tell them they don't have to love it, just try that because they can't really know they dislike something until they've actually eaten it.
3. Don't keep junk in the house, period. I kept NO candy/chips/cookies (unless homemade and healthy) in the house when my son (the air fern) was a little guy until he was a young teenager, I think (by then he didn't go for junk, he went for tuna and hot dogs). Do not use candy or cookies (junk) as a default treat. For sweets keep yogurt, fruit, dried fruit. You'd be amazed by how many battles are solved just by having no junkie alternatives available. It's a lot easier for a kid to push for the sugary cereals and candy bars if they know you've got the stuff in the cabinet.
4. Give them a daily multivitamin to cover any gaps.
This page contains mature content. By continuing, you confirm you are over 18 and agree to our TOS and User Agreement.