Fussy DD aged 2 - do you think she's getting enough?

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I am a bit concerned about DD2, (2.3) who is small (11kg) and an extremely fussy eater.

Ok am feeling neurotic, someone please humour me!

My DD1 eats whatever is put in front of her, but DD2 has always been difficult with food -would not allow a spoon, has difficulty eith textures etc.

She was checked out by a doctor a while ago who said she was small (but so am I)but is bright and developmentally on track and not to worry.

Anyway am concerned she is not getting enough vitamins, protein to grow properly.

She usually has a small bowl of cornflakes followed by toast and soldiers and a piece of fruit for breakfast. This is her most successful meal.

Mid morning she has fruit/houmous/cheese or some combination thereof.

Linch she demands cheese and pickle sandwiches and more fruit plus yoghurt. Nothing else will be tolerated. And Pingu has to be on.

Biscuit or banana.

Dinner - a total lottery. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes pasta/baked beans/tomatoes/peas. She will not eat any meat except ham.

Tis very frustrating and this is possibly the longest post I have ever written on mumsnet. Should I take her to the doctors?

Sorry was meant to read egg and soldiers!

I don't have fussy eaters but I have friends who have

She eats a lot compared to what my friends dc eat (they are toddlers too)

I wouldn't worry at this stage, I don't think

She's getting portions of carbs, protein, dairy and fruit/veg eaCH day when you look at her intake

can't you sneak other things into her until she is older and you can start to make bargains?

I mince cooked chicken and it is indistinguishable from rice when mixed in, for example.

She sounds like she eats a balanced diet, I think it was Annabel Karmel who said that if you look at their diet over a week rather than a day, and they are getting all the nutrients/food groups they need, then they're doing alright.

Is it the quantities you're worried about?

Have you thought about vitamin tablets?

DS1 was like this - still is a bit but at least he eats more now although not a great variety (he is 7 now)

I would say just make sure you always offer healthy stuff and try new things every so often but don't make a fuss or get stressed about it because it simply isn't worth it.

She won't starve, she is eating variety and balance. Try not to worry about it

My DS is 2.4 and some days I swear he doesn't eat enough to keep a bird alive.

Today, for example, he had a brioche first thing with a glass of milk. He ate maybe a quarter of the brioche. He won't eat cereal with milk. He gets up at 6am, so eats a brioche then. This morning, DH was home so we all at bacon sarnies before leaving for pre-school. He picked at the sandwich, ate a mouthful of bacon and that was that.

He had a few raisins at pre-school.

He had a bit of mash, beans and sausage for lunch, and ate maybe half of quite a small portion.

In the evening, he picked at some cauliflower, broccoli and turned up his nose at the peas, carrots, potato and meat.

He'll sometimes help himself to an apple, but just has a few mouthfuls.

He used to be a great eater, and like your DD he is also small, but very tall. He is very slender. Incidentally, he'll only eat ham, so we call all meat ham. Even salmon we call pink ham. He'll usually eat it then!

My DH ate only tomato soup and cheese sandwiches for 2 years when he was a toddler. Even for breakfast!

I just keep putting the food in front of DS, and hoping he'll eat it. We try to make meal times as fun as possible, with music, chat etc. He gets lots of praise when he eats!

My ds eats a banana and a mouthful of cornflakes for breakfast, a cheese/peanut butter sandwich for lunch and for dinner either beans or spaghetti hoops followed by yoghurt. He will eat apples and manages most cake or biscuits but I try not to rely on sweet stuff.

Your dd sounds like she has a more varied diet than my ds, I try not to worry about it as I think stressing will make it worse. I just offer him new food daily and pray that he will one day eat some of it!

Thanks for replying - am feeling a bit better about it now.

My DD1 eats whatever is put in front of her and I never thought I would have a fussy eater. It really is quite stressful.

Her saving grace is that she will always try something new. She just doesn't often like what she tries!