Seeking Any Advice - San Antonio,TX

As long as the snacks are healthy ones that's good. I would not worry. Let them have healthy snacks when they are hungry and have them sit with you at meal times give them their portion but do not make a big deal about it. It is actually better for us to eat more often throughout the day rather than three big meals.

Cut the snacks OUT or down to one or none and just give them water or juice in between meals....then see how the eat.

Blessings....

take away a snack and give a meal instead. So you have Breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner and then at bedtime give them a light snack

(lunch can be a late one or dinner can be an early one)

children's vitamins are a good idea if you are really worried about their nutrition - but being worried about their nutrition makes me think that it's not super healthy snacks that they are getting. cut the serving sizes of their snacks way down, like by half, and make sure they are fruits, veggies, healthy stuff. and don't force the meals. as long as what they do eat is healthy, it doesn't matter what time of day they get it. i would not recommend the meal shakes (pediasure, etc) because those, while an ok subsititute short term (like if a child is sick and won't eat anything else - my son had hand, foot,and mouth disease and could not eat for over a week, and we used them) they are not good for long term. you need to get them used to eating healthy foods when it is given. those shakes just taste like chocolate milk. they will never learn to eat "real" food if you just give them what tastes like chocolate milk, every time they "refuse" to eat.

Are you making a big deal of their eating? Are they getting to see a "song and dance" when it comes to meal times? Are they getting extra attention because they can control something that you can't?

I would take away all the emotion out of it. Very matter-of-factly place the food in front of them. If they don't eat it after a few minutes, let them be excused from the table. Make it seem absolutely normal and just fine with you. No emotion.

If they ask for a snack, just say that we will eat lunch in ____ hours or minutes. If they cry, just say I am sorry you are sad, but we will be eating in ____ hours or minutes. No emotion - just in a very matter-of-fact tone.

If they don't like something that you have prepared, just ask them calmly to try it. If they don't like it, then say that they can have the ____ (whatever else is on the table). If they say they are not hungry, then act like that is normal and say,"OK. Maybe you will be hungry in the morning."

The trick is to act like this is totally normal. It's hard at first, but you will get the hang of it. Kids will not starve themselves but they will try every trick in the book to gain control if they are the strong-willed type.

Be careful about meal replacement shakes which could have loads of sugars and vitamins that can do more harm that good.
For example, calcium should not be an issue if someone eats a variety diet. High calcium in the diet is just as bad as low calcium. High calcium causes hypercalcemia, will deplete magnesium and also harden ateries and soft organs. The main role of vit D is calcium absorption. Again, taking supps with high calcium and vit d- and then a child drinking a fair amount of milk- can certainly be too much calcium. MIlk has 8 times the calcium to magnesium ratio! It is magnesium that is needed moreso than calcium int he American diet. High milk intake drinkers can get alkalosis and hypercalcemia. Iron has it's own issues too......Iron is fatal in large doses because it builds up in tissue over time and the body has no way to get rid of it (unless you bleed it out). Especailly in little bodies. Iron can be highly poisonous. Iron feeds bacteria. So does folic acid. Multi vitamins are a farce. One should only supplement what is needed or lacking. Because our foods have vit D, folic acid, and iron ALREADY put in them, I sure wouldn't do a vitamin on top of that.

I have been a medical researcher for 11 years. Here is my recommendation:

If any nutrients are needed by most, they would probably be vit C, and vit B, magnesium, and essensial fatty acids.

The food pyramid is a joke. The food pyramid is making Americans sick and fat. It shows the majority of calories from carbs-which break down to SUGARS and effect glucose and insulin. Cut down on sugars and carbs which destroy appetite. Do not feed juice (unless you have squeezed it yourself). Most anything from a bottle is just sugar water. Crackers and breads as snacks will reduce appetite for meals. No milk in between meals. Only water. Meals should have a good deal of meat/protien in them. Also understand that children need animal fats to get vit A because they cannot convert retinol from beta carotene (the beta carotene in fruits/veggies). So make sure kids get some meat. Serve organ meats like liver and kidney which are powerhouses of nutrition.

If a child continues to have poor feeding after snacks are eliminated, tests should be done to check for Low cortisol hormones....especially if there is failure to thrive or low weight for age.

Gail

I cut out snacks. They either eat at the designated times - breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, after school snack and dinner.

Ask them what they would like for dinner - get their input on the menu so that they will be interested in the food - even at 3 - ask them to help with dinner - maybe pour the water or milk in....something VERY easy...but get them involved.

DO NOT fix special meals. DO NOT become a short order cook. Set the schedule and have them eat during that time. If they claim hunger after the fact - too bad - I know that sounds harsh - but seriously - if you start bending the rules and established guidelines - they will bend them even more and take advantage even more....you are the parent. You are in control.....

Don't give in to the whining. No means no. I know it's hard - but really - once they realize that no amount of begging, whining or crying will get them what they want - and that NO MEANS NO - they will eat during the scheduled dinner times.

You could always talk to your pediatrician and ask him/her if you should be worried. Are they growing normally? It could be that they aren't eating very much because they aren't going through a growth spurt right now. If you are really worried, you can keep a food diary of what they eat every day and show it to your pediatrician to see what the doctor recommends. My daughter has always been small for her age (she is in the 25th percentile in height and weight) and she's been a picky eater, but she's always been really healthy and growing and developing normally, and the doctor always told me that this is what matters. Just keep offering them food throughout the day. My doctor also recommended vitamins; they sell the gummy vitamins for kids that my pediatrician recommended that you could try.

I'm sure they're getting enough nutrition. Kids at that age are big snackers. Actually, small meals are best for us all. Just make sure they're getting lots of veggies and fruits and cheese at their 2 snack times and they should be good to go. Maybe cutoff snacks 2 or 3 hours before meals. That should be about perfect timing. Good luck!

One of my grandson's was like that and an incredibly picky eater. I gave him meal shakes which come in chocolate or vanilla flavor and they are considered a complete nutritious meal. I also gave him additional supplements to cover the fruits and vegetables he wouldn't eat.

You can learn more at http://ShoppingWright.com and just put 'meal shakes' in the search bar. Lots of info is available for you.

Feel free to message me with any questions.

Good luck!
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If my dd hasn't had an afternoon snack by 3/3:30, we eliminate it for the afternoon so she'll eat dinner...we were running into the same thing as you. That seems to work for us. Try getting those pediasure drinks or give them a vitamin to ensure they're getting some of the nutrients they need, but don't completely depend on them as they don't provide all that's needed and it's important to learn good eating habits early. Good luck

See following info on picky eaters. The link has more info as well:

http://bit.ly/egCAEL

Offer new foods on multiple occasions. Many children need to try a new food up to a dozen times before they like it.
Set a good example and try new foods yourself.
Encourage healthy food portions. Never insist that children “clean their plates.” Rewarding a clean plate may lead to a distorted idea of food, such as ignoring feeling full or eating for a reward.
Make healthy snacks available. Make fruits or veggies convenient to your child.

I think this will answer a lot of your questions:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t030800.asp

Hope it helps you not to worry too much :)

if snack time is when they are hungery let those times be when they get there nutrition. or change it up a bunch and cut snack time out. i find it best to skip things when we are doing a fun activity that day. example:eat breakfast then go to the zoo come home for lunch then nap when they wake up from the nap go to the park or for a walk in the neighborhood. they will be distracted from the snack time.
it does seem like two snacks are excessive. most daycares and such have breakfast lunch snack then the parents are incharge of dinner. but if snacks is when they eat then make those snacks count ;) good luck.

All Moms worry about this at one time or another. What we all learn is that when our children are hungry, they will eat. I often wonder how my four-year-old is still alive on what she eats but she eats when she is hungry. I only give healthful nutritious snacks and dinners. I cook a lot so they aren't often willing to eat what I cook but I put it in front of them anyway. If they don't eat, they'll be hungry.

Of course, sometimes I do cave and give them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at night which makes the not eating dinner habit worse, but how rigid of me to NEVER break the rules. They are kids, after all, and these years go by so fast. :)

Can you have them eat children's vitamins? My daughter thinks its candy lol. Are they losing weight or gaining weight normally? On some days when my daughter refuses to eat, I put the plate of food on her little spongebob table in the den (where her toy area is) and walk away. It's amazing because she will eat it if I'm not watching or am not around. I'll check on her 3 or 4 minutes later and she'll be munching on her dinner. I'm not sure if this will work with 3 kids, but it might.