My 18 month old doesn't eat well what can I do?

Question

if i sit him down with a kids size bowl of ex: speggettii, tuna helper, chicken and rice, all things he does like the taste of he won't eat more then like 2 or 3 bites. hes not full and he doesn't hate it do i make him finish every bite? should a force him? leaving him in the room to finish doesn;t bother him he just talks to him self for ever... i know he doesn't eat enough for his age not that hes to skinny but he eats a good size bowl of cherios and milk for breakfast and yougart sometimes too and lunch is a fight but cheese crackers and meat go down good but supper is always a fight. ive been giving him enfagrow (toddler formula) one a day but i really want him to eat better... please give me suggestions

Answer 1

I'm sorry, but I don't count Tuna Helper as eating well, that's chemicals in a box.

You can't force a child to eat, just keep offering him good food. Try taking a muffin tray and filling each cup with something, for example: Cubed cheese, pasta, some kind of veggie, cut up meat/tofu/fish, cottage cheese, and applesauce. Let him feed himself and decide what he does, and doesn't want to eat. As long as you're offering nutritious foods, you don't need that enfagrow stuff (that stuff is the biggest rip off, the formula companies prey on parents who worry that their children aren't eating right.) Also remember that a toddler's stomach is very small, sometimes a few bites of heavy food is all they need, don't try to force him.

I leave out fruit for my 2 year old to snack on during the day if she wants it. She might pick at her food at meal times, but that's ok, because toddlers (and adults) need to eat smaller portions more often, that's just how our bodies work.

Answer 2

The thing about kids this age is that they are way too busy to do anything for very long and that includes eating! My daughter was a scrawny super skinny toddler (at five she still is).

Kids this age aren't going to starve, they WILL eat when they are hungry... I found that offering small meals through out the day was really helpful.. A few carrot sticks with dip, cut up fruit, or some crackers with cheese, were simple to fix, and gave her the extra nutrition between meals... Most kids will stop and take a few bites of what's there and then run along to the next activity...

Just pay attention to you tot. If he is lacking energy, loosing weight, or behaving differently touch base with your doc...

My guess is you just have a happy, healthy little boy!

Answer 3

My 4 year old has been this way since he was 18 months old. He hates eating dinner. When he was little, like your baby, I would simply make a "smorgasboard" of his favorite foods with about 3 bites of each and sit down with him to feed him. Their tummies are only about the size of their fists so you can't really expect them to eat that much. He would eat enough for him, start throwing a fit and then we would get down. We stopped allowiing him to snack between dinner and lunch and that helped a little with eating at dinner. Now we just make sure he stays at the table until everyone is finished and if he doesn't eat very much then we let him be. He isn't allowed snacks after dinner/before bed either.

He's very healthy and very tall for his age and as long as he is fed healthy foods we aren't concerned. Try cutting out the between lunch and dinner snack and make sure you press the issue of him remaining at the table as long as the family is still there. Dinner should be family time. And do your best to eliminate any snacks between dinner and bed as this will encourage him to eat more at dinner instead of getting hungry before bedtime.

Answer 4

I went through the same thing with my daughter. Actually i still do and she is 8 years old. Children go through different growth spurts. One day she would eat enough to feed a cow and the next day she wouldn't eat enough to feed a bird. If everyone had a child's eating habits we would not have fat people. Children eat when they are hungry and they stop eating when they are full. As long as the food is offered I would not worry about it. By the sounds of it you are giving him very healthy food. If he is hungry, he will eat it. You said he is a healthy child. I have never heard of a child starving him/herself when there is food in front of their face. Give it time. In a month or two you may find you can't feed him enough.

Answer 5

Don't force it. He's at the age where he just wants what he wants. It's a phase that he will get over. Our daughter has pretty much given up dinner. Then she wakes up with a huge appetite in the morning. If she chooses not to eat, that is her choice. She gets to eat what we give her and she knows that she has to wait till breakfast if she doesn't eat. We don't starve her or anything. She just doesn't want dinner, so we don't force the issue. She doesn't even seem hungry.

Answer 6

He'll eat when he's hungry. What does your Peditrician say? If he isn't "failing to thrive" then he's fine. And a "kids size" bowl of spaghetti is too much for an 18month old. "Kids size to me is 6 years - 10 years old! If he drinks, then just give him the higher caloric stuff with iron (Ensure/Boost - more for adults but there are things for kids too). Consult your peditrician but if he/she's not worried than don't be. Don't force the issue, you'll have more problems.

Answer 7

I have a similar problem with my child. She loves to chow down at breakfast time, but other meals are a huge fight. So I make the works at breakfast time to make up for the meals of the day that she is lacking in. I'm talking eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes, etc. And she gobbles it all up like a little piggy.
Once you recognize times when he will eat more, just load him up at those times.

Answer 8

Unless your child is seriously under weight, then he is doing what every child at that age does. They just nibble and that's about it. If they are hungry they will eat more. Make sure he's drinking whole milk to compensate for the fat he may not be getting.

Answer 9

It's a phase. Let him eat what he wants. I promise he won't starve. Kids can live on just Cheerios or hot dogs or chicken nuggets almost exclusively to the horror of grown adults.

Answer 10

Toddlers are snakcers. They continously snack cause of the size of there stomachs. The get full fast and hungry fast. there fore they continously eat all day and completely full at night. I wouldn't worry as long as he/she is still growing and gaining weight and is sleeping good.