Two-year-old That Won't Eat

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was younger. The doctor said that she was getting enough to eat and whateer it was that they wanted all the time has something in it her body is really needing. As long as she is eating a little something throughout the day she will be fine. She will drow out of it, mine is always hungry now and is a beautiful, healthy thirteen year old now. S.

I always gave my son vitamins when he was that age. The doctor always told me that it wasn't that big of a deal that he wouldn't eat. I am sorry I don't have anything better to say!!

My daughter is now 20 and was a terrible eater. I was always concerned and of course there were always battles. I discussed it with a doctor and was told that if what they eat in a week, equals to one balanced meal then not to worry. My daughter has done some college studies on nutrition and did learn that a very picky eater has more sensitive taste buds. My son that is 7 is also a very picky eater, like my daughter was. He is also sensitive to textures. It will take some time and effort but you may want to experiment with the texture and temperature of food. I wouldn't get too worked up over it if she is growing at a normal rate and is generally in good health. Two years old is a difficult age anyhow as they are developing their own independence. Good Luck.

My son is 2 1/2 and is still this way to some extent, though he's getting better. I resorted to buying the PediaSure shakes. He likes them and I know he's getting more nutrition than he would from just milk. Also, we have started buying the V-8 Fusion juices. He likes them also and I know we're getting some veggies in him. Another thing that has helped us is allowing him to dip his foods. The few things he will eat almost always have to be accompanied by ranch dressing. Even at breakfast if he has eggs he will ask for either ranch or maple syrup. Go figure... We try to keep it on the healthy side with low fat and sugar free dips though. The surprise to us when he did start taking to more foods was what he liked... Pickles and sauerkraut are his favorites! Who woulda thunk? I wouldn't even have offered them to him, but my husband did and he loves them.

We also give him the Flintstone My First Chewable Vitamins. These are for 2 and up. It will get better, just hang in there and good luck!

Hi
I have a 2 year old boy that is the same way about eating. I only give him a small cup of milk 2 times a day. Instead of giving her milk, give her some pediasure. That does help alot. i used it with my older child. When it's time for us to eat dinner, i let my 2 boys pick which they want for dinner. Joshua gets 3 chicken nuggets potatoes and corn, Christopher gets 2 corn dogs potatoes and corn. Depending on the side dishes too. Start with something you know she will eat and give her a choice on what she wants. Soon enough she will be eating anything you put in front of her... any more questions feel free to email me..
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Since she likes to drink - why not try a smoothie for her? They are really easy to make: a handful of frozen berries or frozen mixed fruit, a little bit of juice (any kind) and a contianer of yogurt. Blend it up and if you need to thin it out add a little extra juice. That way she is getting some yogurt and fruit without knowing it.

You could also think about adding some Pedisure to her day - it has lots of nutritional value.

Best wishes,
L.
mom to Joshua & John age 9

K.- I just posted this same request a couple of days ago. My son is also a drinker and always has been. The only time he eats is on the go- snacks that he can carry around the house with him. Meals are a no-go. So, the past couple of days, I have been refusing him anything to drink besides water until he eats. If your daughter is anything like my Robbie, this will be a nightmare for a day or two. She'll eat when she's hungry and drinking all that milk fills her up. Yesterday it took 3 1/2 hours and lots of tears for my son to eat his peanutbutter and jelly sandwich, but he ate every bite. Then, he got a cup of milk and I mad a huge deal out of how proud I was that he ate it all and he was proud too. I know you're probably hoping for an easy answer, but standing your ground is all you can do. Drinking too much milk can make your daughter anemic. Good luck- let me know how it goes!

I wish I had the answers for you, but I am running into the same problem with my 2 year old son. All he wants is milk, milk, milk. If you find out any more about it, please let me know. I have the same fear, that he is not getting all the necessary nutrients.

K.

I agree with everyone else in trying to limit the milk. Also let her get involved with making the food, of course at 2 she will be very limited but even letting her stir something will make her feel like she helped so she'll be more likely to eat it. Also if you can't get her to eat more try adding a "Carnation" instant breakfast pouch to her milk to make it more nutritious. Good luck

I have a now 6 1/2 year old who was, and to a certain extent still is, the exact same way. He drinks about a half gallon of milk (skim milk) a day by himself. He refuses to drink any thing else, except water. He REFUSES to eat any kind of meat whatsoever - even if it is hot dogs, bologna, chicken nuggets, etc. He also refuses to eat other "kid loved" foods like cheese, crackers, pretzels, most types of cookies or cakes, pudding, yogurt, pizza, fruit snacks, etc., etc. It's terribly frustrating because my other three kids will eat almost everything. As a mom I have always wondered if he getting enough nutrition, etc. because he refuses to eat so many foods, but my pediatrician reasures me it's okay - and we give him a kids vitamin, but it is the quick dissolve on your tongue type because he won't chew the traditional or gummy ones. For example, the only veggie he will eat is peas and the only fruit he will eat is bananas. But, he will eat almost any kind of pasta or bread. His favorites are spaghetti, chicken flavor ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese, garlic bread.

Here's something else to think about though which is true for my son. Does your daughter have any type of a speech delay? Did she babble much as a baby or not? Did you think that she was a quiet baby who didn't make much noise or fuss? For some children with speech delays those are the first signs that they have a speech delay and they tend to have very picky eating habits - it goes into the whole oral/mouth thing that has too long of an explanation to ramble on about in a posting like this.

Talk to your pediatrician. Good luck!

My best advise what I had to do is make eating fun some meals that the child can help you make like personal pizza's made with buttermilk biscuits, ants on a log using cream cheese , or pigs in a blanket to mention a few our doctor said mid day munching is fine as long as they are eating something nutricious veggies cheese etc at that age they are in the pick up and run stage so getting any child interested in sitting long enough to eat is a chore unless it is fun (Hope this helps)

Don't force her, try to make a game out of it, Forcing them only will make the problem worse. I would cut out snacks just in case those are filling her up before she eats and if all else fails add Carnation Instant Breakfast to her milk until she decides to start eating with the family. Involve her in dinner time/table even if she is not eating. Give her her milk but make her sit dinner with you and interact with the family. Always offer her her own plate of food-maybe buy a plate or bowl that she likes. It sounds like a stage to me. Toddlers get picky, mine did so Dr. said to beef up his milk until he was eating properly. If you are really concerned you could buy a can of the Next Step Toddler Formula, that gives them all the vitamins/nutrients they need in one glass.
Was she bottle/breast fed and when did you wean her? How? Are you trying to just drop all milk to do it or have you already tried all the other foods with her and now she is jsut starting to refuse to eat those? The Instant Breakfast was the less expensive way to go though. If it continues for long consult your Dr.
C.

Hi, I,m a mother of 3 wonderful children, and My youngest is 3. She by the has the exact same problem. What i am doing is buying less milk. but i just starting telling my 3year old okay no more milk we have to go to the store in the morning. You can also try macaroni and chesse,oatmeal and Go-gurts. Those are a hit with my 3year old cause you drink them.
But Don't worry it will get better, Lots of Luck. to u and yours

My 2 year old son has days where all he wants is milk too, but it's not all the time like your daughter. I think that on occasion, it is fine because at two their growth rate starts to slow down and their appetite does too. But if this is happening all the time I'd try to keep the cup out of site first thing in the morning and start getting creative with food choices. Try chocolate chip pancakes, most kids can't resist those. I'd also start giving her flinstone vitaamins and trying to give her some pediasure and offering nutri-pals granola bars (they're on the same shelf as pediasure) to make sure she's getting enough of the nutrients that milk cannot provide. She might just be testing her control, some toddlers do this in very strange ways, so you need to hold firm and let her tantrums go unrewarded. The more you give in the more she realizes she can get her way if she behaves a certain way. If she doesn't start to eat something despite you not giving in and getting her cup in a few weeks, I'd contact her pediatrician just to make sure she's okay. Stay strong and good luck!

K.,
I had this problem with both of my boys. The first child started when he turned 1 and the second started when he turned 2. We started giving them the nock off brands of ensure to make sure they were getting their nutrients. My 5 year old still likes drinking them. Eventually they grow out of this stage and start to eat again, but I know how frustrating it is at the time. Our doctor said as long as they are gaining weight and seem healthy don't sweat it. I would continue offering regular food and hope that soon she will outgrow this stage and begin eating again.

I would try offering nutritional snacks to her during the day. Since you stated she is snacking on some things, its worth a try. Also offer childrens vitamins to her. I also recommend calling her doctor and asking about this. Sometimes there can be an underlying health problem that makes the child not want to eat. HTH

Hi K.,
Kids only need 16 ounces of milk in a day. I would give her milk only after she eats. Give her water if she says she's thirsty. Why is she getting snacks throughout the day if she isn't eating her meals. My son who is three and a half knows that if he doesn't eat his dinner he doesn't get a snack before bed. At two she is old enough to understand this concept. She might be hungry because you are giving her snacks. Also remember that two year old stomachs are very small so even if she eats a little it is good. Just try and make what she is eating is healthy. My advice would be to not give her milk until after she eats even if she crys. If you are consistant she will learn you are serious and eat for meal times. Good luck.
Chris

My daughter went through the same thing around that age. I bought a protein powder and mixed some in to her milk to make sure she was getting enough. I also would add ovaltine sometimes, so she was getting a 'treat.' Kids go through those stages, as long as she is still healthy (her drinking milk is great! It has 8 grams of protein in every 8oz serving) I wouldn't worry to much about it. At 2 years old there isn't much you have control over, so contolling what you eat is one way to have control over something. Beware potty training too. Good luck!

K.,
If your daughter is at a healthy weight, then don't worry about it. Children around that age go through a phase where they don't eat. Their little bodies tell them what they need. My daughter, who is almost three, does the same thing. I asked her Dr. about it, and she told me to tell her that she couldn't have milk until she took two bites of something on her plate. At first it was really hard because she would scream and cry, but eventually she started taking the bites. That is as far as we have gotten with it at this point. I don't really know the next step, so if you get some good advise, let me know...

Hi K.,
Obviously no one has told you that once a baby is a toddler, they live on practically nothing. (Me, too). Well, almost. She will eat what she needs, and you really need to relax about it, because, it can become a real issue, for the little one, when they see you get so reactive about it. Really, they're growth slows a lot, for a couple of years, (compared to what is was, during the first year), so offer food, and relax. She will eat sufficent amounts when hungry. I remember thinking the same way, at that stage. J. C.

Limit her milk intake. Only give her the recommended servings of milk for her age per day. And only allow the milk to be at meal times. Also, limit snacks to a few small snacks a day, and then the meals. Only feed her at the table, or in her high chair. If she's thirsty in between meals, offer water. Also, if she's fond of drinking juice, limit her intake of juice to one serving a day. If she's only picking at snacks, she may not really feel hungry at meal times. And the milk or juice can take up space in her stomach, keeping her from feeling properly hungry too. So, if you make sure that she has a reasonably empty stomach at meal time, you might see her appetite improve. Hope this helps.