how to get toddler to eat?

Question

my son is 30 months old and will only eat crackers, chicken nuggets sometimes, junk food, cereal, and pizza rolls. and when he eats thouse things he will only eat a few bites unless its candy or crackers. he only weighs 25 pounds. someone please help all he wants to do is drink milk all day

his dad is the one who gave him what he wanted. his dad is deploed for 6 months now and i want him to change. i dont offer him junk. thats just what he asks for all the time from daddy giving it to him.

Answer 1

Don't stress too much. Your toddler is too BUSY to eat. His stomach is only about the size of a walnut. A few bites here and there will fill him up quick. Cut back on the milk, give him water instead. Offer him bite sized pieces of cheese, fruit, etc. Don't expect to eat much right now. When he starts growing again you'll see his appetite increase.

Answer 2

Most babies begin eating table foods at around 1 year of age. However, it is important that they eat the right table foods. Remember that it is less important that your child eats all the right things than that he doesn't eat too much of the wrong things. A varied diet offering foods from each of the basic 4 food groups is the best assurance of optimal nutrition
Being a picky eater is part of what it means to be a toddler. We have since learned that there are developmental reasons why kids between one and three years of age peck and poke at their food. After a year of rapid growth (the average one-year-old has tripled her birth weight), toddlers gain weight more slowly. So, of course, they need less food. The fact that these little ones are always on the go also affects their eating patterns. They don't sit still for anything, even food. Snacking their way through the day is more compatible with these busy explorers' lifestyle than sitting down to a full-fledged feasthttp://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030800.asp

Answer 3

Crackers, chicken nuggets, cereal and pizza rolls ARE junk food. First of all STOP bringing the garbage into the home. START reading nutrition lables on foods. Eliminate "fast food" from your vocabulary. Learn to actually COOK rather than microwave or "heat n serve". Then start cooking wholesome nutritious meals and if your son doesn't eat remove him from the table and do NOT give him anything to eat. He goes to bed hungry...the next day he MAY try to avoid eating but if he is hungry enough he will eat what is placed in front of him. If not...put him to bed hungry. He isn't going to starve to death and by the 2nd day he will eat what you give him. But you can NOT bring the crap back into the house...so my advice is for you and his father to start eating right as well.

Answer 4

Please dont offer him junk food...you will be making a rod for your own back later on....if you only offer him healthy things he will eat them...even if it takes a few days...no sensible baby will ever starve himself, he's probably just a bit picky naturally...if you do not provide the junk he cannot eat it. Give him pasta, cheese, fresh chicken cut up small, vegetables and fruit...he will get there eventually...if he does not eat for a day or two but only has milk or water it will not hurt him and I promise you that he will eventually eat the good food.

Answer 5

At that age, you want them to eat, and it's hard when they won't eat what you put in front of them. Oh, I totally know where you're coming from. I would start small. Like, for breakfast, let him have his favorite cereal, but chop up some bananas to put in. Let him eat chicken nuggets, but also served some steamed carrots or peas for him to eat. We also cut up our son's food and let him eat it with a toothpick just because it was something different and fun. I think the key is to have a variety and serve healthy foods often. Of course he won't like all of the foods you serve him, but it's important to find out what he'll eat.

When my son went through the "Picky" phaze, we also would "hide" veggies and fruit in things. Like with his spaghetti, we'd add diced carrots. It's easy to put vegetables in pasta dishes to make them more healthy and not noticeable to the kids. Just keep trying. Make it a priority, and he'll get it.

Answer 6

Just have what you want himto eat for meals.You need toeat when he does so he sees its time to eat. It will be hard but you must not allow him to fill upon milk before you want him to eat. The milk will just make him feel full and when you are full things dont taste very good. Your husband probably just gave him what was easy, knowing that he was leaving he probably wanted things as pleasant as possible. And Daddys arent the best at nutrition sometimes :) But like Imentioned the best time to get him to eat is whenheisnot full of milk. Good luck and I hope your husband gets home as fast as possible.

Answer 7

I agree with clare on not letting the child fill up on junk food, you want this child healthy! Make a plate of something fun, easy, and healthy, sit him or her at the table, and if they still refuse to eat, tell them they cannot play with there toys until they have 4 bites, or something of that nature. Basically only give the child what he or she wants if they do what you want them to do (in this case eat) first.

Answer 8

The first thing to do is quit giving him junk food. When he fills up on that he won't eat nutritious food.

Make food fun for him! Cut celerry stalks and fill the hollow with peanut butter and put raisins on top.

Let him dip raw fruit pieces in yogurt or honey, and raw vegetable strips into a yogurt and dressing mixture.

And let him help "cook". Give him some Cheerios, Quaker Oats Squares and raisins and let him mix them together for "trail mix". Let him spread peanut butter on his own toast.

Answer 9

Start rewarding him for trying new foods. Things like a trip to the playground, Chuck E Cheese. Whatever his favorite activity is. If he tries new food...even if he spits it out, at least he tried and that's really all you can ask of him.

My son decided he was a vegetarian when he was 3 years old. It's been very hard to feed him enough protein and iron without meat. He is deathly afraid to try new foods for fear of it tasting yucky. I bribe him with a trip to the beach or the waterpark and he will try the food I want him to.

Answer 10

What I would suggest, is not have those things in the house. When all he has for choices, are healthy foods, then he'll have choice - eat, or starve. He will eat! It sounds like you are letting him have WAY too much control over something he is too young to control. My daughter is 4 now, and ASKS for water to drink, and asks for healthy snacks, like yogurt, grapes, carrots, and granola bars. You need to be the parent again. No offense, but sometimes, we need to hear that, as parents.