To think this is enough food for a 2 year old?

[Dranktoomuchpepsi]

DH is a bit worried about DS's diet. He doesn't really eat very much compared to other toddlers, it seems. He's gotten fussy recently! Use to eat everything given to him.

Today he's had:

Breakfast: Two slices of toast with butter. It is usually peanut butter. All eaten.

Snack: Handful of cheese. Most ended up on the floor. Ate one bit. Some pineapple - eaten. A multivitamin bear.

Lunch: Pasta with cheese. Eaten.

Dinner: 2 Weetbix with strawberry soya milk. All eaten.

Is this enough? We don't give a proper 'meal' at dinnertime because it NEVER eats. DH is really really worried.

DS is in 12 to 18 months clothes and he's 2.5. He is being investigated for height but doctor says it just may be genetic (both my grandads jockies), yet less likely since DH is 6 foot 3.

He does also get breastmilk but they're short feeds, not frequent and don't seem to impact appetite.

He was a brilliant eater before

Things like beans, vegetarian meats, etc, all get thrown and rejected. He won't eat them and has become so so fussy!

Ps veggie mum x3. No problems at all with protein

At 2.5 surely he can explain why he’s not eating

Big assumption there even without the ASD possibility.

I think the food is great but you should try to get him to eat a proper dinner. Maybe remove the snacks and bring dinner either earlier or and later and see if that impacts...

But there is no way that I would keep my son to a limited diet that he wasn't thriving on just to appease his father's ideology

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Was your DH a vegetarian from birth? Or did he grow to his 6ft 3 on a balanced diet, and then adopt vegetarianism as an adult?

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At 2.5 surely he can explain why he’s not eating

He cannot and won't speak

I agree he needs a lot more protein and veg.

Ugh, just read one of those 'it's not his choice to be vegetarian' comments. Ridiculous. It's not children's choice to eat meat pumped full of chemicals from animals that have had horrendous lives and deaths either. It's down to the parents to choose until the child is old enough to make a thoroughly educated decision. I understand that vegetarian and vegan parents have to put extra care into providing the nutrients a growing human needs but they can do that.
Would you have your own chickens OP to have eggs?

Have you tried Quorn nuggets?
If not I would give it a go, they taste great, are veggie and full of proteins.

Otherwise the amounts seem fine to me.

Was your DH a vegetarian from birth? Or did he grow to his 6ft 3 on a balanced diet, and then adopt vegetarianism as an adult?

That you nan? she can't stand that DH has 'deprived' him of meat. But anyway, veggie is a balanced diet

It could be easier to get them down with ketchup.

Does he eat eggs? At that age my DD loved scrambled eggs and toast. She dropped most adventurous foods around 18 months and was diagnosed with ASD by age 2.5.

You could look into the tiny tastes programme as a way of getting him to try more fruit and veg. You have to be persistent but it can give some good results.

If he drops food deliberately it is better to say "keep food on your plate" rather than "don't", particularly for a child with ASD. Also, if he has ASD, he may well refuse to eat, rather than eat because he's hungry, if there's nothing he likes on offer. Be careful of following the advice of people who say a child will eat when they're hungry, it doesn't always apply.

Try to make sure there is always something he likes as part of a meal. You can also try food chaining - start with a food he likes and then try something slightly different and he may accept it. You can offer ketchup or other sauces he likes to make something more acceptable to him, so my DD will eat pasta with ketchup but not pesto yet.

Good luck!

Sorry OP this is obviously a bigger issue than just a fussy Eater if he’s struggling to communicate. I fully appreciate if he’s already underweight you just want him eating. Please lift all ideological food restrictions, make food fun and plentiful and available whilst you await for a diagnosis.

If he’s still taking some breast milk, that’ll be taking the edge of his hunger. I breastfed my oldest to 2.5 too, and found the same. My daughter had a small appetite that grew enormously when she no longer had that option.

I don't know. He doesn't speak or prompt me

Does he ever ask for food(verbally or non verbally) ? Does his behaviour change if he skips a meal?
If he doesn't, and some children don't (DD was one of them she can still go nearly a full day on just a bowl of cereal and a waffle if we have a really busy day at 8 ) it'll be pointless doing the "he'll eat when he's hungry routine" and probably just get him used to eating even less.

My 3 year old has always gone through different stages with food. Sometimes she will go a few weeks wanting lots of meat, a few weeks not wanting any meat, same with carbs, fruit and veg, anything really. She has also gone through stages where she would rather graze throughout the day than have big meals.

I read something once that some toddlers eat what their body requires. So if they are going through a growth spurt, they will naturall be inclined to go to foods that will help their growth. In between growth spurts they will naturally eat less of those. This also applies to quantity of food eaten. It may be a load of bullshit, but it certainly made sense to me and certainly seems to fit with my daughter. And of course this won't apply to all children.

I wouldn't personally worry too much, the quantity of food doesn't sound bad. I would just keep offering a wide variety of food alongside food you know will be eaten. Even if it doesn't get eaten, offer it anyway just in small quantities. Getting stressed or worrying won't change how much is eaten so just try keep relaxed as much as possible.

DS is in 12 to 18 months clothes and he's 2.5. He is being investigated for height but doctor says it just may be genetic (both my grandads jockies), yet less likelysince DH is 6 foot 3.

Can I ask how much he weighs? DS was very skinny as a toddler, didn’t eat much and put on no weight between one and two but was completely average height. So may well be genetic!

But anyway, veggie is a balanced diet

It is for someone that eats a varied and balanced diet, not a 2.5 yo that eats a very limited range of food.

OP, chickpeas can be a really fun thing to do with him. My DD loves helping shuck them out of their skins (it might be weird that we do that) and pops lots of sneaky ones in while I'm trying to keep them to cook. Can you get him to 'help' with some food prep?

Have you tried Quorn nuggets?
If not I would give it a go, they taste great, are veggie and full of proteins

I love these. But no, just dropped on floor

I actually think that's a decent amount in quantity. Today mine has had

Breakfast - one Weetabix with milk (eaten)
Snack - banana (eaten)
Lunch - leftover lasagne (uneaten, not even a bite)
Snack - bear cake bar thing (eaten, obviously)
Dinner - pizza (eaten, picked some of the veg off), pudding was strawberries (picked at).

God that looks unhealthy written down. Anyway, yeah, I just give him a plate and the relevant cutlery and he either eats it or he doesn't. I try not to care too much either way even when I spent hours slaving over that lasagne. I'd say mine generally eats breakfast and either lunch or dinner in its entirety. Usually refuses or picks at one meal a day. He gets told off for throwing food and made to clean it up.

He's tall (98th), and heavy (75th) for his age.

Theres very little protein or fat. Theres no veggies and very little fruit. Its not exactly great.

I dont understand why you arent giving him any form of dinner. Even if he wont eat much of it its better than weetabix and milk. Is he allergic to milk? Why are you giving him soya milk?

I suppose if it really is all he will eat then it will have to do. However your DH is right to be worried.

I would at least swap around, so weetabix for breakfast, toast and peanut butter for lunch, pasta and cheese for dinner. Id try and add things in with the pasta like peas/sweetcorn, or have your dinner and add some pasta and cheese with it so theres something he will definitely eat. I would also add meat, I know your DH is vegetarian and a veggie diet can be really healthy, but hes not eating anything thats vegetariant and healthy like pulses/nuts etc and he needs the nutrients meat can offer.

I would also swap soya milk for full fat milk.

I think that actually it’s really difficult to separate out the food issues from other neurological issues.

Therefore you probably can’t address the food issues without understanding the wider issues. How far through referral are you?

It's not children's choice to eat meat pumped full of chemicals from animals that have had horrendous lives and deaths either

Bit presumptuous - plenty of ethically sourced meat in the country, especially from local butchers who use local farms as suppliers. One of my friends is a farmer and his beef is the most delicious I’ve ever tasted, and his cows have a better life than many people!

OP, chickpeas can be a really fun thing to do with him. My DD loves helping shuck them out of their skins (it might be weird that we do that) and pops lots of sneaky ones in while I'm trying to keep them to cook. Can you get him to 'help' with some food prep?

I feel terrible, like I'm rejecting all suggestions, but no. It won't work as he won't interact with me (beyond giving me kisses) won't play with us, show us stuff etc. Just doesn't happen, despite our continuous efforts. We can't even get him to play a simple game of stacking alongside us, let alone food prep

@Dranktoomuchpepsi

Ah - your latest update is very sad. I’m sorry, must be very difficult to deal with and I hope you get answers soon