Page 2 | How to entice 2 year old to eat ??

howtomakehereatggr · 2022-02-07T21:31:15+00:00

She'll eat what she likes, all day long. She loves toast and biscuits / chocolate etc. But try presenting her with a nice meal and often, she won't try it at all or she'll have a couple of spoons and that's it. I am trying to ignore it, but sometimes she won't have lunch or dinner, then I cave and give her toast or something that she will eat. At nursery she only has the snacks that she likes, but barely touches healthier stuff. She'll have pita bread for example but not the veggies. She sometimes has fruit. What can I do ? I don't want it to get worse. But some days, she barely eats.

Kinex · 08/02/2022 00:13

Sorry cross posted! Hmm. A few bites of different stuff is good though... at least it stops her diet becoming limited! I do the healthy afternoon snack then dinner. She doesn't eat a lot, but I think it adds up for my toddler... Maybe it would be a good idea to keep track of her weight/height and what she eats and discuss with health visitor or gp if you are worried it's not enough?

blyn72 · 08/02/2022 00:16

I can understand how worrying this is for you. I had a neighbour whose daughter ate barely anything as a small child yet she grew up fine. She used to play with my son who always had a hearty appetite and ate proper dinners from an early age, but she would eat nothing.

If your daughter eats cheese and porridge, that is good,, both are nutritious. Take heart, she will change as she gets older.

Original poster

howtomakehereatggr · 08/02/2022 00:20

@blyn72

I can understand how worrying this is for you. I had a neighbour whose daughter ate barely anything as a small child yet she grew up fine. She used to play with my son who always had a hearty appetite and ate proper dinners from an early age, but she would eat nothing.

If your daughter eats cheese and porridge, that is good,, both are nutritious. Take heart, she will change as she gets older.

Thank you ! I have a cousin who's really struggling with food. She's skin and bones and refuses to eat anything other than chocolate / ice cream - sweets. It's been very very difficult to watch. It started at around 1 and a half - 2 years old.

So I have that very close to me. The parents have tried everything. But he just won't eat healthy stuff.

OP posts:

WiddlinDiddlin · 08/02/2022 04:24

Stop labelling meals/snacks too..

If shes happier eating 5 times a day but small amounts rather than 3 times but larger amounts... that's not unusual, I know plenty of adults who prefer to do that.

Make small, varied things available at sensible intervals throughout the day. Make it clear they'll be put away at some point (when I come back/when I've finished/etc) and as I said before, ensure theres always something she likes and its not all piled on one plate, touching, overwhelming.. and then leave her to it.

Just call it food, something to eat, not 'snack' or 'dinner' or whatever.

Id also recommend NOT asking if she is hungry or wants something - just these are the times food happens, heres a selection, always safe in that theres something she likes or even two or three... end of discussion.

I definitely eat FAR better if there is no discussion, and I am brought something on my safe list (brought it as my kitchen is not accessible for me at the minute, im not some sort of princess!), Just the discussion 'what do you want' or 'what shall we have' can be enough to trip the 'i dont know, argh, stress' trigger!

ihateliningup · 08/02/2022 12:10

My two year old is exactly the same. He would happily exist on bread and butter and hot chips. I'm always worrying about how much he's eaten. He barely touches food at nursery.

Kinex · 08/02/2022 12:26

@WiddlinDiddlin

Stop labelling meals/snacks too..

If shes happier eating 5 times a day but small amounts rather than 3 times but larger amounts... that's not unusual, I know plenty of adults who prefer to do that.

Make small, varied things available at sensible intervals throughout the day. Make it clear they'll be put away at some point (when I come back/when I've finished/etc) and as I said before, ensure theres always something she likes and its not all piled on one plate, touching, overwhelming.. and then leave her to it.

Just call it food, something to eat, not 'snack' or 'dinner' or whatever.

Id also recommend NOT asking if she is hungry or wants something - just these are the times food happens, heres a selection, always safe in that theres something she likes or even two or three... end of discussion.

I definitely eat FAR better if there is no discussion, and I am brought something on my safe list (brought it as my kitchen is not accessible for me at the minute, im not some sort of princess!), Just the discussion 'what do you want' or 'what shall we have' can be enough to trip the 'i dont know, argh, stress' trigger!

This is really interesting and helpful. Will be taking some of this on board. Sounds to me like OP and my toddler are similar - try various things and do eat but possibly more an issue that they know they can live on their favourites e.g. toast/oats, rather than an eating disorder like ARFID. But the idea of giving the food and not pestering to eat should stop refusing food becoming a way to get attention/a means of control and take the stress out of meals. I think it sounds like a great way to feed all children, really!