My 3 year old will not eat!! Help!!?

Question

She drinks milk and every couple days it seems I can get her to eat some chicken nuggets, or some pizza, as well as Yogurt....She has always been a "BIG" Girl. Not fat, just about a years worth of size bigger than typical. She is really trimming down now though, and I am quite worried! Suggestions??

She is lactose intolerant, so her milk is pure soy....

Answer 1

Ok...I'm going to give you experience version and nutritionist version. My 7 and 4 yr old boys WILL NOT hardly eat anything. I've tried tons of food, but they will only eat certain things, and on some days, they won't eat much of their favorite foods. This drives me crazy because they look like skin and bones to me anyway....of course it could be that my oldest and youngest are slightly overweight (like just a few lbs). Anyway, I took them to the nutrionist and this is what she told me. Kids this age tend to not eat as much and tend to be really picky. You are not supposed to "force" them to eat, this can cause eating disorders later on. You are just supposed to have out a wide variety of healthy food (no candy or sweets) and let them choose what they want to eat. They will eat when they are hungry, and as long as you only have good foods for choices, they will eventually eat it.

Now for real life.....I feed my children what I know they will like. I don't care if I had brussel sprouts as the only choice of food, I really think they would starve. So if you have to fix chicken nuggets or pizza for a while...so be it. I do make them try one bite of something different at every meal (corn, potatoes, carrots). Believe it or not, they eventually started liking new foods and now I have so much more to choose from than before (my 4 yr old is actually ending the bun w/ his hot dog and they both eat carrots now). So don't give up...I'm sure the nutritionist is somewhat right in her points, but it's hard seeing your child eat nothing.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 2

Just keep offering her food. Limit the amount of milk she drinks--too much soy can be bad for kids. Make sure that you're offering her snacks and meals. She should be getting milk only with her meals. That said, she shouldn't be filling up on it. Give her water in between and she'll eventually eat. Ask your pediatrician, too, If you're that concerned, she can be put on a supplement. At 3 yrs old, she's big enough to reason with. She needs to eat her dinner. Period. Remember that a serving of meat is the size of the palm of her hands, fruits and veggies are only 1/4 of a cup at age 3. She should be getting 8-12 oz of milk per day. If she's getting that, then she's eating enough. Kids always slim down at this age--she's losing her baby fat.

Answer 3

Whatever you do don't force her to eat. I also have a 3 yr. old that is having problems with eating. When i took her to the dr. he said it was perfectly normal, because at 1,2, and 3 there body goes through many changes. The LAST thing you want to do is force her to eat, when doing this your just confusing them and there not going to know the difference from being full or hungry. My suggestion is that whenever SHE gets hungry, then is the time you should take advantage of and feed her a nutritious meal. Avoid giving her snacks or unnecessary amounts of fluids in between meals since they can be filling.

Answer 4

Cut down on the soy milk. Have a lot of snacky healthy food. She is most likely not going to sit down and eat. Talk to her dr asap. Some kids cruise and eat rather then eat a meal at a time. If she is losing weight you need to talk to her dr.

Answer 5

I asked my son's Dr. the same question yesterday. His advice is this: There are three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now in between those meals parents give their kids, snack, milk, juice, fruits and veges, which is alright, but when your kids don't eat you need to change it. Only allow ice water between meals, nothing else. Kids will get hungry and eat their dinner like they are suppose to.

Answer 6

Try to decrease the milk quantity slowly and she will eat when she feels hungry .... ask her if she wants to eat anything in specific ... give her that first to get her to solids and then make her eat what you want.

I know its hard but good luck ... you can other parents reviews at the below source.

Answer 7

No matter what you do....don't force this child to eat. That could result in eating disorders. I went through this with my son and that is what his doctor told me. Kids will eat when they are hungry. Most kids go through this stage. Always offer her different food items. Sliced apples, baby carrots, kids love finger foods. She is growing......just offer food to her, and you know it is good nutritious food. She will eat when she is ready. If she is drinking alot of milk, juice, soda, they are probably curbing her appetite. Good luck.

Answer 8

it is common at this age...they consume while they desire to and you do no longer tension it. basically verify he has wholesome meals to snack on while he does desire to consume. as long as he continues to be holding a wholesome weight and not dropping weight, you purely form of cope with it. that's tough to be sure your babies refusing to consume yet as long as they're "familiar" youngsters and don't have some form of psychological retardation or downs syndrome they'll consume while they're hungry. truthfully, being a form a million diabetic and having a toddler of my own i be attentive to that wholesome snacking is plenty greater advantageous than eating huge wholesome foodstuff. it is going to bypass and he will consume like loopy and advance an inch and then he will end eating many times lower back till he desires it to advance yet another inch. in the adventure that your son seems undesirable you should take him to his record yet while he would not desire to consume and continues to be becoming and looks wholesome, flow away it on my own.

Answer 9

Milk has protein and that is what is filling her up. Give her more water and watery drinks. Less milk. She will eat when she is hungry.

Answer 10

Dont force her to eat. Children that age will not strave themselves. I would take her to the doctor and have everyhting checked out. Maybe try giving her a childrens vitamin.