Growth spurts and eating eating eating ???
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Growth spurts and eating eating eating ???
HELP.
Each time my tiny DD starts a growth spurt her minimal (but healthy) eating habits change to ravinous (sp?).
No sooner is she finished with a bowl of oatmeal, she asks for cereal and then french toast within another 15 minute. Her usual amount ranges to one serving or even just a 1/2 serving of only ONE of the above items.
It's not much longer that she is ready for lunch and can't wait for dinner.
PLEASE give me some helpful hints of FAST munchies that offer some healthy alternatives and still filling. She loves salad and fruit, but that just is not enough during these times. She wants REAL FOOD...and I just can't cook all day long.
Thanks
Peanut butter on an apple, carrots and dip, string cheese, yogurt, a bowl of cheerios, ravioli
Granola bars, trail mix, popcorn
Oh, I forgot to add, I need to be very cautious about anything that can cause constipation, such as cheese or too much peanut butter. She LOVES them both and would make a meal out of either, but more than one or two servings would clog her. 
I like the combo ideas posted. I'll make sure to pick up more apples tomorrow. She loves that in PB. What else can you dip fruit in? She's been eating carrots lately since that is all I have at the moment.
Do you think the granola bars and trail mix would fill her in a way that she won't eat a real meal at dinner? They seem like "dessert" foods to me. I love them and so does she. What has your experience been with this? The granola would be great for her tummy problems. Any ideas of ones that are "good for you" and not much sugar?
How bout other fruit/veggie ideas? She loves both but we are in a rut of the "same ol stuff".
Thanks again, everyone
Yogurt, frozen Gogurts, cheese sticks, English muffin pizzas (I throw spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese on top then toast in the toaster oven), DD loves rolled up deli meats with a toothpick: ham, turkey, etc. with a slice of cheese, any kind of fresh fruits or veggies, sometimes I make a baggy filled with assorted cereal and/or crackers: Cheerios, Kix, assorted Goldfish crackers, etc., cream cheese on wheat crackers, you can mix shredded veggies into sour cream to use as a dip, ... Hmm, my mind is blank. I'll keep thinking!
Dana, you are right about the granola bars, since they are sweet, they may interfere with her dinner meal if she eats them too close to dinner. One thing you might try is tropical trail mix, a mix of nuts and dried fruits; protein and fiber, and some natural sugar in the fruits. It's great for keeping her *regular* too. When mine were younger and having those spurts, I had a sectioned piece of tupperware and I kept it stocked with cut up carrots, celery, pickles, cukes, broccoli and cauliflower. I used to make a vegie dip with mayo, sour cream and beau monde seasoning that my kids loved. I pretty much always had this in the fridge and they loved it for a snack. Again, all those vegies would keep her from being *clogged*, and with the dip it was more filling than just eating a carrot. As for the sugar in the granola bars, all I can tell you is read the labels.
Another thing my kids always loved was Pick-a-peppa sauce mixed with cream cheese, spread on Ritz crackers. Jen still snacks on that daily.
 Tina, too much cheese in yours LOL. I think she is also mildly allergic to other dairy foods (yogurt/sour cream/ice cream and absolutely milk! She wont even drink chocolate milk)so even our other dairy products are limited. She likes the cheeses, yogurts, sourcream, cottage cheese and all but I do notice it bothers her digestive system. I give them to her, but on limited quantity. I love the idea of a baggie of mixed cereals. Sounds like a fun treat instead of something w/out sugar that mom approves of.
Love the idea of already prepped veggies. She could help herself.
AH HA! I just thought of something filling: bean soups. She loves them and the beans are good for her.
Thanks for everyone's brain storming. I just might make it thru tomorrow with a new selection of foods for her to eat.
LOL, Dana! My DD is a peanut (32 lbs.) and although she eats a lot of fruits and veggies, it's hard to get her to eat proteins. That's why we encourage cheese, yogurt and various dairy products. As an infant she didn't tolerate dairy well at all, even in my breastmilk, but now she does fine.
Have you tried soy milk? I've heard that's good for constipation as well.
Soy has a TON of protein! It's great for constipation. I used to add a bit to Sydney's whole milk and it kept her regular! Love that soy! LOL!
Sydney LOVES dip! She likes hummus. (I'm a little surprised, but it's YUMMY, so how could she not! LOL! Plus, you can get it in any flavor.) I buy whole wheat pitas and cut them into small pieces. You can even toast them a bit and season them with just about anything.
For an apple dip, I mix Cool Whip with yogurt and Syd likes apples in it. Fluff & cream cheese is out of this world with fruit! You can even add a drop of food coloring to make it a fun color!!
My friend makes a dip for apples that is supposed to be out of this world. It's cream cheese with brown sugar and a bit of vanilla. It's caramel flavored! She raves about it!
I buy the Alouette dips that are ready made. Sydney likes the Cucumber Dill. She likes Trisquits with that! She LOVES cheese. She does get constipated easily as well. So, a little bit of shredded cheddar seems to do the trick! Or just a slice keeps her happy!
Another healthy dip is salsa. It doesn't mean spice!! I buy the fresh salsa mild, it's just diced tomatoes,onions, cilantro. Sydney LOVES, LOVES salsa. She will eat it with a fork if I let her. She'll dip toasted pitas in it or else the little round Tostidos corn chips. Sometimes I make nachos with melted cheese for her. It's a hit. Still she uses her hands and digs all the tomatoes out of the salsa. Good for her atleast! LOL!
Does she like sweet potato fries? You can make them ahead of time? Or get a slicer and bake them thin to make little chips for dipping. I can't get Sydney to eat regular sweet potatoes. I think I am going to try this myself. She loves chips and she will eat them if you offer! LOL! Luckily, I don't buy them often. LOL
I also buy the tropical fruit cups and keep those on hand. Lots of fresh fruit. Unsweetened applesauce cups are great too.
What about making your own trailmix? Use goldfish, pretzels, chocolate chips (If you choose), cheerios, other dry cereal. You could buy little snack cups and have them ready. Or the snack size plastic bag. Love those.
Whhoooo! Green grapes frozen are the most yummy treat! Stick them in for about an hour and enjoy! They taste like sherbert.
Good luck! It's hard to be creative all the time. LOL! Let me know if you come up with anything great!
All of the snacks listed sound great, so I really haven't got any ideas, just a variation. My mom's company makes the dip for their fruit platters with coolwhip and a packet of vanilla pudding mix. It is to DIE for. I don't know how nutritious it is but the fruit is awesome with it.
My DD loves to eat Cauliflower, cucumbers, Brocolli, carrots, green and black olives, pickles with Ranch Dressing.
I buy the kids Go-Gurt, the won't eat regular yougurt, I guess it's more fun to squeeze it in your mouth than spoon it in LOL!!
Sometimes I give her a plate of grapes, apple slices, oranges, and bananna.....it holds her over til I can get what she calls *real food* ready for her! lol
Great ideas everyone!
I've tried the Soy and it DID NOT go over AT ALL! I couldn't drink it either. I had no idea it was good for constipation. Wonder what I could do to it to make it taste good.
Luckily DD loves black beans, navy beans, and black eyed peas, so we are pretty good w/ protein even without milk and limited dairy products. I still worry that she needs more tho.
I've never bought or even tasted humus. I will have to try it.
Happy eating everyone.
I will take cut up veggies and mix them in some italian or other kind of dressing. I take fruits and cut them up in small pieces and mix them together for the kids. Sometimes I may add a little yougurt. Also I give my kids crackers. The different flavors that they have. There is also rasin bread, make your own juice pops, hawaiin rolls, smoothies, and if I think of more I'll post later.
What's a hawaiin roll?
I just got back from the store w/ tons of veggies and fruits. I cut them and placed in 3 devided containers for DD to take any time she wants. I also got some ranch dressing and poured into tupperware mini-containers. She is set and all I have to do is pop the lid on the tw.
Got some fruit and DD picked out "honey roasted PB" from Peter Pan YUMMMM. Need to keep that limited though. she already was heading back to the jar to get herself some more LOL>
What's the trick on cutting and apple and keeping it fresh looking? I know there is something that can be done.
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know when growth spurts are generally supposed to occur? I know it's different for every child, but is there a predictable pattern? (Kids predictable? Hah.)
Not that I ever knew of.
Kids just grow when it's time! LOL
Good question, Laurazee! I remember them being pretty predictable the first year (according to my ped.) but I'm not sure after that. Generally, when they begin to eat and sleep more than normal everyone says, "Growth Spurt!" Then they grow out of their clothes all of a sudden!
The way to keep apples from turning brown is spray or toss them with a citrus juice. I always used a bit of lemon juice but you can use orange, or pineapple.
Thanks Palmbch.
Did I mention that DD grew 1/4 in in the last two weeks! Diffinitely at spurt.
The hawaiin rolls are a sweeter dinner roll. They are a good snack that I give to the kids, when they are hungry and wanting something before dinner.
Jessica is going through a HUGE growth spurt. She ate a bowl of cereal, a sandwich, chips, big bowl of ice cream, 3 bowls of ziti, and a pack of fruit snacks. That was all eaten today and she will probably have a yogurt later. This is a little girl that will be four at the end of the month and she weighs 26lbs., so I feel that she has eaten a lot fo food.
That is alot, jenn.
Do you make your own hawaiin rolls or do you buy them? I would love the recipe if you make them.
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