Dealing with toddler who wont take milk

It’s hard enough dealing with a picky eater. But a picky eater who won’t take milk, that takes the cake!

Kimberly, my 6 year old, used to be a picky eater, but that was fine because between the meals that we tempt her with, she gets her necessary nutrients from the ever so convenient formula milk powder. So I have an easy frame of mind when applying creativity dishing out meals for her. Plus, she is guaranteed to take her required nutrients by making up for them in the next day or so. But this is not the case with my second born.

With 15 months old Ashley, I am always at the end of my tethers. She just won’t take formula. And I am out of my mind trying to get her to eat calcium high food. I would be lucky if she ate half the amount of calcium needed daily.

By the time I got her to take that required (or rather, at least half the required) amount of calcium needed for a toddler her age, I wasn’t inclined to go through the whole rigmarole for her required proteins, irons and other minerals.

She has always rejected formula milk. But it wasn’t too much of a worry because I used to have a very patient maid whose main duty is just to keep Ashley occupied. She spends all her 12 hours just getting Ashley to drink from the bottle whenever Ashley appears occupied with the tv. So, even with only 10 oz of formula daily inside her little tummy, i still could make up the rest in solids.

However, now that the maid has finished her contractual 2 years and we are waiting for the new maid, Ashley is JUST NOT taking any bottles from me. She merely pushes it aside with disdain and seeks the breasts (I have been nursing her from birth to now and she started taking formula sometime 3 months ago when my MPI has gone down)

On busy days in between chauffeuring Kimberly around for her classes, to make up her required calcium intake, I normally had to just make do with fish nuggets from Mc D or chicken nuggets with milk shakes.

But i tried to dish up at least one to 3 homecook high calcium food for her each days. Her regular dishes used to be calcium high dishes like quiche, bake cheddar biscuits, grill cheese breads, calcium high pancakes , boiled broccoli coated with the necessary fat, cheesy meatloaf, braised p**K/chicken with hidden tofu, etc.

More often than not, it’s the easy 4 ingredient dishes like Mac and cheese, steamed cod and poached salmon in milk or omelette.

While I am exhausting myself dishing up high calcium meals for this picky eater, can someone tell me how to get a toddler to adapt to formula??? In dire straits here......