Help! DD (2) is surviving on shreddies, potatoes and fruit?

[kimberlina]

For the last month DD's entire food intake consists of

1. Breakfast - large bowl of shreddies and toast
   
2. drink of cows milk
   
3. Dinner of which she will only eat potatoes - be it roast, waffles (her preferred), mash, jackets and then fruit.
   

We have withheld all snacks to try and make her hungry - but no avail.

She appears well (and will happily eat crisps, cake, chocolate etc.)

Should I be worried?

[whimsicalname]

To be honest that doesn't sound too bad. Obviously variety is better, but if you vary toast toppings and fruits you're probably covering most food groups.

It's probably more problematic to force change. Just keep offering different stuff. Don't give in to sweets and cakes and hope she grows out of it.

[RaspberryLemonPavlova]

Pretty much like my DS1 at that age, except he ate pasta (plain, with grated cheese on the side) and wouldn't eat potatoes.

He wouldn't eat fruit either, but he would eat broccoli!

I reckoned pasta, cheese and broccoli, cereal, milk and toast covered most of the food groups and didn't stress hugely, just kept offering things - and he is a brilliant eater now.

Can you put things in the mash? You can sneak eggs into mashed potato.

[Dolallytats]

My DS, now 4.5, would eat everything until he turned 2-then he turned into the fussiest little boy I have ever known. It has taken a long time but he will now eat carrots, peas, broccoli, bananas, apples,grapes and strawberries. He won't touch meat of any kind and the only fish he will eat are fishfingers. He doesn't like mashed pots or roasted pots, but will eat small amounts of boiled.

He seems to live on plain pasta (with ketchup) and cheese sandwiches!! I'm hoping now that he's at school, seeing his friends eat different things might encourage him.

What I am trying to say in a very long-winded way is persevere!! Keep offering different things, but don't fuss if it's not eaten. She will probably start eating it eventually.

[RaspberryLemonPavlova]

Its bizarre sometimes what they will try. One of the first things DS1 added was fresh tuna! (He still won't eat tinned age 14). Mince came long after he would eat ham or roast meat.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Most will naturally start to get more fussy when they turn 2 but its how you handle it that counts. When you say she has milk, how much is she having per day?

We had real problems with our DD refusing good and this is how we deal with it.

Everyone in the house eats together (if DH is at work his gets warmed up or I cook for him when he arrives)
We serve the food
We don't ask her to eat anything or mention what she is or isn't eating
We don't get draw into conversations about the food "I'm not eating that" gets and "ok" and a change of subject
When everyone else is finished we clear away
If she hasn't eaten we just assume she's not hungry, although I might leave the her meal on the side and if she says she's hungry later offer it to her again.
There is never an alternative

Once we've stopped coaxing her and offering alternatives she actually eats loads more and will try more foods too.

Haven't read this book myself as it was out of print when we were struggling, but it is supposed to be the best.

[kimberlina]

Thanks all

I feel more laid back about it. Milk wise she drinks 2-3 of those tommy tippee 2 handed beakers with a flipup top. Cows milk.
I'll try the sneaking things in the mash idea and just keep persevering.

I'm never sure whether to go mmmmmmmmm mummys eating this and it is yummmy to kind of big it up or whether that will make it worse?
From what you've all said probably making less of an issue would be best?

[kimberlina]

Oooh one last thing - would you give her less breakfast? I'm aware that she eats more than I do at breakfast. Loads of shreddies and a slice of toast (or a whole croissant if we're doing that). Also at the weekend she will eat bacon and eggs with toast. Maybe she's just a breakfast person. Perhaps I should try lasagne for breakfast!!!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Think no fuss is definitely the answer. If you think she is a breakfast person, why not try things like eggy bread in the week?

[Iatemyskinnyperson]

Maybe try eggs etc at breakfast? Don't they call them the perfect food these days?! Boiled/fried eggs with soldiers?