20 month old no longer interested in food

[NapaCab]

My DS used to be a great eater. We did BLW so he had lots of different flavors and textures from weaning. Since he turned about 18 months old, however, he has just been less and less interested in food. I had about 3 regular dinners that I would make for him initially that he would always eat but now he's not even interested in them anymore! The only meal he will eat guaranteed is pasta and cheese with peas.

The only foods he regularly eats now are crackers and fruit pouches and yoghurt, basically things that require minimal chewing and effort. He used to eat all kinds of fruit and now he won't touch anything, not even his old favorite, bananas.

I asked his doctor already and she suggested that he is just bored in the high-chair and wants to be on the move so only wants to snack as he is very active. She suggested it was normal and just a phase. If so, when is it going to end?! He has to start eating normally again soon, surely...?

Its totally normal and best if you just ignore it. Serve the food you've always served, not the things you think he might eat. Ignore any complaints and just chat and eat your own meal and never, ever, ever offer alternatives. After about 20 minutes clear away. It doesn't sound like your doctor is concerned about his growth and development, so try not to worry

He'll soon realise that if he's hungry there is food to eat and he'd better get on with it.

Just out of interest, how much milk is he having and which type? And have you read My Child Won't Eat by Carlos Gonzalez? Your library will probably have a copy.

He has two sippy cups of milk per day, one in the morning and one at night. He has whole milk. Weightwise, he is on the 25th percentile so a little on the thin side but the doctor said he has been since he was about six months old so there's no need to worry. She said it's fine unless he suddenly drops down the weight charts off his usual growth arc.

I get paranoid though because in the supermarket the other day the woman on the check-out said to me...'how old is he? Let me guess: 9 or 10 months?'. He's nearly 2!! She even said she has a 2-year old herself so she should know children's ages to look at them. That kind of thing freaks me out that he is just too thin or something.

Thanks for the book tip though - I will check it out!

Milk sounds fine then. Between 1 and 2 it should be 300ml of full fat ows milk per day and that can include milk used in cereals and cooking etc.

Don't worry about him being too thin as long as he is bright and alert, meeting his milestones and not loosing weight, it is fine.

As for the woman in supermarket, really don't worry. Mine were both small at that age and when spthey started school, but then caught up. Never are never going to be tall but then neither are me and DH. As for being too thin, unless he is actually loosing weight I can't see how being on the 25th for weight is a problem and for all you know her Lo might be on the 2nd for height and the 99th for weight so her view could be distorted

My 21 month old is going through something very similar. I used to be very proud of her wide and varied diet but I had prepared myself for the inevitable regression so I'm trying not to worry. Your docs idea of boredom seems to make sense to me. My LO hardly ever knowingly sits down to a meal as she gets restless after about 5 mins. Mastering the cutlery and cups etc used to keep her focused but now she's got that licked there's not much that will keep her at the table. Her tastes have also narrowed. Basically she only eats on the move and so will take chunks of meat or fish and the odd carrot off a plate as she runs from game to game, crackers are suddenly her favourite also. Breaks my heart to see her rummaging in the cupboard for cheap white crackers at every opportunity but I promised myself I would never ever get into battles about food. Toddlers are faddy by nature, reading mumsnet will tell you that. Good luck.

Wanted to add that my daughters centiles have not changed despite what seems to be a dramatic worsening of her diet.

How are things nowNapa?