2 year old won't eat food?

Question

my daughter has always had a bad appetite but now its just gotten ridiculous. before she would eat 1-2 meals out of the 3, but now he's gotten to the point that she doesn't want any of the food we cook. so we would give her fruits or snacks and pediasure to keep her stomach open. But she needs to eat regualr food again, what are some ideas of how i can get her back to her regular food? we are geting desperate here

Answer 1

Cut back on or eliminate the pediasure, limit milk to a reasonable amount and only offer her food you want her to eat. She will eat when she is hungry. She won't eat if she is full of fake food or milk. And cow's milk isn't very nutritious. If she were still drinking breastmilk that would be another story.

As a parent you are responsible for the what, she is responsible for how much and when. She won't starve herself.

Answer 2

My daughter was also very picky while teeth were erupting... until I realized that she would eat anything if she could dip it. Every kid has a weakness, shapes, colors, dipping, you just have to find something that appeals. Leave a colorful arrangement out on a low table for your child. Try thin strips of veggies, healthy grain crackers, berries, chopped fruit, cheese cubes, peas and little broccoli trees. Maybe even a small dish of yogurt or cottage cheese to dip into. Eventually, they give in to the temptation of healthy food. Offer only good choices for long enough and taste buds will be retrained. If the weight is a concern, smoothies are also an option. If you have a blender, start with a few tablespoons of old fashioned oats. Blend this dry until it is a flour (this gives a bit of protein). Then add yogurt, chopped fruit and a splash of milk. Blend until smooth. Even vegetable juice tastes good to kids when blended with a sweet apple or grapes. Freeze it and it becomes a nutritious popsicle. Talk to your pediatrician before giving vitamins or meal replacement drinks like Ensure. If she isn't eating and loves junk food, this kind of drink will become an expensive new addiction.

Answer 3

I think a lot of 2 year olds go through this stage.
My youngest has the appetite of a sparrow, all I do is offer her foods that I know she likes.
Breakfast she has a big drink of milk with Ovaltine, and a rusk which she eats like a biscuit.
Lunch I offer her fruit, ham, cheese, toast or crackers, fromage frais/Jelly, most of it ends up on the floor, but she eats her fill and I don't get too wound up because I'm not sitting trying to spoon food into her!
Supper she has what we have, but I have been cooking meals that I know she will eat, she loves roast chicken and veg, so we have been having that sometimes 3 times a week!
Try giving her her own spoon and fork, give her the plate and see if she can manage herself.
Just bear in mind it is a phase, and she will eat when she is hungry.
Good Luck.

Answer 4

If you have taken her to the Dr, and ruled out anything medical such as a throat problem or stomach issue, then first things first is you HAVE TO GET TOUGH. See she already knows your desperate to get her to eat and will give her snacks, fruit whatever to fill her up. It would be a hard road but, my sugeestion is that is she has nothing wrong with her then you put a plate down in front of her with whatever you have made on it. If she refuses then thats ok, let her go, but, when she comes to tell you she is hungry offer her the same thing...nothing else. If she refuses again thats fine. She may not eat until the next meal..or might go all day without eating. She is not going to starve.
I had this problem with my 2nd son. I was deperate too, he lost 3 lbs when we weighed him at the Drs. office. He said to keep going with my idea I was on the right track. He said eventually he will get the picture that he eats what is offered and if he chooses not too thats fine but, the same thing is going to appear until the next meal...and that will appear if he chooses not to eat again and again, until the next meal. he would pick at it and then see if he could get something else. I would firmly tell him no, after which a fit that would make anyone blush ensued. After about 3 days, he decided to give up.
Now mind you there are going to be fits like no other, and you feel reallly bad doing this. Remember your not a bad mom for doing this, its worse when all they each are select foods and nothing else.
Also I would stop the pedisure cause it can make them feel full..just like you feel full after a milkshake..its thick and thick liquid makes you feel fuller. I would switch to a multi vitamen and then try out offering her only those things that have been cooked and see what happens. If thir really starts to worry you please take her to her Dr. and voice your concerns and ask him for advice.

Answer 5

My daughter would much rather snack all day long than sit and eat 3 meals a day. What I've been doing lately is just give her the foods she likes to snack on during her meals instead of in between meals. Luckily, she loves to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I think by giving her those things during her meal, she also sees what else is in front of her at the time and wants to try that too. I've also realized that whenever I give her something to drink with her meal, she drinks too much of it and therefore, gets her tummy full before even eating any food. Now, I give her something to drink after she's ate some food. I also got her on vitamins so that she's getting what her little body needs without having to rely on her food intake.

Answer 6

A 2 yr old won't starve in a day. Make sure her meals are scheduled, offer her heathy options; ie: cheese, fruit ,veggies, yogurt, meats. don't freak out if she doesn't eat just remember she won't try anything new if she knows that she can get what she wants by crying. Also limit the milk or juice you give her at meal time often children fill up on the milk/ juice and never eat the food. Offer the milk after she has eated a few bites. set the rules and stick with them. If you don't give in she will quickly figure it out and start eating . good luck

Answer 7

My daughter did the same thing. Ever since we started solids she never like to eat and didn't eat much. Our pediatrician had us get whole milk and pediasure for a year and a half. We couldn't force her to eat but she liked her fluids so we went with that. It was stressful and always in the back of our minds..."how much has she eaten, barely anything" Finally when she was 2weeks before turning three she started eating regularly. Now she's fine and eats three meals a day! It'll end one day trust me. For now give her whole milk, pediasure, as much fruit as she wants. Try giving her those meat stix in the baby food isle.

Answer 8

It might just be the age cause i came on here just now to ask the same question!! My 2 year old daughter wont really eat anything...in the morning she will take a bite of her toast and throw the other peices on the floor at lunch she does the same thing with a sandwich.If i give her a little pkt of chips or cornchips as a snack she eats one than pours the rest in the bin and at dinner time she pushes her diner around with a fork, maybe eats a mouthful and thats it! i offer her other foods aswell but no matter what it is she just wont eat it..........if this sounds like your little girl it might be a phase.

Answer 9

Try letting her help you cook the meal. Then she will want to eat it because she made it.

Make her food into little scenes like a forest make out of broccoli, ham, and mashed potatos. Or you can make a smiley face with her food.

Get the zoo pals plates and tell her that if she makes a "happy plate" (when she eats all her food and she can see the animals face) then she can put a sticker on her reward chart. Then once she has like ten or fifteen stickers she gets to make cookies with you or gets a new toy.

Give her options. Tell her she gets to choose whether you make spaghetti or porkchops for dinner. Then she will feel like she decided what would be for dinner and she will eat it.

Answer 10

I think most parents of toddlers go through this same thing. It's probably time to put your foot down and not offer the other items until the main food has at least had a few bites taken. There will be crying, and even the stomping of feet, and probably an "I'm NOT EATING" but children always come around. Their little stomachs remind them they are hungry and eventually, she/he will eat the food you offer.