Picky Eater

At 19 months, this precious little girl is as fun as can be. Laughs all the time, plays non-stop, smart as a whistle, and willingly hugs and kisses us with so much sweetness it literally makes me melt. However, there is a side of her that often tests my patience and makes me wonder if I should get padded floors to cushion her from the tantrums: meal time. There are only a handful of foods my daughter will eat: white rice (how asian of her), some cereal (she is selective, by color and shape of course), fish crackers, those tiny bowls of Dole peaches and pears that come in really sugary syrup, blue berries and yogurt. Let's not forget her main source of protein: MILK. At 19 months, she is still very much in love with her bottle, and won't drink milk out of anything but a bottle. She drinks water out of sippy cups no problem, even learned to drink from a regular cup....but her milk has to be warmed up and fed in Dr. Brown's 8oz. bottles--yeah, any other brand and she'll literally throw it back at you with a loud "NO!"

I try to diversify by offering different vegetables, fruit, and whatever else we happen to be eating, but the only two things we've had luck with are cheese and pepperoni?

The doctor insists she is healthy and thriving, but I wonder how many years of battling at dinner time I have ahead of me? Perhaps I give up too quickly and give in to what she'll actually eat in fear of her not eating at all..... or perhaps I've met my match when it comes to being stubborn. I am hoping with time she'll come to realize that food is delicious and that there are so many other wonderful options out there. She used to love all kinds of baby food that I used to make for her...and one day, she just started refusing everything that was a color or shape that she disapproved of.

I am constantly trying to read up on toddler eating, so if any of you have any suggestions, send them my way! For now......I will keep my fridge stocked up with her "staples" and continue offering her new foods every day. Not even this cool trip to the grocery store made her interested in food........if anything, she kept grabbing bubble bath and and soap (she does love her tub time!).