Two year old DD suddenly very fussy eater....what do I do????

[lumpychump]

My DD would eat really well before and I've never had to worry about her eating but for the past 6 weeks or so she has become ridiculously fussy about food.

The only saving grace I have is that she will eat fruit - apples, strawberries, bananas and grapes.

She refuses hot meals to the point of red faced screaming tantrums.

She throws her breakfast cereals / toast on the floor and stands in it.

The amount of food that is being waisted is awful.

She's OK drinking and drinks milk.

I am so frustrated with this I could scream.

Is it something I need to see Dr about maybe??

My ds has become a little bit like this (he's 2.6) Not to the extent of tantrums, but will just take one look at the plate, push it away and say "no"

I was starting to get very stressed about it too, until I talked to his nursery about his eating, and they told me they've never had a problem - sometimes he even wants more! So me and dh have made sure that meal times is social thing iyswim. We always make sure that we all have the same food, on the same plates, and eat together at the table, and that seems to work 80% of the time.

hth

Thank you for that.

We do try and eat together but it's difficult sometimes as my DP works late shifts 4 times a week.

What sort of meals do you tend to have if you don't mind my asking.

If she refuses it just take it away eventually she will ask for it. Act like you don't care if she eats it or not. Take it away before she gets chance to throw it or tell her firm NO and take the rest away if she starts messing about. This is what I do with my fussy eating mindee - ok so 6mths on and he's not much better but what else can i do? I've tried all sorts eventually he will grasp the fact its not on.

She has only jsut started so hopefully if you nip it in the bud that will be an end to it. My mindee was doing this long before i had him so i'm trying to break an ingrained problem.

My dh isn't home til after 7 nights, so know where you're coming from.

We eat things like pasta, spag bol, curry, "cooked" dinners, sometimes pizza and chips, chicken pies. He's always been one for "proper" food, iykwim. He can't stand MacDonalds (a good thing, I know)

The same plate thing was by pure chance. I had just finished feeding ds2 (7mths) and we started eating pasta bake, but he pushed his bowl away, and wanted mine. So we swapped bowls, and he wolfed it down! Realised that because I'm using a lot of his bowls for his brother, he wants to be "grown up" so now his meals are served on the little side plates, and his cutlery is the small metal set for children.

We've only started doing this the past week, but so far, so good.

Would agree with the thing about plates and cutlery. DS2 wants to be like his older brother and sister these days and so I give him scaled down cutlery and he uses our regular bowls and plates. He is 2.4

give raw / steamed veg sticks/breadsticks and nutritious dips ( hummus/yogurt/peanut butter/tahini/guacamole etc...)

Cut food in manageable bite size pieces (ie: toast and spread)
For breakfast, cereal bars like organics are perfectly OK and more fun.
Bake healthy bran muffins and top with a thin layer of her favorite color frosting.

Put meat/chicken/fish/sausage/vegies on wooden sticks.
Give corn on the cob/endamame beans/baby tomatoes.

Basically make food easy to grab and eat and a litle fun BUT continue to serve varied diet and if she won't eat, move on till next meal.
As lovemygirls said, only strategy is to act as if you don't care.

It's phase fo most 2/3 year olds. Just don't try and make your life easier by giving in to a diet of plain rice or pasta and fruit and milk otherwise you'll have a really hard time re-introducing other foods.

Breath in breath out

Thanks for the wise words.

I will try using 'real' bowls and plates and finding a little metal cutlery set today.

I could really cry about it sometimes as no matter what I offer her she point blank refuses and not short of pinning her down I don't know what else to do!!

I've just read on another thread that finger food type meals might help like chicken wraps with all the fillings in bowls so she could help herself etc.

Might try that.....

Thanks Slim. Good tips there.

Where can I get a recipe for the bran muffins?? They sound nice.

Def agree with finger foods. Forgot to say that ds loves things like crackers and cheese, so if I can sense he's in an "I'm not eating mood", I'll put together a selction of bits on a plate - different cheeses, crackers, cereal bars, bits of fruit and veg etc.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

I had problem with ds1 and am going through exactly the same with ds2. The hv said that it was quite normal behaviour at that age and I've been a lot more relaxed with ds2. He occasionally will eat the hot meals in the evening with his brother(dh and I eat later because of his work) but he snacks all day long,mainly on fruit.
This goes completely against my natural strictness in other matters but I don't want to put him off by having a fight every time.
BTW, i did the same with ds1 and he now eats almost everything that is put in front of him and loves school lunches, so they do get there in the end.

carrot pineapple bran muffins ( you can replace with shredded courgette/pumpkin/apple and add dried fruit)

1. mix 1 cup bbran + 1 cup boiling water. stand 1 hour

preheat oven 200 C

2. Stir into bran mixture: -1 egg -1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup shredded carror + 1/2 well drained pineapple chunks in juice
• 2tbs veggetable oil

3. in separate bowl

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup milk powder
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger and or cinamon powderr

Add bran mixture and scoop into muffin cases

Bake 15/20 mn

Make your favourire icing and enjoy

Keep in tupperware in fridge for 5 days

Oh you can also use mashed banana (2 medium) and vary flavouring ( ginger/cinamon/vanilla/nutmeg/almond essence/orange zest....)