Why won't my child eat?

Question

My two year old has become a very picky eater in the past few months.All she wants to eat is junk food.Everyday it is a battle to try and get her to eat something healthy.Some people tell me this is normal for a two year old and just to let her have whatever she wants (including junk food)as long as she is eating something.Is this right??? What do you thing I should do?

Answer 1

This is what I do. We always eat together as a family. Everyone stays at the table until everyone is finished. If your child has to stay at the table for about 15 to 20 minutes, she is likely to eat something. Serve milk with breakfast and dinner as a beverage. Don't buy junk food for about 2 weeks. Instead, stock your fridge and cabinets full of yogurt (go-gart in a tube, and dora yogart are fun), cheese sticks (moz. cheese and yellow and white twirled) and fruit. In the snack drawer, put pre-packaged (like for the lunch box) diced fruit (peaches, pineapple, oranges), and even pudding, which has sugar in it, but is still a very good source of calcium. Make rice crispy treats for a snack (don't buy them premade, they don't have the nutritional value that the homemade ones have. Why is that anyway???).
Now, I have junk food, and nutritional food both. My kids eat both, but when they are on their way home from school, I will put the healthier stuff out on the table where they see it first, and that is what they grab for first. I also keep a vegi tray in my fridge full of carrots, celery, broccoli, califlower, bell pepper strips and ranch dressing. Believe it or not, they love that too. Start them on healthy stuff early to keep them making good choices all of their lives, and don't cut out the junk entirely, or they want it all of the time. Good luck and God bless you and your family this Christmas Season.

Answer 2

Do not give her any junk food. Offer her nutritious healthy food, if she is hungry she will eat it and learn to love it! My children did not have candy or junk food until kindergarten and believe it or not they don't really like it now and prefer fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy lean meats. She'll adjust and eat better... Just don't create a habit of her expecting to get something if she doesn't like it. Skipping or eating a light meal is not going to hurt a healthy 2 year old. Do feed her things that are nutritionally dense foods such as raisins, other dried fruits, banana's, sweet potatoes, and whole grains (oatmeal, etc.).

Answer 3

i hit upon it slightly abnormal that she thinks her little ones won't be able to be healthful on a vegan weight-help plan. A vegan weight-help plan if performed wisely is nutrtionally finished and actual might want to be ideal for a baby. finally - she is the parent. young ones opt for to eat what thier associates are eating, in many procedures it purely makes it a lot less annoying to allow little ones a great collection of nutrition and finally enable them to make the alternative. i don't believe of she is being a hypocrite, she has purely made a judgement call as a parent. the only section which she is incorrect about is that a vegan weight-help plan might want to be nutrionally finished for a baby. I absolutely were a vegan my entire existence, i don't sense abused with the aid of my dad and mom, that is part of our beleifs. those are beleifs that my little ones now percentage.

Answer 4

I've been through it with my 4 year old daughter. She's been through wanting to go on the all mcdonalds and chocolate diet. I would allow those as treats for her, but not as a whole diet. I would try find healty things that tasted good and if I found one (or more) of those that she would eat, that's what I kept feeding her. She grasped the concept real quick of "fine don't eat it, but no snacks or treats later". I wouldn't force her to eat it, but I also wouldn't cater to her like a short-order cook. Now that she's older she's much more open to trying new things, some she likes, some get spit out in her napkin, but at least she'll try them.

Answer 5

It is normal, but don't give her junk food.Maybe only sometimes as a reward, but if you don't bring home junk food she'll have too eat what you give her.If you give her junk food now you'll never be able to get her off it, and it will establish bad eating habits for later on in her life. She won't starve! hen she is hungry she will eat. Good Luck!

Answer 6

I'm having the same problem with my 2 yr old boy. He will only eat oatmeal, waffles, eggs, some fruit and macaroni and cheese. I started making him smoothies packed with vitamins. I use OJ, yogurt, banana, mango, frozen berries, I add a small handful of fresh spinach, and carrots..either raw or steamed. I have also added pumpkin, yams, fresh steamed green beans, and once.broccoli (but you can only put a small amount) zucchini (raw) and also tofu. I know it sounds gross, but they are actually really good (don't put ALL these veggies at one time, you can alternate) You can hardly taste the veggies because everything else in it covers it up. I usually make these for my 4 yr old and 2 yr old two or three times a week..and they both love them. that way, I don't have to worry too much about him just eating macaroni and cheese for lunch and dinner because he has gotten his fruits and veggies down in a smoothie.

Answer 7

She only eats junk food because she knows if she goes long enough without eating you'll give her junk. Offer her only healthy foods with no junk and she'll eat them. Give her junk food as a treat.

Answer 8

It is normal, but you are the parent for a reason - you have to make those healthy choices for your child. Of course she won't eat anything healthy if you always let her eat junk. Just keep feeding her as you should and she will eat if she gets hungry enough. Remember, you can't let your child manipulate you or they will!

Answer 9

♥♪♦♫ Take all the junk food out of the house and then take her to the fridge and tell her to pick what she want to eat and then everything will all healthy, she will be hungry enough to eat all her vegetables. I hope that I have helped you.♥♪♦♫

Answer 10

My husband is in the navy. My child stop eating when he left. I talked to the dr. about it. He told me that children won't starve to death. It is also unhealthy for me to just feed him 3 big meals a day. That it is better to let them snack all day long. But not junk food. I let my child one unhealthy snack a day.