[copper653]

So our dd is an eating machine like many. Lately, though it seems like she has been waking in the night hungry and I don't want to make it a habit.

Does anyone have any suggestions that we can feed her before bed that will help her stay full through the night?

Here's what she ate today.

1 large serving of rice cereal
2 large apple
3 mashed potatoes with some winter squash mixed in
4 two servings of congee with broccoli, one small as a midmorning snack and the other a lg before bed snack
5 alot of pretzels
6 a peppermint luna bar
7 pita chips
8 plus after bedtime snack she is walking around with two baby carrots
9 she helped me eat two blueberry muffins

She doesn't usually like meat or dairy, eat a ton of beans some days. I am sure there are a few other things that she ate too today, but can't remember. She won't eat veggies straight I get spinach pancakes or true veggie burgers for her to eat.

OH she only has eight teeth, two front top, two front bottom and a set of molars on each side. So I am wondering if maybe that might be part of the issue. She is 19 mths and her body is thinking it should be able to eat things that can be chewed, but her mouth isn't quite ready for it. Also, we did measure her and it does look like she has grown abit so hopefully this is part of a growth spurt.


If you've read this far, Thanks for at least listening.

[KarenInCa]

We were told that vitamin D and the fat that's in whole milk is important for their brain growth until they're two yrs old. Maybe try 2/3 chocolate soy milk (whole) with about 1/3 whole cows milk. It's actually quite tasty. Also babanas are good for sleep.

[Celesyee]

Do you know what diet and when she was fed while in the orphanage? I'm glad you're offering her rice porridge as a before bed snack because in the Chinese culture, we often eat "suyeh" which is a late night snack consisting of noodles, broth, bok choy, etc. I remember when I was small my parents offered this to me and my brother at night believing small hot meals prior to bed was to keep us alive and well throughout the night. How about trying to switch the porridge to noodles.

Best of Luck!

[Celesyee]

Originally Posted by copper653

Here's what she ate today.

1 large serving of rice cereal
2 large apple
3 mashed potatoes with some winter squash mixed in
4 two servings of congee with broccoli, one small as a midmorning snack and the other a lg before bed snack
5 alot of pretzels
6 a peppermint luna bar
7 pita chips
8 plus after bedtime snack she is walking around with two baby carrots
9 she helped me eat two blueberry muffins

I was reviewing your list of what she ate today and thought of my cousins and friends who also feed their toddlers a dish that's crossed between rice porridge and fried rice. It's basically cooked rice that is placed in a pot with broth added to it ending up with a dish that's thicker and starchier than porridge, but wetter and mushier than fried rice.

[MissyAmomChina]

Hi,


Sounds like a lot of positives in the fact that she's eating a variety and working on getting her oral motor muscles more coordinated.

Here are some things my daughter ate at that age:

1) noodles---I'd often use baby food either a veggie or a protein one as a "sauce."

2) tofu

3) cottage cheese ---my dd had no issues with lactose intolerance

4) baby yogurt

5) waffle sandwich--mini ego waffles toasted, with a touch of peanut butter and a slice of banana

6) many of the gerber stage 1 or 2 foods--she liked the banana puffs a lot --they were sort of like a cheerio, but a little softer and they disolve in your mouth.

It does sound like she may be going through a growth spurt.

[smbcpc]

Melissa - I feed my daughter (15 mos.) the same things you mentioned. She loves tofu and noodles, baby yogurt, banana, apple, etc. But for some reason I am terrified to introduce peanut butter to her diet in case she's allergic (I read too many stories).

My problem with her is getting her to drink milk. She will only agree to have one bottle of soy formula in the morning and the rest of the day she has some cold silk milk and water/juice and I keep thinking she should have a little more milk. Does yogurt or cottage cheese make up for that?

I, too, was wondering what would be the best thing to feed her before bed time to keep her tummy full until the morning. Are noodles supposed to do the trick (carbos?)? I also give her a veggie burger in the evening (sans bread).

I hope to read some more ideas from other mommies and daddies.

[mjan]

I would give her foods with a good mix of carbs, fat and protein before bed. Carbs tend to digest fairly quickly, so that is probably why she is waking up at night. I would suggest yogurt (Not super sugary- a good one is the Yo Baby brand), cheese with whole grain crackers, cereal with low sugar/whole grains and full fat milk. I think the current recommendation for peanut butter is 2 years or beyond, but peanut butter on toast is a good one as well.

[copper653]

Originally Posted by Celesyee

Do you know what diet and when she was fed while in the orphanage? I'm glad you're offering her rice porridge as a before bed snack because in the Chinese culture, we often eat "suyeh" which is a late night snack consisting of noodles, broth, bok choy, etc. I remember when I was small my parents offered this to me and my brother at night believing small hot meals prior to bed was to keep us alive and well throughout the night. How about trying to switch the porridge to noodles.

Best of Luck!

I love the idea of the noodles with broth and bok choy! She loves noodles so I know this dish will go over well with her and the other one you mentioned too. She seems to be liking things with a bit more favor, so I am going to try the other dish rather than just the plain congee.

She does eat tofu when we eat miso out so I will have to try to make it at home for her.

Peanut butter is something she used to eat, but hasn't really lately. I'll have to try and work that one back in. I wonder if I could make a peanut sauce for her noodles?

Sue, I wouldn't worry too much about the milk. Our daughter doesn't drink any (soy) milk except with her cereal and the dr wasn't worried at all about it. The yogurt and cheese would count though for her calcuim in take.

karen I will have to try the banana before bedtime. Didn't know that about them.

Some great ideas here! Thanks

[MissyAmomChina]

Hi,

I was also worried about milk intake as my daughter didn't enjoy drinking milk consistently untill she was late 2, early 3. My ped. was fine as long as she was getting calcium via cottage cheese, cheese and yoghurt.

[Celesyee]

Let me know how the noodle and alternative rice dish works out. The peanut sauce with noodles sound delicious! There actually is a Chinese dish with peanut sauce, noodles, green onions, and chicken or shrimp. Yummy!

As for dairy...has anybody tried fortified rice milk or fortified almond milk? I was born here in the US, so I'm not actually sure what your children may have been fed in the orphanage, but my grandparents who are from China fed me rice milk when I was small.

[copper653]

We bought some fortified Rice milk for our daughter for awhile, but the packaging looks like the soy milk that I bought soy by accident. She has tummy issues when we change so I just kept her on the soy. Dh had the rice milk and said it was fine.

Oh, Celesyee, they did tell us what she ate in foster care and the times. We also have a note from the foster family telling us how to get her to eat more, but it was some sort of soup and congee if I remember correctly with bottles. I will go to the store tomorrow to pick up some bok choy so I can let you know how it goes over tomorrow night.

[sak9645]

My concern about the menu shown is that there is very little calcium or iron in it. Toddlers need a lot of calcium and iron.

Whole milk, cheese made from whole milk, and full-fat yogurt are good sources of calcium. You really need to be giving your child more of these. The skim or part-skim milk, cheese, and yogurt will be fine when she is older, but toddlers need the fat.

If your child doesn't like milk, add some chocolate syrup. Find a flavored yogurt she will eat. And cut up little cubes of cheese or give her shredded cheese. Even ice cream isn't terrible. Try making a banana or chocolate milkshake; my daughter loved them, and she really needed the calories, so even the doctor didn't object.

Most Chinese babies are NOT lactose intolerant. Some will develop lactose intolerance much later, but many parents who avoid giving their children dairy in the belief that they "might" be lactose intolerant, or that their tummyaches or loose stools are caused by lactose intolerance, are making a mistake. Often, tummyaches and loose stools in newly adopted Chinese children are caused by things like parasites, or by an abrupt change of diet.

Meat is the best source of iron, but green, leafy vegetables and beans are also good. Many toddlers like baby food hot dogs, split lengthwise. Many also like cooked chicken, torn into tiny shreds, as long as it isn't too dry.

If your child doesn't like to eat meat, make vegetable soup with a beef stock. One way to do this, if you don't have a lot of time, is to throw a small amount of stew meat into the crockpot with some low-salt vegetable broth, barley, whole or crushed canned tomatoes, canned beans or soaked dried beans, and whatever veggies -- frozen, fresh, canned, etc. -- you have around. Carrots, onions, celery, and peas make good choices. Add water to fill the crockpot, and some seasonings, and cook for several hours on the low setting. If it comes out too thick, dilute it with water. Your child, who seems to like vegetables, should enjoy the taste of the veggies and not be overly aware that there's a meat stock. If she doesn't like the texture, put the soup into the blender and puree it.

If your child is really avoiding dairy and meat, you will have to find other ways of getting calcium and iron into her. I would really recommend Pediasure, an expensive but excellent supplemental beverage, that is something like Ensure for adults. It was originally developed as a complete food for kids being weaned off of tube feeding. It contains all of the nutrients that a child under age ten or so needs.

You might try a can of Pediasure at bedtime, for starters. It has lots of calories and a good mix of protein, carbohydrates, and such, and should fill your daughter up very well. It comes in several flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and banana. My daughter, the pickiest child in the world, liked the vanilla best.

A child with eight teeth can really eat almost anything, if it is cut up very small or mashed. Just skip stuff that requires heavy-duty chewing, such as steak, or very sticky foods. If you eat balanced meals that are high in calcium and iron, you can share much of your food with your daughter. Just try to avoid cooking the food with a lot of salt or sugar; add salt to your own food at the table, if necessary, but don't encourage the development of a taste for salty or sweet foods in your child by adding these substances to her meals.

Sharon

[ElectricGypsy]

Wow! I've been concerned about my daughter's low interest in food and eating, but I've not really been TOO worried until now! I've been looking at the posts as well as the lists that everyone's children eat during the day. My daughter won't eat anywhere NEAR as much food as this! When you are saying "a large apple" do you mean that your children are eating the whole apple, etc? I'm lucky if my daughter will eat a tiny wedge of an apple. She loves veggies and some fruits and I've had to resort to putting alot of butter and/or olive oil in her veggies just to give her more fat. She does drink Pediasure and drinks probably about 2 8 oz. sippies full of whole milk.

The most I can usually get her to eat are tiny amounts of food once in a while. I have talked to her pediatrician about this and he's not concerned. He says that she's clearly not malnourished and she will eat more when she is ready--and to not force her.

He's always attributed it more to just the fact that she's a tiny little girl in comparison to American babies...but after reading these posts...most of you have tiny little girls as well and they DEFINITELY eat much more than my little one!