My 23 month old daughter barely eats.....?

Question

I sit her down 3 times a day with food infront of her and she MAY take a few bites and throws the rest on the floor! She only shows interest in junk food which she very rarely gets, and almost always shows interest in other people's food but even then will hardly take a bite. She probably weighs about 24lbs now (which is how much my 11month old son weighs). Should I consult a doctor, or just keep trying??

Answer 1

Great news! Don't worry. This is totally normal behavior for girls. Here is what works. Buy a booster seat and set her next to you. Put enough food on your plate to feed her and you. When she shows interest in what you are eating, produce a plate from under yours (Get the same size plate) and put one or two bites of food on her plate. Chances are excellent that this will gradually ween her to eat her own food. It will take a while. Some foods to try are watermelon, strawberries, canned green beans, black beans, peach slices, English muffins with apple butter, baby carrots with ranch, and avocado slices. Both kids will find the colors delightful and the textures interesting. Keep in mind you have to sit with her, or this won't work. High chairs are too "baby" and she isn't ready for a regular chair across from you. Hope this helps!
However, if you have tried this, then you should talk to your pediatrician about supplementing with children's Ensure.

Answer 2

My daughter was the same way. She would never eat her own food. She was very petite for the longest time. She is now 2 1/2 years old and is growing like crazy. When she was younger I would feed her off of my plate which she loved because she was eating like mommy. She always drank a lot so I knew she was getting enough fluids. As long as your daughter is healthy, plays a lot, continues to grow, and has regular wet diapers (pee and poo), I wouldn't be too worried. Good luck!

Answer 3

Its always a good idea to consult the doctor on an important issue as this.

Here is a link from the Merck Manual Home Edition, that does give some advice on the subject:

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch269/ch269b.html

Answer 4

As long as she's not getting dehydrated and is still putting on weight, I wouldn't worry. My daughter was a preemie and is 27lbs. at 27 months. My pediatrician isn't at all worried and she was picky too.

I'd offer more of a variety of foods. Maybe she's just bored with the same 'ol, same 'ol. Try noodles, PB&J (my daughter would eat this night and day if I'd let her), cut up cheese, noodles, macaroni and cheese, different varieties of cooked veggies, diced meats, pudding, yogurt, cereal, scrambled eggs, pancakes (another favorite of my daughter's), different crackers, cut up or diced fruits, etc.

Another key is having you eat it and eating TOGETHER. If she sees that you like it, she just may try it to.

Answer 5

toddlers go through pickey eating stages. This is totally normal. Let her do her thing just as long as she eats something. make sure she gets plenty of fluids and trust me she'll come to you when shes hungry. my daughter is only 28lbs and she's 3, but she is perfectly healthy. If she starts loosing weight then i would be concerned, but other than that this is just a stage they go through and often revisit throughout toddlerhood. For now just let her eat when she wants to and try to make it healthy.

Answer 6

I wouldn't worry about it. My three year old doesn't like to eat much either. My one year old won't stop eating. Unless she starts to lose weight from not eating enough, kids know when they're hungry and when they're not. Also remember their little tummies are only about the size of their hand, so they don't usually eat too much anyway.