2.5 yrs boy won't eat. What to do?

Question

My two and half year old boy won't eat regular food at all. He only eats junk food, which I am limited once a day for him only. What should I do?

Answer 1

I think that he will eat if and when he is truly hungry, at that age they do not have the mentality to starve themselves on purpose, also your taste buds change like every 6 years so he may not like certain things right now, just offer variety and when he is hungry he will eat, also dont be too alarmed if he wants the same thing over and over again, some go through those stages, Good luck :)

Answer 2

My son went through a period when he was about 2.5 where he barely ate anything, except junk food. I was always worried about him eating, so I felt like anything is better than nothing. Plus, he was on the low end of the weight charts. I finally decided to just scratch out the junk food altogether and let him know that he had a choice of 3 or 4 things (all of them healthy) and that was it. Then, I offered him many more healthy snacks than usual. We almost did away with meal times, because he ate so many more snacks. Now, he's a normal eater, and he likes a lot of healthy food. We allow junk food occasionally, but not nearly as often. I think kids will begin to crave the food they are used to eating. So, if it's healthy food, then that's what their little bodies will get used to. Don't forget that you are in charge of what goes into his body! It's easy to start worrying about what they will and won't eat, but the truth is eventually they'll eat what you have to offer.

Answer 3

GET REAL!
A child will eat when they are hungry. And they will hold out for the junk food once a day if they know it's around. Get rid of the junk in your house, for starters, and wait til he's good and hungry. Then feed him something without sugar, and mofified food starch. Real food from the fridge.
When those things are OUT OF THE SYSTEM, he won't crave them any more.
You've really created quite a situation for yourself. It's not his fault, it's yours.
Remember, that at one point this child was probably living on formula...ever tasted that stuff????!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Keep offering him healthy food, yogurt, fruit and veggies, whole wheat bread. Don't let him have junk food even once a day. When he gets hungry, he will eat the healthy foods you are offering. If he knows that eventually you will cave and give him junk food, he will hold out for it.
Once you get him on a regular, healthy diet you can begin offering the occasional treat once again. Good luck!

Answer 5

Once a day is still too much. He knows that you will give him the junk food so why bother eating anything healthy. I know it sounds awful, but only offer him healthy things (fruit, veggies, yogurt, cheese sticks, proteins, oatmeal, etc) He may not eat it right away, but he will get hungry and will eat. Be strong. It's for his best interests that you have to do this.

Answer 6

Just stop buying any junk food for awhile. As you run out, replace it with good food in his diet. It is normal for 2.5-yr-olds to have food issues. This weeks its junk food, next week he won't eat anything but macaroni and cheese, its normal. My 2-yr-old hardly eats anything at all, even junk food. He will outgrow it, then do it again in the preschool years. Just make sure you offer good food and he will get it. Good luck.

Answer 7

A friend of mine had this problem with her three-year-old. The pediatrician told her to withhold all food for two days, except to give her unsalted chicken broth at every meal. He assured her that letting her daughter go without food for two days would not cause her any harm. By the end of the second day, this kid was STARVING, and was happy to eat grilled chicken and broccoli that was put in front of her. There's been no eating problems ever since!

Answer 8

Toddlers are grazers. They don't like to sit still to eat a regular meal and tend to be busy all the time. I have a cabinet in the kitchen that I keep healthy snacks in, and my kids know that they can have items in that cabinet whenever they are hungry. Some days I make up snack plates of cheese, nuts, raisins, apple slices and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Access is key to getting your kids to choose healthy items. I have never heard of a toddler starving himself- cut off the junk and he will make the better choice eventually. I also don't buy juices- they have a lot of sugar, we drink water, crystal light lemonade, and milk. Good luck!

Answer 9

First off, I am not saying you did or didn't, but a lot of times when all kids want to eat is junk food it is because they are used to eating a lot of junk food. If that's the case you can't expect your child to automatically switch to eating good food. Plus another way to look at it is when they are hungry they will eat....Having set meal times is also a good way to get a kid to eat....when it is meal time My daughter is not allowed down from the table untill we are all done eating, and she also has to take at least one thank you bite (even if she knows she doesn't like it, it is to say thank you to the cook) a lot of times once she takes one bite she will take another and another and before she knows it her plate is empty

Answer 10

he should have never got started on junk food. i watched my brother go through the same thing with his boy and he still dont much care for anything but junk food. my advice is so cut it out all together and if he gets hungry enough he will eat. that might sound harsh but he will eat and learn to like HEALTHY food if thats all you allow him. good luck