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18mo with a new found independence, nervous to do whole 30


danniv13

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my family is very health conscious already and we have tried to follow a somewhat paleo diet , as much as our budget can stand, because we choose all organic ,  and pastured animals over all, so we have been limited. however, in the past few months with my little one getting older and nursing less, eating more, i have found all of a sudden that we are loaded with grains  and dairy in this house , in my attempt to make sure she is getting everything she needs everyday.  which brings us to starting out whole 30 next week.  she has eaten most everything since she started food, although she has trouble with nuts still and certain meats, and salad greens are not high up on her list.   at 18 months her attention span for eating has dropped tremendously (5 minutes and she wants to get out), she has developed into that stage of not trying new things, getting stuck in oatmeal with blueberries or raisins for breakfast, and I am kind of nervous how it will all play out when i take all of the grains, and dairy out of her diet . she doesn't have sugar in her diet besides fruit and the occasional coconut sugar avocado cookie that i make so her diet is not laden with hidden refined sugars, we don't eat any processed foods either.  

 

 if she doesn't eat , she is going to be hungry , and then will she be up all night because she is hungry?  she is very strong minded for a little kid, but i am determined to get us all back on track.  her sleeping is horrible as it is, and I am just kind of nervous that this will add more to the mix, and we don't nurse enough anymore to make up for her not eating .  

just wondering if there are any parents out there who have gone through a similar experience before i get started on our whole30 next week.  

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My kids don't do whole 30. Or even paleo. It sounds like your child is offered a healthy balanced diet anyway (healthier than mine!!). Unless you are specifically wanting to eliminate certain food groups for intolerance reasons I see nothing to be gained by making a toddler adhere to the strict rules of whole 30. If she likes oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast give her oatmeal. Mine is currently in a phase of refusing anything but jam sandwiches ;-)

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my 15 month old has eaten Whole30, with the exception of hummus sometimes , since she started solid food.  She is still picky at times and prefers fruit over veggies, but after a few times of not giving in to her demands, she pretty much has learned that she has to eat what she is given.  She is very strong-willed and still protests to try to get what she wants, but I think that's true for any toddler.  We also don't nurse enough any more to make up for her not eating, but in general if she is hungry, she eventually eats. I try to trust that she won't actually starve herself.   If she doesn't eat enough for dinner, she unfortunately is up in the middle of the night, but again, hopefully she'll grow out of this phase soon.

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Offer her a variety of foods and let her choose what to eat at any one time. When I say variety, I mean literally make her a tiny buffet of a bunch of different fruits, veggies, fat sources, and protein and let her pick and choose until she's full. It also gives her the illusion of control. ;) Toddler taste buds change ALL the time so continue to offer foods even if they were previously rejected. Also experiment with different ways of preparing the food. Raw broccoli might be rejected while cooked broccoli is loved. Mashed sweet potatoes may not be interesting, but sweet potatoes spears that she can pick up and eat by herself could be The Next Big Thing.

 

 

Rememebr that the SWYPO rule doesn't apply to kiddos on a Whole30. While smoothies and banana or pumpkin pancakes are a no-go for adults, they're fine for your toddler. There is also nothing in grain that she can't get in larger quantities from meat and produce. You're not hurting her in the least by removing grains from the house, but do make sure that she gets plenty of fruit and starchy veg because growing kids do have a higher need for carbohydrate than adults.

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Thank you guys for your input, i should have mentioned that i was considering including her in the whole 30 because i wanted to see if she had any food sensitivites that could be contributing to a few things i noticed about her.  I notice nothing physically wrong, but i know that it doesn't always have to appear on the outside to be affecting her internally !  i thought of just eliminating gluten and dairy to see and keeping the rest for her, but i don't know. i am having trouble deciding what will be the best way to do this .  i go back and forth just about everyday and i am almost out of days!

I am always offering her a huge variety, even if she refuses something, because two weeks later she can't get enough of it! so funny how those little tastebuds change, and i definitely notice the preparation can make a difference as well.  lately it has just seem to become a battle of will more than her not liking something, and i don't want to create bad habits  that i will have to try to break later on down the road.  always so much to consider as a parent!

and good to hear about the fruit because although i offer her just about the same amount of veggies and fruits, i feel like fruits are definitely higher up for her at times!  i will just need to write down and find some creative options and go to's  besides the obvious ones simple combos .  alot of the blogs i am finding are just ridiculous with all the posting that by the time i get to an actual recipe i have clicked on like three links and im burnt out just trying to get to one idea!  thanks again

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One thing that helped my little guy was picking out fruit and veggies at the store -- we were at the store and he grabbed an heirloom tomato and took a big bite and put it back in the bin, after announcing it was delicious! I scooped up the tomato put it in a bag for him to carry and he proudly carried it thru the store and to the cashier and had it with his dinner that night. he is also a big help in the kitchen :)  ;)  :D  he likes to stir eggs and put things in a pot and he is my number 1 taster. he used to be a big egg eater, until  he watched a show talking about how baby birds come out of eggs and he has sworn off them since! I do a 'tasting' menu for him -- meat, veggies, berries or apple slices or orange segments (in season). Has she gotten into veggie dips? I have made quite a few for him and he loves dipping baby carrots and broccoli 'trees' in and munching them up. Maybe try that to up her veggie intake, if that is something you are concerned about?  

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