Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

2 YR OLD WONT EAT A 'HOT' DINNER?

77 replies

Merlin · 14/05/2007 14:12

DS2 rarely eats dinner in the evening, but I know if I gave him a sandwich it would be gone in seconds!!

I have tried giving him something hot for lunch, but that doesn't work either!

Don't like putting him to bed with no dinner - I usually let him have a couple of yogs so he's not completely starving! It's just that he's missing out on his meat and veg!

Any suggestions or advice please?

OP posts:
BandofMothers · 14/05/2007 14:31

If they'll eat some sauce like lissie's blend some cooked veg in it, or in gravy if they'll have gravy.
Is good to give him what he will eat, but also good to still put food in front of hiim. One day he will try it and eat it even if it's years from now. I am still waiting, and dd1 is 3.5

Original poster
Merlin · 14/05/2007 14:33

BOM - agree with you entirely, but it's just so bloody soul destroying isn't it when day after day they are not interested.

OP posts:
ScottishThistle · 14/05/2007 14:43

Do you eat with him, that can often help.

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 14/05/2007 14:49

from reading op id say dont give alternatives....had the same problem with dd for a little while and now shes much better and she very well knows that if she doesnt eat dinner she doesnt get and orange and goes to bed hungry......as long as she tries and eats some of each bit (or at least touches a new food) she gets her orange afterwards!

we sometimes take swomething out the meal she likes (yorkshire pud, poppadums) and bribe with that so shes eats2/3 spoons of dinner gets some of whats in the middle of the table.

sometimes we add a tiny drop of ketchup/salad cream/gravy to her mash/veg to get her to eat it and it works!!

hope things improve!

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 14/05/2007 14:50

oh agree with scottishthistle too, eating with dd up the table (rather than her at her table and us on the sofa) has really made a difference!

clumsymum · 14/05/2007 14:55

but is the problem that the food is hot or at least too warm for him?

DS (now 7) has never eaten food that is warmer than tepid. I always serve his first, giving it time to cool before it is actually put in front of him. He eats any type of food, but only if it's luke warm or cold.

Original poster
Merlin · 14/05/2007 14:56

yes I eat with him.

Scottishthistle - I don't offer alternatives, just sometimes I'll let him have a yoghurt (which would have been his pud) just so he has something to eat. WOuld you not do this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Merlin · 14/05/2007 14:57

clumsymum - temp of food doesn't make a difference - by 'hot' dinner I meant meat and veg sort of meal, shepherds pie, pasta etc

OP posts:
ScottishThistle · 14/05/2007 15:02

If he loves the yoghurt & knows he'll get it no matter what he eats then there's no incentive to eat, try small steps "If you have one/two spoons of your lunch you can have the yoghurt afterwards"...It's always worked for me with all of my charges & even with children I've had on playdates.

Have you ever made him chicken in breadcrumbs?

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 14/05/2007 15:02

merlin, i dont personally igve dd anything, i tell her if she doesnt want her dinner she isnt that hungry, but i know some people hve problems doing this

(oh and it does make mornings hard when shes up at 6am ready for breakfast!)

clumsymum · 14/05/2007 15:05

I would certainly stop giving the yogurt if he doesn't eat some 'proper food' first. Lots of kids will play this game just cos they like the dessert best, so don't want to be bothered with main course.

Maybe, for a while, just give him what he likes while you eat 'hot dinner'. Make sure you tell him how nice your food is. Do lots of 'ohhh'-ing and look like you are really enjoying it. offer a little spoonful from your plate now and then. If he asks for more, let him have some.

If you make him think hot dinner is really special, my guess is that eventually he'll want it, giving you his sandwiches.

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 14/05/2007 15:07

clumsy mummy i think thats agood idea....never though of that with my dd.....if they think what they have is boring compared to yours they might be more inclined to want what youve got!

lilolilmanchester · 14/05/2007 15:10

feeding toddlers is a minefield! But it does sound like he's eating ok, just not eating as much variety as you'd like. Have you tried giving him just a tiny amount of something, with his sandwich? ie a teaspoon of mashed potato or baked beans? He might just be frightened of new things. I used to say to mine "just try one mouthful" Maybe a whole hot meal on a plate is putting him off? Alternatively, get him to try one mouthful of whatever you are eating. Over time, he might be less resistant and you can gradually build up the amounts.

Washersaurus · 14/05/2007 15:11

I agree about not giving yoghurts.. The best DS gets offered if he messes about with his meals is a banana/satsuma etc

BandofMothers · 14/05/2007 15:14

I don't give her anything else if she doesn't eat. He will know he'll get the yoghurt, as someone else said.
She is allowwed something like that, or fruit if she at least tries it and/or eats a couple bites.
And if she eats a lot she gets something she loves like a cookie or a little bit of ice cream

Washersaurus · 14/05/2007 15:57

Didn't I see on another thread the other day that only "overweight working class parents reward their children with sweets etc"??

Washersaurus · 14/05/2007 15:58

Seriously, that is the approach I usually go for...and try not to make a big thing of them not eating.

luciemule · 14/05/2007 21:28

I understand what you're suggesting to Merlin about not giving yogs etc if he doesn't eat but I too find it so hard to let my underweight-ish 2 year old go to bed hungry and then regularly wake up throughout the night, me knowing full well he's hungry.
We get given so much '5 fruit and veg portions a day/protein/carbs' etc from Hvs that my head's always spinning about whether my kids are eating a healthy enough diet. Tonight for example, I stood and cooked from scratch pork loins in a lovely homemade sauce with rice and green veg and DS ate a few bits of carrot, tried the pork and pushed away the plate. His sister ate her rice, all veg and tried some pork. As he'd not eaten anywhere near enough, I gave him a banana and some dry cheerios. I don't think it's always how you behave towards food, I think that often children are simply poor eaters. Good luck Merlin and carry on with yogs as they're a good source of protein.

Original poster
Merlin · 14/05/2007 21:31

Thanks everyone for your advice - it's always comforting to know that you're not alone!!!!!

Well tonight dinner was a bit rushed, had to pick up DS1 from friends house, so thought I would go for the old favourite - Organix jar pasta - which normally he will eat ............. not tonight - about 2 spoonfuls and that was it! I didn't give him a yoghurt by the way. Tomorrow is another day

OP posts:
Washersaurus · 14/05/2007 21:47

I just try to keep in mind that advice to view it as a weekly thing rather than by daily intake - that way I don't get so upset when DS turns down another one of my delicious nutritious homemade meals without even trying it.

BTW a good alternative to yoghurt are Organix fruit pots - we do call them yoghurts in our house to increase their appeal, and DS will almost always eat a whole one(and they = 1 portion of fruit)

flossie64 · 14/05/2007 21:50

My DD is 4 1/2 and still dilikes any cooked food . She often says can I just have something cold/not cooked
Its hard but I just top her up with fruit and raw veg!!At least I can get that insde her without a gagging session.

Original poster
Merlin · 14/05/2007 21:54

Washer - don't think I've seen those fruit pots - will look out for them. Mind you, his fruit intake is not such a problem - he loves grapes, apple and strawberries.

OP posts:
katelyle · 14/05/2007 22:06

Am I missing something? Why is it so important to have something cooked? If what they want is dinner is a cheese sandwich and some fruit and raw vegetables, I really can't see the problem with them having it! If you think about it, there is no difference nutritionally between pasta and grated cheese and a cheese sandwich. I wouldn't cook a separate meal for my children, but I wouldn't mind leaving some of the vegetables raw and making a sandwich. I think it's one of those "is this a battle that's worth fighting?" scenarios.

Original poster
Merlin · 14/05/2007 22:08

katelyle - the prob I have is he won't eat raw veg! Fruit he's fine on thankfully.

OP posts:
luciemule · 14/05/2007 22:26

katelyle - good thinking. I suddenly felt really relaxed when you said about the pasta cheese sauce thing versus cheese s/w thing. I hadn't often thought of it like that. I think I'm going to start giving him what he'll eat as at least he'll be proud of himself when he actually up his tea with the rest of us. People put too much on the whole meat/veg/gravy type dinner (not meaning you merlin - society) but it'll certainly make me more chilled out from tomorrow. TBH, I always remember my mum giving my sister sultanas, cheese chunks, grapes and bread and butter regularly for her tea whilst we all sat eating fish pie etc. and she always filled us up on toast/readybreak/weetabix before bed too.