2 year old refusing food

[Sadie91]

Hey guys. My two year old is totally refusing to eat dinner, no matter what I make!
I've stopped letting her snack and she doesn't get pudding after dinner if she doesn't eat.
What can I do to start her eating properly again? :/

[Discopanda]

Has anybody experienced a fussy eater growing out of it? DD1 has been a fussy eater for 2 years now and it's really starting to get to me.

[Onsera3]

Does it help if they prepare the food with you? My son is a pretty good eater but he always eats with more enthusiasm when he has helped make whatever we are eating. Or if he chose that fruit etc at the supermarket himself. He's been helping since could stand at bench ie 12 mo.

Sometime after turning two he became less enthusiastic about vege. So now he gets it mainly raw or even frozen. If we're having a really bad day the vege goes in a smoothie with some fruit.

I don't serve his dinner until he's done a reasonable job of the veges.
I put the veges out from 3pm so he has time to graze over them.

Also I give him a choice of how he wants them chopped. Cucumber can be coined, sticks, cubed or 'worms' which is with a julienne peeler thing.

He used to be a fantastic eater and has slipped down to more of a 'good' eater. I hope if I stick at it the phase will pass.

I think you have to be really resolute at this age because I know too many children who turned into long term fussy eaters at this stage.

Also, I don't make him stay at the table. I think toddlers like to graze so he comes back to his food later.

So his cereal has no milk as he nibbles at it through the morning. Along with a bowl of nuts and some grapes or an apple. Perhaps a sandwich or some of my eggs which he helps make. He wanders off to do a puzzle and then comes back. He has access to the food from when he wakes til when he goes to nursery.

I'm less concerned about his table manners etc because I think that can be corrected in a week.

[Sadie91]

Yesnomaybe- they sound very similar! Haha c

[Sadie91]

It's not the fact that she won't eat, it's the fact that she won't eat anything healthy, if I make a meal from fresh she won't eat, if she has chips she will eat them no issue, but not anything with them.

She has major constipation issues which have been happening since May, so I'm very conscious of getting fruit and veg into her system. She has smoothies as it's the only way she will have enough fruit and then poop.

I know my child doesn't not like big meals in the evening, she is the same as me and would rather have small bits throughout the day and I am fine with that. I wouldn't force feed her at any time of the day thank you!

[IdaClair]

Eating can't be good or bad.

And your definition of properly is not your child's.

If your child doesn't want to eat much in the evening, which is perfectly fine of course, switch the day around and think of the morning and lunchtime as being the main eating time. Sounds like your child already has.

If someone isn't hungry the minute they wake up, or didn't have much of an appetite in the morning you wouldn't force feed them breakfast or threaten to take their lunch anyway if they didn't eat a weetabix immediately.

Why is it Ok to do that with dinner?

[YesNoMaybeSo1234]

You're not alone!! My 2 year old DD will only eat:

Tinned spaghetti
Baked beans
Chips
Fish fingers
Chicken nuggets
Tinned ravioli
Peas
Sausage roll
Weetabix
Crisps, chocolate, cake etc (obviously!!!!)
Oranges
Strawberrys

She refuses to eat anything cooked fresh, sandwiches, toast etc. She was a brilliant eater when she first started weaning etc but since she turned 2, it's awful!! I'm hoping it's just her age and she'll grow out of it?!

[Discopanda]

Following! My 3 yo DD's fussy eating goes through good and bad phases and right now it's awful!!!

[Sadie91]

Mines the same, noodles! Or anything that she shouldn't lol X

[KW89]

Following....I'm having the same issue with my 2 year old son, the only thing he is pretty much guaranteed to eat is plain pasta and sausage! Sorry no advice, but you aren't alone!