What To Do When Your Toddler Won’t Eat
I’ve had several posts on fussy eating of toddlers already, here are some more things that I found worked for my picky daughter, and thought it might help you too:
1. Any physical discomfort would affect a toddler’s eating. Check if any physical problem for example a sore throat, mouth ulcers, a tooth budding or any illness coming on.
2. Your kid might simply feel full after drinking something like milk or juice or eating snacks. He/she has no appetite for more food. So only give juice or milk after meals not before. Even better, cut out commercial juice that contains a high percentage of sugar.
3. Try to do an exercise/game with your toddler or play wiggle music for him/her to work up his/her appetite some time before having meal. (I used to play treasure hunt with my daughter before dinner for 15 minutes or so.) Or simply take a walk before meals, that’ll help too.
4. Tell your toddler a joke, something like this: the bread in your tummy is having a party (put your hand on his/her tummy and say you feel it’s dancing). Then say, the carrots want to come, the zucchini all dressed up, with its cheese hat on, ready to go too.
5. Remember that a toddler doesn’t grow as fast as a baby and his/her tummy is small. Give reasonable serving size, not larger than necessary. Your toddler might want to eat five to six small meals a day instead of three large meals. Something simple, prepared food or even raw, fresh fruit and veggies will do, and you won’t be weighed down.6. Let your toddler have meals at fixed time everyday. He/she will gradually feel hungry and want to eat something around the fixed time.
7. If all things you have done don’t work, what about trying bribery treat. For this part, I don’t care about what some “experts” say it encourages kids to think ice-cream or cake is yummier than broccoli. Be realistic! Kids already know ice-cream is yummier than broccoli and in fact it is. As long as you don’t offer the treat every night in the same way, and your toddler eats the meal up. Sometimes the treat is a piece of cake, pineapple or melon, a funny joke or a game they like. Sometimes offer to take him/her for night-shopping (make sure you have no work that night). At least, your toddler will eat some food you want him/her to. (That worked for my picky daughter at least.)
8. Refusing to eat is very common to toddlers because they are reaching a stage of learning control. To them, food is the easiest thing to control, eat or not eat. If your toddler chooses not to eat a meal, don’t take it personally. It’s not your fault or because the food is not appealing. (Have you seen toddlers playing their food and making them extremely messy on the plate? I saw many toddlers happily swallowing the mess up.)
9. When they’re hungry, they’ll eat. Keep offering food on the plate and don’t excessively worry about it.
10. If you worry that your toddler doesn’t get enough nutrition, seek your family doctor’s advice and ask if he/she needs to take vitamin supplements.
Related posts:
Solving Your Child’s Eating Problems
How do Parents Train their Toddlers to Eat Healthy Food
10 Healthy Foods for Finicky Toddlers
Toddlers’ Favorite Foods Around the World
MedlinePlus - Age-appropriate Diet for Children
May 29th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
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November 29th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
“My 13 month old son is also a very picky eater. I started with baby food at 6 months and have struggled every since. Now that he is older and able to do finger foods he will not eat much. I can only stick bananas, baby yogurt or a graham cracker in his mouth. He totally freaks out if it is something new. He is still nursing since he is not eating too much solids. I cannot get him to take a bottle or sippy cup when I am around filled with milk or juice. At the sitter he will take a bottle with milk in it. I just keep trying everyday with new things hoping one day he will accept them.”
November 16th, 2007 at 6:55 am
more help when kids won’t eat…
http://www.e-nterests.com/familyhtml/kidswonteat.php
May 27th, 2009 at 4:53 am
These are some very good points. I never considered the fact that they are exercising their control. It makes perfect sense. The toddler years can so difficult!
July 6th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Silliness. When the toddler won’t eat, then eat your own food and go on with your life. Eventually they’ll get hungry and, if possible, you can feed them. Otherwise you’ll have to continue whatever and they’ll eat at the next opportunity.
July 9th, 2009 at 3:13 am
cool stuff i hope i get to read more updates
September 4th, 2009 at 4:43 am
thank you, but it is still unnerving… my 22 month old will not eat at all except for the odd cheerio or cookie, and will drink milk and juice (which is good, but not enough). I can’t force feed him, he is just not interested in ANY food that I put infront of him.
Your tips were helpful, but still not working, so I’m very worried. Maybe the doctor is the way to go because this has been going on for weeks.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:20 am
I have a one year old that will not eat. We have tried everything and he will not eat…What can I do??????
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