Two Year Old Who Won't Eat

Hi M. I also have a very picky 2 year old girl...I have just recently discovered that if I bribe her with food she does like(like cheese) I can not get her to eat some veggies or other things she would never try before.I tryed this several times in the past and it just did not work but now I just tell her if you want a bite a cheese then you have to eat some peas first. Now it is not always working but more times then not it is. Also, she may have a fit in the process but over all I am please with the way she is now eating. So it may take us a little longer to get through a meal but it is well worth it. I just have to stick with it and follow through. Maybe you can try it with the milk :)

My daughter is the same way. She used to eat EVERYTHING and now she won't touch stuff she normally would. She will still drink lots of milk and eat lots of vegetable but I can't get her to eat what we are eating.

mostly i would say to just keep in mind that she is not going to starve. My daughter (who will be four in Jan) was the same way at two. Now, when she says she doesn't like it, we always tell her "Eat four bites and you can be finished". Normally, after four bites, she realizes that she does like it and finishes her food. If not, we do easy no-cook snacks later on, like veggies cut up into fun shapes or a cheese and cracker plate. We don't give her the snacks in lieu of a meal, we usually wait 45 minutes or an hour, something so she won't be hungry at bedtime and not go to sleep. Also, Wal-Mart and Target sell veggie cutters in the shapes of stars (perfect for cucumbers, carrots, and squash). This can make eating veggies more fun for a toddler.

Hi M.,
I also have a 2 year old that doesn't like to eat. He would drink milk all day if I would let him. My pediatritian told me to make sure to give him a multi-vitamin. I use the gummy Vites. He really likes them. He refuses to eat veggies. I try to give him PB and J, Pizza bites, Mac n cheese, yogurt, etc. Something that he likes that atleast is a little healthy. My son really loves the Dora yogurt made by yoplait. I am a nutritionist and sometimes I can't even think of things to feed him. Basicly aside from candy most anything you can get her to eat is better than nothing. I know this probably wasn't any help but hang in there. Eventually she will come around. Make sure she gets that vitamin though.

When my son was two my pediatrician asked me what he ate. All he would eat was tiny bits of meat and bread - no fruits or vegetables. He also drank lots of milk with ovaltine (he wouldn't drink it any other way.)The pediatrician said that is very common - that most two year-olds live on sunshine and air. He also said as long as he drank milk and took a vitamin that he would get whatever else he needed over the course of a week, and not to worry about what he was eating each day. He liked scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, and yogurt. My son is now six and still not a big eater, but he is as healthy as can be, almost never gets sick. He is outgoing and energetic.
My now two year old daughter eats like a bird (although not as picky as her brother) she really only eats meat and bread, but some fruits and drinks lots of milk, water and juice.

My opinion is that as long as they are not slipping on the growth chart, aren't sluggish or showing signs of malnourishment it is better not to force them to eat. Their tastes and preferences can and will change later on if food isn't a battle ground.

I hope this helps. Two year-olds are very unique and can be a real challenge. It sounds like you are doing a great job with yours! Bless you on the road ahead.

Shalom,
D.

My son was a really picky eater. He nursed like there was no tomorrow, but solid food was another story. I love Dr. Sears, ad he suggested in one of his books to let your child graze. Some kids are just way too busy to take the time to sit and eat. That worked wonders with my son. My doctor got all over me about how I wasn't teaching how to sit and eat and blah blah blah, but you know what, he sat down at the dinner table with us at every meal. He didn't always eat there, so I figured it was important to get food in him somehow. So, I'd take a muffin tin and put different snacks in it. Carrots, raisins, apples, celery, pretzles. He'd run around, and when he got hungry, he'd go grab something out of the muffin tin, and eat it, then go about his business. He did eventually learn to sit down and eat meals.
And like someone mentioned, try to stay away from fast food. The last thing you want is for that to be the one thing your child will eat! disguise healthy snacks so they look cute and fun, and she may be more likely to eat. Also, let her help you cook someone. Let her stir, or pour in the ingredients. Let he help you pick out fruits or veggies in the store. My son loved being included, and of course he wanted to eat what he had made!

M.,
My child is not really a picky eater, but the little girl I keep during the day is....
Her parents and I agreed that she wouldn't starve herself, so the most important thing was to offer her the most healthy foods possible so when she does eat, it's not junk. We give her LOTS of praise when she is eating well, and leave her be when she doesn't want to, she has responded to that very well. She would also live on milk if we let her, so I limit the amount she has before lunch (the only meal she has with me) and when I think she has eaten well, I give her the milk. Sometimes she will even take "2 more bites" just to get the milk.
You are the best judge of whether or not she needs a multivitamin, and if you think that is the case I know of a really great chewable for kids-- my daughter takes them even though she is a really good eater.
I hope that helps.
K. D

Two year olds don't need to eat as much as they did when they were younger. It can be a shock to parents who are used to their little ones eating a lot and then all of a sudden they don't want to eat at all. Don't worry she'll eat when she gets hungry. It's important for fostering good eating habits not to make her eat if she isn't hungry. Offer food, encourage her to taste a little and then let it go. This too shall pass. My daughter just turned 3 yesterday. The entire last year she was so picky and I thought "great this is the way she's going to eat forever" it was definately challenging. However, recently she has started eating more, and trying new foods - quinoa, black beans, potato leek soup and butternut squash soup are just a few of the new things she's tried and LOVED! If you feel like there's a medical reason for her not eating obviously visit your ped; but otherwise just make sure you always have a healthy snack available when she's hungry. The world is a very big place to a two year old and they've got more important things to do than eat. Good Luck!!

My daughter is the SAME way. She has like 1 good day where she will eat well and the other 6 days of the week, it's nit pick here and there. She's been the 2 year old who still will put things in her mouth, like rocks and fuzz. I always used to joke with my husband," If it weren't for fuzz....Avia wouldn't get any vitamins at all!" I know how you feel, but don't get too frustrated. They pick up on how your feeling and can affect how they respond to you. All I can say is offer her healthy food/snacks and go from there. If she eats, she eats, if she doesn't, well, she doesn't. I know it's frustrating but Hang in there!!

My five have been pretty good eaters but our niece was and is that child you described. Her mom would try different soups and that's pretty much what she lived on, even the chicken noodle has little carrots in them so they are getting a little something rather than none. For breakfast she ate dry cereal, most children that age love to hold and feed themselves. I do have three year old twins who sometimes go through a phase of not eating and I let them "help" me make their food and most times they will eat what they help make. I wish you the best and hope she starts to eat soon!

My toddler wont eat either. I have been so worried and also had to cut back on milk because I figured he was just staying full on milk all the time and had no room for food. He will eat if it is something bad like cookies or sweets. I finally just resigned myself to realizing that he is not in any danger of starvation and if he was REALLY hungry, he would eat. I have given up forcing the issue as i have been told by a lot of moms that that is pretty common. Just try to let her eat what she wants to so that you can feel some comfort of her at least having somethign on her stomach.

Hi! I have a two year little boy who will not eat hardly at all. I am luck if I can get him to a bite of anything and so when he does decide to eat I give him anything he wants. The peds doc. has ran test and he is very very low on the weight for his age because he will be 3 in dec. and he wears 18 months clothes if I'm lucky to find them to fit. He has to go in Jan. for a test to test his growth hormone levels. He also likes to drink alot Milk and sometimes he will ask for water. The doc. told me to give him ensure and/or instant breakfast. I usually give both to make sure he gets what he needs. Hope this hleps.

My son is 2 and is the same way. Our doctor told us shortly before his 2nd birthday that we would go through this. She explained that they are wanting to move around and food is the last thing on their mind. Some nights he does eat good and others he takes maybe two bites. I dont worry as long as he has at least one good meal for the day which is usually at daycare. He is in the 80th percentile for his weight so I know it is nothing to worry about now. Every now and then I will him a pediasure bar that has lots of vitamins in it.

My daughter went through a time when all she would eat was olives and bacon. My doctor told me not to worry about it. Children go through stages of not eating. If you notice a dramatic weight loss, or are really concerned, it never hurts to ask your doctor, I did. Try offering very small portions of differant things. My kids liked finger foods. Make eating fun, that might work. Good luck.

this sounds kind of like my 2 yr old son. and i worry about it all the time, but he has never really been a big eater, he is also very picky, if its not spaghetti, chicken, or pizza, or peaches and pears, he doesnt want it, but I to think its just a faze, I guess they eat when their hungry.

I think a lot of parents think their children are picky eaters at this age and most I don't think is picky as they are so active that they don't want to sit still to eat. It sounds like you are doing well with giving her salad and chicken instead of junk food. I don't know if she is snacking during the day, but you might want to taper that off, she just might be eating too much that she is not hungry for her main meals. If you think she is not getting enough I would definitely get her on a multivitmin. Also children will not let themselves starve, if you think of it her stomach is only about 2-3oz big so that is really not a lot of food. I would keep up the good work and keep giving her veggies and good protein she will be ok, and probably one day you will wonder if she is ever going to stop eating during some of those growth spurts. Good luck.

Hey M.. I have picky 5 year old boy. Seems like when he was younger he ate better.. but I think he has always been somewhat picky. You can't force them to eat, and I just always try to make at least one thing I know he likes with all our meals. He doesn't eat vegetables at all, but I give him at least one or two glasses of Ovaltine a day (loaded with vitamins) and he is getting calcium from milk. Poptarts, mac and cheese seem to be his favorite. He just started school and I figured out that he has to take his lunch so that he will eat. He eats fruit and yogurt.. and vienna sausages every day for lunch.. and maybe fruit snack.. but at least he is eating!

Anyway, not sure if I helped you.. I basically was just trying to say to feed her what ever she'll eat, maybe offer some pediasure or ovaltine to get vitamins and minerals they need but don't worry... :)

Hi M.,
I have a two year-old little boy who is a picky eater as well. He is my only child (except for a 12 year-old step daughter in Louisiana). I was one of those who used to say "My child will eat what we put in front of him or he won't eat at all!" Well, whatever!

The one thing we do is avoid all the fast food places most of the time-at least that makes us feel a bit better. I truly had rather him eat less than only eat that junk all the time. He still drinks a lot everyday, especially juice (I give him 1/2 Juicey Juice & 1/2 water). Once-a-day I put some liquid vitamins (Poly Vi Sol-can buy at Kroger, Walgreen's, etc.) in his juice. That helps make up for some of the green things he won't eat and it's cheap.

The other thing we won't do is take food from one restaurant that my our son likes into another restaurant where we are going to eat. That's the one time I will say "He'll eat here or not at all".

As adults, we get "burned-out" on foods and want a variety. Kids-at least mine-are not that way. The one 2 vegetables that my son will eat are sweet peas and corn (I think corn is for horses and doesn't count for much nutritional value) so he gets peas a lot and doesn't seem to get tired of them!

I have been told by my son's doctor and have read many articles in parenting magazines that remind us to choose our battles wisely: so...we don't fight a lot at our house about his eating. We just make sure that what he does get is pretty good and add the vitamins.

And your daughter won't go hungry for too long! You know, they say, we are to eat when we are hungry, not necessarily by a time schedule. Maybe she just needs less? Anyway, I feel for you and totally undertsand! I feel like an awful Mom when my son doesn't eat supper, but we will not force-feed him and he is growing physically and intellectually and emotionally just like he should. Good luck and let me know if you get any really good advice!

Sincerely,
K. A
Mom of a Picky Eater

I sometimes have the same problem. I have 2 year-old twin boys. Some days I can't keep up with who ate well for dinner and who barely touched their plate. Kids will not let themselves starve. It is our jobs as parents to prepare and serve meals, and it's their jobs as kids to feed themselves and decide when enough is enough. I've found that when I try to "feed" them messy foods like spaghetti, they do not eat as well as when I give in and throw a towel down under their seats and turn them loose. They like to explore with their foods now too. My boys love dipping! They dip cooked carrots in ketchup...yuck! But, hey they're eating their carrots, right? Also, I've started waiting until they're halfway through their meals before giving them their milk, unless they ask for it. My boys LOVE their milk and if I give it to them at the beginning of the meal, they fill up on the milk instead of the yummy goodness on their plates. Maybe try different foods...ramen noodles are cheap and a great way to get some veggies in. Mix in some peas, it's surprisingly tasty and if they're wasted you're only out about 9 cents. Give her a goal with a reward if she just will not eat at all. Apples and bananas are the best rewards in my house. Unless your pediatrician says your daughter is underweight or unhealthy, keep doing what you're doing, and unless your pediatrician recommends a multivitamin, she probably doesn't need one. Best of luck, and remember you are not alone!