HELP! 2 yr old will only eat bread and butter - reassurance needed...

[dot1]

this is a joint request for help from dp and me. Our 2 yr old ds is going through a terrible time food wise, and refuses to eat anything hot - even stuff he's previously loved like spag. hoops. He'll only really eat bread and butter - sometimes we get away with a smearing of cheese spread on it...

I'm hoping it's just a phase and he won't get scurvy or anything, but it's driving dp absolutely insane (she does most of the childcare and cooking) and I said I'd start this thread in the hope of getting some ideas and reassurance that other parents have been through something similar - please tell me your toddler did this and now eats 3 course meals!!

My two year old rarely eats bread. He sometimes eats toast. He refuses to eat all thing he used to eat like spag bol, pasta, pies, anything with peas or veg in it! He lives on heinz ravioli, and trial and error. If he eats something on one day he won't eat it the next.I know what you are going thru, it is a worry. He would live off chocolate and lollies if he could. Luckily he drinks a lot of milk which I hope is what keeps him going.

Errrrr, I think our 2 yr old's are made from the same mold. I can't remember the last time he ate a vegetable and I have to admit he has won this battle, and believe me it has been quite a major war of wills, so I just let eat what he wants(within reason) in the hope that he'll suddenly remember he once liked all these other things.

Can sympathise as well dot. My 3 year old has a very limited diet which worries me sick, but I've tried all approaches and none work. He too would live on sticky sweets and lollies if I let him. I try offering him lots of small meals instead of 3 biggies - so toast with jam, ham sarnies, apple, noodles in butter - none of which he'll eat a lot off. He is a terrible eater and I think I have accepted that now - I don't know what I did wrong as my youngest is an easy feeder. Eldest was a nightmare from day one. My thoughts are with you

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We always blame ourselves don't we. What did we do wrong to make them such bad eaters. Perhaps it's something to do with thier developing taste buds, teeth, etc etc. Textures on the tongue might feel different to little ones than to adults for example. I've strated to freeze liquidized carrot and apple in freezer cube bags. He likes to suck the ice cubes! I thought I'd try a vegetable one and fingers crossed!

My ds1 (now 4) is extremely fussy. He did used to eat everything but slowly cut it down until he was just eating bread at one stage. He is now on a gluten free diet (not suggesitng that in your case!- it's nightmare), and therefore I have to make his bread. This has a big advantage though as I get to hide all sorts of things in his bread. I grind up pumpkin seeds, linseeds, hemp seeds and carrot etc and chuck it all in. I also hide things like cheese in his buckwheat pancakes. Fish oils go onto his honey and toast. Recently we saw a dietician and she said apart from being a bit low in protein his diet is basically OK. He has slowly added things to his diet. I would definitelty recommend hiding things though. I also give him things like gluten free pizza with jam on top (yuck- but he eats it so I don't care, and toast with philadelphia and jam).

Oh yeah- good point dinosaur- he also has a freshly sqeezed orange juice with a tsp of floradix in it each day (we use the gf stuff but you can get normal- that contains vitamins and iron- spatone- iron rich mineral water is another good supplement to hide). Again more hiding of things.

thanks everyone - it really is so frustrating - particularly for dp, who spent months and months hand making all his first foods and freezing 100s of ice cubes of fruit and veg - which he generally loved..! He doesn't drink any milk, which is also worrying, although he will have cereal in the morning. But then will just drink water or very weak squash all day...

Will talk to dp re: getting him some vitamin supplement.

Something that's driving us both mad is that he loves to sit in the kitchen and watch us make tea, and he talks about 'cooking' things, but if he spots us trying to hide food (like last night, dp made him a pancake but put cheese in it!) in stuff he goes mad, and won't try it..! (where does he get his stubborn streak from?!). So I might have to entertain him somewhere else while dp cooks I think - but it's a shame 'cos we want him to take an interest in cooking stuff - but not police our every movement!

I assumed this thread was about my DS2 (2.5) although he eats chocolate, chips and biscuits too. I'm told it does get better.

My son has been a fussy eater all his life he is now nearly six and will not eat anything hot, at school they were worried because he only ate an apple and a handful of grapes, he now eats a bread roll and butter at lunch times if they are lucky, yet he is average height and very well covered, he is also one of the healthiest little boys I know, but it can be frustrating, my other little son loves baked beans and chips (plus other foods) and he will try new things, yet he is a chronic asthmatic and has a severe egg allergy!!!!!!!

repeat all advice that has been suggested ... Go with the flow and see what happens ... kids like to gain control and food is one of the areas that they can "control"
Dont let them "press your buttons" !!! Good Luck

dot 1, my dd 2.6 is a fussy eater and doesn't drink milk,(only on her cereals)! she will eat yoghurts and eggs and things, just not veg but i had to look at this as for the last few days, it seems all she'll eat is bread! It is so frustrating i know, but dd did try a bit of custard tonight and i sat grinning from ear to ear! I'm sure your son will try new things soon, not really advice, just supportGood luck!

thanks - this really is helpful - I printed off this thread before I went home yesterday (dp hasn't got access to the internet!) and she immediately felt a bit calmer - so good to know you're not the only ones!

DS is also a good size and never stops running about the place - so energetic - so I kind of think he must be OK, but neither of us can remember the last time he ate anything that wasn't white...

has he seena nutritionist, the health visitor took a list (very short one!!!) of what my son ate and she said his diet was ok, just worried about iron give him supplements and chocolate!! which of course he loves!

no - he's due his 2 year check but we've not registered him with a GP yet as we've just moved house - it's on the Things To Do list..!