How can I get my 2 year old to want to eat more than candy and junk food and drink more than pop and juice?

Question

She will literally starve herself if she doesnt get what we wants!!

Answer 1

Don't buy it or keep it locked in a cabinet she can't see. Problem solved. If it's not in the house, she can't have it. She won't starve herself. She'll eventually eat. You're the parent--she has no option. Eat what you give her or she doesn't eat at all...

Answer 2

You don't give her candy and junk food and pop and juice. She will not starve. Offer her a healthy variety of foods to choose from, wait a reasonable amount of time and if she doesn't eat take the food away. Toddlers do better with small meals or snacks every couple of hours, so try again. Be cheerful and matter of fact, don't punish her, let her see you eat a variety of foods. Do not keep junk in the house. Make sure there is water available when she wants it. This will not be easy but it will work.

Answer 3

The best thing is to never start your children on this stuff. But since you already have just take it away, we had to do that with my son and his bottle, he was over a year old and didnt want to give up the bottle, but we threw them away and gave him the sippy cup and he didnt drink for a whole day, then he finally realized if he wanted a drink he was going to have to use the sippy cup, same with the junk food, take it all away and she will eat what you put in front of her when shes hungry and realizes she isnt getting the junk food she wants. My son who just turned 3 just learned what a cookie is. There is no candy or chocolate or junk food in my house. No soda or any sweets like that. We are very strict when it comes to things like that, we dont allow him to even eat candy from halloween, partly because he gets really sugar high from anything with sugar in it. He does get some sweet snacks on very special occasions so dont think im totally keeping him away from any junk foods. He gets water, milk and watered down juice to drink and snack foods like crackers, bagels or fruit. Take a stand and throw out the junk and give her the good foods that will give her a nice long healthy life and hope that she will instill this on her children if she has any.

Answer 4

Ok...your question was "how can I get my 2 year old to WANT to eat more than candy..." So your other answers saying "don't give her a choice, be the parent, etc.. aren't really answering your question, right? Well, we learn by example, don't we? I would suggest you set out some of her favorites and some healthier choices on the table. You choose a healthy item and absolutely devour it, smile alot, make some yummy eating sounds, etc, and really let her know it's good! Make it fun too, ie: let her drop small pieces of fruit in some jello, Be creative with what her current favorite candies and junk foods are, for instance, if she likes chocolate, buy the mini chocolate pieces and let her drop a couple in some yougurt, also a drop of food coloring to let her stir in her favorite color. She is going to want junk food just like the rest of the world, the trick is, teaching her at a young age that she can have them in a healthy portion and that she can enjoy healthy foods too! Good luck =]

Answer 5

I agree that if it's not in the house it would be easier.
This is going to have to be a process...not something that you accomplish in a day or 2. I've honestly found that the best thing for my daughter (5 years old) is setting a good example. Whatever I have, she wants. If there is a 2 liter of soda, she wants it, but if there's none in the house and I'm drinking water, she wants that.
We have always eaten a lot of tuna, shrimp, beef, spaghetti...don't get me wrong...she has her vices like cool ranch doritos and cheetos! Another advantage I have is that she is in school, so I know she's getting a healthy lunch. I choose not to pack her lunch because I like her to have hot food.
You can always trick her with veggies, like put spinach on a pizza or some veggie lasagna.
Work a little at a time...don't expect her diet to consist mainly of broccoli and spinach.

Answer 6

Oh no she won't. She may give you fits, but she will eat in three days.
The trick here is to give her a wee bit of say, cheese cubes and crackers, cooked peas, kiddie ravioli, what ever, just a few, do it cheerfully, calmly, no yelling, no 'you have to eat hysteria'.
They go through a slowdown on intake about then anyway.
Keep the sweets and snacks out of sight and if possible, out of the house.,
Don't panic, don't make a scene, at then end of half and hour take the plate off the table and that's that. If shes eaten or not, don't make any comments. As long as food is available she won't starve, like a puppy she will come to eat whats in front of her and, honestly, she may put those sugary junky things in her mouth, but she not getting nutrition from it anyway so shes not missing much.

Answer 7

Dear she won't starve her self,trust me! You really do need to put the junk food up where she can not reach it.There is nothing wrong with having a snack cake or a piece of candy from time to time but not all the time.You control what she eats and drink,How you ask,well you are the one who buys it for her.Fruit juice is fine.Pop well that should be like a treat like on pizza night or a family outing,try chocolate or strawberry milk.When serving her meat try serving it with a side of Ranch dressing,this works for vegetables also.Well it worked for my kids.Try the small packs of like the 100 calorie packs they will be just enough to crave her sweet tooth and just enough to fill her Belly.

Answer 8

Run out of candy, junk food, pop, and juice, and then block your ears! She may really go a day without eating if that's all she's used to, but a day isn't going to kill her, and then she's going to be hungry and thirsty and eat and drink something else -- and you will be saving her from major health problems down the line. Offer water and milk for beverages (and the occasional fruit smoothie with yogurt and fruit ... if she likes juice she'll probably drink that and it will be getting lots of good things into her). I trust there are at least a couple of healthy foods that she eats. Offer something healthy that you know she likes at every meal (even if it's cheerios at dinner), and put next to it something else that you want her to try (like fruit). It will take a bunch of tries, but she will really try things eventually and will come to like what she gets used to being offered.

(With the next child, if you have one, save yourself the heartache and just don't expose her to anything you don't want her eating at that age!)

And ask her pediatrician if she should be having a multivitamin.

Answer 9

it's time to stop spoiling her and it's time for the BATTLE OF THE WILLS.
i assure you, she will not starve herself. sure, she wants the junk food...who doesn't??!?!?! but, if you refuse to give it to her, then she may not eat right away...but eventually, i am SURE she will eat! and she'll eat what you give her too.
good luck. THIS is the time that you have to be strong and teach her good eating habits or else you are setting her up for a very unhealthy lifestyle.

i'm not some crazy fanatic either. i like a chocolate chip cookie just as much as the next guy....however, i set limits and boudnaries and eat everything in moderation. moderation is the key.

you cna eat this if you eat this, this and this first.

hang in there!!!!

Answer 10

You are the parent. If you give it to her, of course she will want it all the time. My daughter is six and when she gets soda it's like winning the lottery for her. Candy also....she knows if she eats a piece that will be it for the day.

I don't want to start her on bad habits. Use treats as a reward system. I would suggest keeping fruit cups and healthy snacks in the house.

Answer 11

She won't starve herself, you cannot cave in!!! Even if she doesn't eat ALL DAY, and goes to bed, she will be hungry the next morning and then you can offer appropriate foods.

Throw away all that crap, it shouldn't be in the house anyways! I'm not trying to be mean, but she obviously knows what to do to get your attention and for you to give in.