Supplements / Vitamins???

Hi all

My DS has just gone 2 in May and is a TERRIBLE eater.....

I have probably done all the wrong things with him being my first and just giving in etc with what he wants, but he hardly eats any meat, vegies or fruit....he still has a couple of bottles a day (day sleep and nightime) which I know he probably shouldnt but I dont want him to starve and it's his comfort....

He isnt underweight or unhealthy looking and has mountains of energy but I was just thinking (and sick of mum being at me all the time!) should he be taking vitamins or some sort of supplement to make sure he is getting all the goodness he doesnt get in his diet??

Thanks for reading!:)

Hhhmmmm- have thought about it and figured that if I were you I would not give the vits etc but really try working on the food part, even with the help of a MCHN, a paed, a dietician etc as he really needs a complete range of nutrients that often supplements alone can help ie supps are meant to supplement a healthy diet not so much replace one. If you are really concerned why don't you try limiting bottles of milk as that would really be ruining DS's appetite to eat if he has too much. It is really hard getting them to eat good food but don't blame yourself. Your post sounds as though you are concerned enough to consider vits but I am sure in the long term a healthy diet is the way to go.

I supplement my childrens diet (mostly healthy, sometimes lacking a little meat and veg) with Pentavite childrens (including Iron). Avail at your chemist. It's in liquid form xo

If you cut back on the milk it should increase his food intake...I did that with my DS. If he is drinking a lot of milk he won't be hungry for food. If you think about it, if you drank a couple of milkshakes you wouldn't be too inclined to eat much either. Then offer him his favourite foods and go from there.

I found homemade crumbed chicken fingers and fish fingers to be winners because he can stab them with a fork and dip them in sauce. I put the sauce in an eggcup which he thinks is a bit special. I also make him macaroni and cheese and I put pureed spinach into the cheese sauce and that is his favourite meal. He actually thinks macaroni and cheese is supposed to be green. He doesn't eat much fruit so I let him have an inch of juice in the bottom of a cup sucked through a straw (to help protect his teeth a bit).

I can usually convince him to have a couple of spoonfuls of mixed veggies but there have been times when he hasn't ingested any veggie for about 3 days. And he likes baked beans so I give him the salt reduced version. I can't get him to eat red meat at all but he will entertain a hamburger from McDonalds so my next step is to make homemade hamburgers and sneak grated veggies into the mince mix - kind of like a rissole burger LOL.

Good luck! My DS also has a very limited repertoire and this is despite my spending hours making him little casseroles and whatnot as a baby which he loved then and totally rejects now.

And yes, I give him a vitamin. I use the Herron chewable ones - he loves them and asks for them. He knows just one a day. It makes me feel better, at least.

I like Curly's approach - use the vits now to help boost the nutrients etc... but work on the food side as well (and what great ideas too). xxx