2 1/2 Year Old Diet

My doctor told me once that it was ok to let them eat what they wanted (or not eat) once in a while as long as they drank their milk. They get the vitamins and things they need that way. It's probably just a phase and she'll out grow it. At least she likes milk!!

This sounds familiar. My daugher is 18 months and this is what has been happening lately. She does still love asparagus so I just keep buying that. I also sneak spinach into pasta sauce and give her to her fresh. It sounds like your daughter is eating just fine. Just keep introducing new things.

Keep offering her other foods even though you know she won't eat them. A lot of it is she knows that you can't 'make' her eat anything. So I would offer her rewards for eating healthy. Talk a lot about what you eat and why you are eating a balanced diet. She will want to grow to be as big as you. Encourage her a lot, but don't let her see you get frustrated. In the meantime, there are ways of sneaking veggies into her food without her knowing it. I do it with my daycare kids all the time. Jerry Seinfield's wife wrote a really good cookbook with some fantastic ideas in it. You need to remember that she will not starve herself and as long as you are offering healthy meals and snacks, she will get enough to eat. My daughter ate like a bird when she was two and three, but three adn a half hit and she eats all day and everything in sight. Her sister is 15 months younger but has always been a bigger girl so they looked like twins!! My older daughter gained 5 pounds and grew 3 inches in 4 months!!! She blew right past 3T clothing and is now wearing 4/5! They have their own pace and you just need to hang in there and not make eating a power struggle. Good luck!

My almost 2.5 yr old also eats in this manner. We talked to the Dr. at his 2 yr old visit and the Dr. said as long as he IS eating that it is o.k. We just try and capitalize on the healthy things he will eat.

With veggies he mostly doesn't eat them -- but goes through phases of things he likes. Right now he'll eat cucumbers.

He does eat a lot of fruit.

Good luck!

I would limit the milk and make sure she isn't over drinking. But I too have a girl the same age and she too eats that way. From what I read it is completely normal. That one day they may like something and the next they might hate it. I guess two year olds are very fickle with food. Because there growth slows now and the don't need as much as a baby who is rapidly growing. One good thing to shoot for is instead of going for a nutritional day, shoot for a nutritional week. Some days she might eat a ton and sometimes barely anything. ____@____.com , I added a link and it had a really great thing about toddlers and food. I hope the link works let me know.

My son was really not eating much of anything for a while when he was about 2, and zinc tablets helped him regain his appetite.

But, it sound like your daughter does eat, just not balanced. My daughter was a carb-loader at ages 2 and 3, and also liked meat, but not keen on veggies. We got her to eat some by chopping carrots or spinach in the food processor and mixing it w/pasta sauce. She only ate what was stuck to the pasta, but at least it was something.

At about age 4, lo and behold she started eating lettuce, but only if she could "steal" it from my plate and dip it in a vinegar-based salad dressing (my kids both like sour things), or take bites of my sandwich. I know this won't work for all kids, but it shows it may be just a phase.

Limit her milk and her appetite will improve. We don't make special meals for any of our children unless it's their birthday. What I cook is what we eat. I doesn't matter if it's your favorite or not. I don't give them a bunch of what they don't like but you are required to eat what I give you. I try to include three-four food groups in each meal. You don't get to leave the table if you don't eat to my standards. There is usually a treat for those that eat well. If they don't eat well they get to sit and watch everyone else eat the treat.

J.,

Don't stress out too much about your child's diet. What she is eating is good for her for the most part. Continue to present other options to her, but she will eat what she needs. I've had 4 toddlers, and they all do this. Children will also go through strange spurts of likes and dislikes with food. As long as she isn't overweight or under weight (based on what your pedatrician says), don't stress. I have one who has currently sworn off chicken - he also is just as likely to ask for an apple as for potato chips for a snacks. (I don't keep many chips around, so the apple usually wins out.) If you are really concerned, call your doctor.

I personally think this is a phase. Our son has started a similar diet. Some days he will eat and others he will not. If they are hungry they will eat is what I keep hearing and it is true. He will go a few days without eating and then he will have a day or two where he doesn't stop eating. This to shall pass...

I think it must just be the age. My 2 1/2-year-old will not eat any meat. None at all. Occasionally, he might eat a piecew of my sandwich or something, but we are talking maybe once or twice per month. The doctor told me that picky eating is normal and if all my son wants to eat is spinach and peanut butter, that would be just fine.

It may be easier to say and for her to understand if you start the rule. "Milk only at meals." That way your daughter will learn not to ask for it throughout the day. Our 3 1/2 year old was doing that and we just started that rule. Otherwise she fills up on milk and won't eat any food.

We also only serve our kids water between meals. At night we juice fresh organic carrots, celery and apples together OR oranges and pineapple. That is the only juice our kids get on a regular basis.

I would quit serving just those foods to her. Perhaps only serve her chicken nuggest and hotdogs once per week and the rest of the time make healthier meals. She WON'T STARVE herself. When she gets hungry enough she'll eat. Our daughter did. My husband refuses to let me make special food for our kids so if they don't eat what we eat, then they go hungry till the next meal....

It will get better IF you don't coddle to her wants. I did daycare for 5 years and I had one kids come in who would only eat McDonalds chicken nuggets (her mom would actually lie to her and tell her that they were when she would make them at home), BABY FOOD bananas, and a few small other items!!! I DID NOT FOLLOW THIS!!! I made my regular homemade meals that I always made and guess what... SHE ATE ALMOST ALL HER FOOD AT DAYCARE BY ME!!! And she liked it! They would come after breakfast and she asked her mom to start bringing her earlier so she could even eat breakfast at my daycare. So her mom did!!!

Kids WILL eat what you make for them as long as you don't let them fill up on milk, juice or other snacks throughout the rest of the day.

I agree, you need to limit the milk intake and that will solve a lot of problems. She only needs a half cup serving three times a day, or a total of 1 and 1/2 cups. So if she gets that she can have water the rest of the day. Keep giving her the vitamin each day, but the key is offer, offer, offer! Food can be a big struggle if you let it. Have a routine of meals and snacks and only let her eat at those times. make sure each of them offer a healthy balance of foods, and then let her decide! At my house you take one bite, if you don't like it, you don't have to eat anymore of it. But, just becaue they didn't like it at one meal doesn't mean I stop serving it, or that they don't have to have one bite next time. kids do this, their tastes change and grow, so does the foods they'll eat. The saying about needing to be introduced to a food 10-12 times before eating it really is true! I do daycare so I have seen this numerous times for things like veggies and even salmon. My own kids are great eaters (son more than daughter), but my eight yr old wants to try new things all the time and this is how I have fed him from day one. Some kids are pickier than others, but you can help mold that.

Make one family meal, she'll eat when she's hungry enough, a child can't starve themselves! We just say, "you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!"