I have a 2 yr old son, and he is a picky eater,what can I do to make him eat better?

Question

My 2 yr old son is a picky eater, everytime I try to feed him or if I let him feed himself, he just turns his head away,He will not eat the right things, like vegies,fruits,meats..and this really worries me,What can I do to make him eat healthy foods??

Answer 1

im a nutritionist,

if everything else fails offer him the healthy food and when he dosn't eat it give him NOTHING else untill he does.

at 2 years old children work only on a hunger drive, they will eat if they are hungry and stop when they are full. they will not starve themselves. understand that doing this will be harder on you than the child but if you can do it, it will teach him to eat the food in front of him. if you give in and feed him something else because you feel bad that he is hungry he will learn to manipulate you.

Answer 2

Just keep giving them to him. If he doesn't eat a couple of meals don't cave and give him junk food. A lot of parents make this mistake afraid of "starving" the child, but a 2 year old will eat if he gets hungry enough since they are still little enough to have some of that "just eat now" instinct, and they wont die from missing a meal or two. Sometimes it helps if you have maybe 2 kinds of veggies or fruit and let him choose one. This makes him feel in charge, while really you are still controlling his food intake, and you don't have to make a whole other meal just for him. My son used to be really picky, but if i let him choose between say two Gerber lunches, or if he wants carrots or peas with dinner he is a lot happier and still eats healthy! Also, you can sneak foods in, mash vegetables and add them to sauces, things like that will make your whole family healthier and give you child the nutrition with out any fight!

Answer 3

Dont panick for the first 3 yrs of my sons life he would only eat hot dogs,noodles and green beans.The best thing is for him to see you eat those foods. If that doesnt work give him the veggies with a dip or a sauce that he likes or even ketchup. Kids like to gross parents out. my son now eats pretty much anything in front of him, if its something new he will still put ketchup on it first and he 10.

Answer 4

I was a picky eater when I was little. My mum asked her doctor for advice & he told her "No kid will starve to death voluntarily! Feed her whatever she'll eat, & she'll come right eventually!"
I made it to adolescence on a diet of chocolate biscuits & fruit. When I was a teenager everything changed and I started eating properly.

My son was a picky eater. I didn't want him to live off rubbish food, so I invented 'names' for meals. Scrambled eggs had him gagging, but 'eggs like clouds' were wolfed down. Likewise, fried eggs were a disaster, but 'crunchy eggs' disappeared in quick time.
Steamed brocolli or cauliflour was rejected, but pine trees & snowy trees were devoured.

'Flying Saucers & Aliens' were a hit! A round piece of cooked meat, topped with half a hard boiled egg dotted with green & yellow food colouring for lights, pinned into place with toothpicks (antenna). That was the flying saucer. The Aliens were created with any fruit or vegetable in the fridge. Apples, tomatoes or boiled potatoes are good for the body. Brussel sprouts (yes, you can trick someone into loving them), plums, or cheese triangles make the head. Sprigs of brocolli make great ears, arms & tails..as do green beans Carrots for noses & legs. Every self-respecting alien needs a lawn & a pathway to its ship. Lettuce, spinach, sliced cabbage & alfalfa for the lawn; sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds for the path.
Most of the vegetables were uncooked, but that's healthier anyway.
Alien's are allowed to have a bit of 'dessert' included. I've used pineapple chunks (I hope you know what these are) as eyes.

For his 11th birthday party, my son & his friends were still asking for Flying Saucers & Aliens as the party food.

All this takes a lot of toothpicks & time, but it was worth it for me & my son. He grew up on a healthy diet, & he eats everything now.
You'll need to teach your son to pull out the toothpicks for a while.

Use your imagination, & fire up your child's at the same time. It's a lot of fun!

Good luck!

Answer 5

If you ask your son to help you make a meal, he will be more eager to eat what you put in front of him.

For example, if you are making a fruit salad with strawberries and grapes (and other fruits), ask him which one he wants in the salad (out of strawberries and grapes).

After he picks, you can even have him help by having him put individual strawberries in the bowl.

Then when it comes time to eat, he will most likely be proud of his "effort" and be happy and eager to eat the salad, without noticing the other fruits in there.

If you have kids help you, they will think that they made the decision anyway.

Hope this helps! =]

Answer 6

Make the healthy food look fun and appetizing. For example: cut up some different colored bell peppers and arrange the slices in the shape of smiley faces. Start taking the more artificial stuff out of his diet and replace it with more organic foods. Instead of giving him fruit snacks, give him fruit slices etc.

Answer 7

Add flavor to his food by way of seasonings..... if he turns his head run the spoon slightly over his lips with the food on it so he will taste the flavor. Mix the foods too. Like gritz, add bacon pieces or sausage pieces. oatmeal, add fruit pieces. mashed potatoes, add meats. Also with mashed potatoes... I have found to be a huge lil one pleaser to add a tad bit of butter, dash of each salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. They love the flavor of them that way. Another thing you can try is to not give him snacks or goodies if he doesn't eat a certain amount of regular foods. (There are many many seasonings out there for experimenting with)

Answer 8

I had and have the same problem, eventually my daughter say other children eating different foods and tried them. Until then don't force any type of food just keep trying different varieties and styles. Some foods they will never like.

Answer 9

Try putting just a little bit of the food he doesn't like with the food he likes and maybe mix it up a bit every so often. He might start to get use to it.

Answer 10

Hey Madam, Try to give the food when your child is doing his favourite thing or tell him the name which the child fears badly in his life or tell him that you will give the food anyone u and ur child knows (it will be much more worthy if it is a child).