16-month old is hungry but won't eat

[BigJimGravy]

Our 16-month old boy is generally pretty good with food. He isn't a fussy eater, but if he's not feeling himself he goes through phases of just refusing to eat anything (this includes teething, which has been going on more or less constantly for almost a year now!). Following all the advice available, we are trying to stick to his routine and are being a bit stricter about not offering alternatives. Today though, he has barely eaten anything since breakfast and has now taken an hour to settle down to sleep, the obvious reason being that he's hungry. Should we try giving him anything under these circumstances and if so, what?

[QTPie]

What did you try giving him?

I am very strict with eating (and not offering alternatives), but if DS is obviously definitely under the weather, then I will offer something plain (like buttered toast) and then fruit. If he doesn't eat that, then he just doesn't want to eat (and I am not going down the chocolate/cake/crisp route in case he will eat them....).

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

DS1 stops eating when he is poorly, or when he was teething when younger he would only want fruit.

I don't tolerate fussiness normally, but if they are off colour in whatever way then they just need calories IMO.

[Bagofspiders]

What I tend to do is not offer anything different at the meal time but leave it an hour or so then give them something I know they like. I figure, especially at that age they don't associate it with refusing their meal, if your DS is usually a good eater it's really not a problem if he misses a few meals and i think it's very common for toddkers to go off food occasionally. Maybe give him extra milk?

[BigJimGravy]

Thanks for the replies, he mainly eats whatever we eat, just chopped up a bit as we don't eat much processed food ourselves and both enjoy cooking. I'm not worried about him not getting enough nourishment as he usually enjoys a very varied diet and is growing and putting on weight normally, I'm more concerned for our sanity if we're faced with a straight choice between having to prepare four different meals at every mealtime and having to get up to tend to a screaming toddler every half-hour throughout the night! Having said all that, he did settle eventually tonight and (touch wood) seems to be sleeping soundly now. I think maybe we just need to persevere with this for a couple of days and I guess when he feels hungry enough he'll start eating again. Thanks again for all your advice

[QTPie]

DS (now 34 months) eats very well and very varied 95% of the time (so I never worry). If he chooses not to eat, then he has never woken because of it. Yes he has woken because of illness/teething (at the same time that he has been off his food), but he would have woken ANYWAY because of the teething/illness. He has never demanded food (or even milk) during the night and I have never given it to him.

We all have times, when we are ill, that we eat little or nothing.

Hope that your DS has a good night.