2Yr Old Won't Eat

[slvrbtrfly]

My 2 yr old was just recently put on a gluten-free diet, for the possibility of celiacs. I'm having a hard time getting her to eat anything remotely healthy. Any ideas on how and what to get het to eat while her body heals?

[Wolicki]

Hmm, not knowing her dietary restrictions other than gluten, I will give it a shot. I have a picky 9 yr old Celiac. Here are some of the things he likes:

Udi's bread with peanut butter and banana

strawberry yogurt (we freeze GOGURT so it's like ice cream)

rice cakes with peanut butter or jelly

sliced bananas and berries

quesadillas made with corn tortillas and melted cheese

string cheese

baby carrots (my son doesn't like dips but some kids like a ranch dressing)

Glutino crackers

Lightly sauteed bits of tofu (maybe my son is a little strange but he loves tofu and brussels sprouts)

chunks of cut up fruit, dipped in yogurt

grilled cheese sammies with Udi's

Vans gluten free waffles

chunks of left over grilled chicken

beef kabobs

Hope that helps a bit!

[ravenwoodglass]

What was she eating most before diagnosis? If you tell us what she ate before we might be able to suggest things she would be more willing to try.

Sometimes if you let a child 'help' with the food prep it can make them more likely to eat what is served. She is of course to little to cook but she could help put veggies in a cold pan and add the water from a little cup. She could help mix meatloaf and help pat it in a pan. She could arrange fruit that you cut up in pretty ways on a plate. Even helping to pick out the veggies and fruit at the store may help. I used to give my kids a choice. I would ask them if they wanted peas or carrots for dinner for example rather than saying 'do you want peas tonight'. Giving them a choice helped make it 'their decision' and they were more likely to eat something they chose. Giving a choice also avoids them saying no and since some kids, like mine, had a hard time coming up with something on their own it worked better than asking them what they wanted.

[missy'smom]

jello made with 100% fruit juice, no sugar added, and knox gelatin

popsicles made with same juice in dollar store molds

Motts makes flavored applesauce cups that have no sugar and no artificial sweeteners-peach, strawberry, pomegranate, bluberry

Gerber makes freeze dried fruit bits in pouches, there are other brands out there as well

[music7778]

My 20 month old daughter was not eating at all also. Our doctor suggested we test her for celiac disease because our 4 year daughter has also been tested. Both of my daughter's have had negative blood tests, but both do much better following the gluten free diet. It took awhile for my youngest daughter to start eating, but even after a few days she was trying more food. We just kept putting the gluten free food in front of her, and she slowly trusted us to eat it. I think before she was probably getting tummy aches, but couldn't tell us, so she just didn't eat. A couple of things that she did like right away were the Go Gurts and the Gerber dried fruit. Now she will try about anything after only about 5 weeks of following the diet. We have also let her dip her meat in Heinz Ketchup which probably isn't the healthiest, but she is at least eating. And if milk seems to be bothering her at all right now, my daughters like the vanilla rice dream. Just hang in there. It will get easier!