Suddenly picky with food. Help!

[whereisthejoy]

My previously try-anything two year old (plus a couple of months now) is starting to turn her nose up at foods. She's a good weight and size etc but I'm worried she's not eating same portions or range of foods anymore.

She seems completely averse to potatoes in ANY form, she does love pasta, pickles have gone firmly off the list and she's only having about 2/3 of usual breakfast size. She barely tries new things anymore. Surely she can't live off toast and tomatoes?

She eats any snacks in between meals eg baby-friendly biscuits or a banana, but has gone off baby-crisps and baby-fig rolls weirdly.

NT as far aw we are aware - great socially, wide vocab, potty trained for about a month now and loves the new house we moved to a month ago (she keeps saying). Sleeps very well with a big day nap. In case anything relevant in those!

Is this just what two year olds do? How do I handle it? Experienced mums please help.

as far *as

Hopeful bump

Yup, that's what they do, I read somewhere it's a survival thing so stoneage toddlers didn't poison themselves. I think it's a cussedness thing, they just like being contrary.

My 18 year old, potato avoidant DD has just messaged me from Uni where her & her flatmates are having Xmas dinner to announce that she now likes roast potatoes 😂😂

Haha thank you @MothershipG

I miss her adventurous days. It is so annoying when I cook based on her nutrition needs and then she eg only eats the chicken. I only learnt to cook when I started weaning her!

Should you offer something else to eat if they refuse the first option?!

I think it's pretty normal for kids to become more fussy as they get a bit older. I wouldn't worry too much and I would concentrate on what she eats during a day / week in terms of nutrition. You will probably find she is eating most food grps just not necessarily at each meal.

This happened with my DD. I gave her little bits of food, often, and always something she would eat. She's through it now at 3.5 and will try anything (not always like it of course). Stressful.

Surely she can't live off toast and tomatoes?
Stares at nearly 3yo DC - yes it is entirely possible!

Mine started to get fussy at about 18mo, we've seen some improvements but to go from an eat anything child to just pasta, toast & cheese was a bit of shock. She's full of life and energy so I try not to worry too much.

It's what they do. Just keep offering a variety and let her eat what she wants. DS went through various stages, wouldn't eat onion and picked them out, wouldn't eat tomato anything unless it was raw cherry tomatoes or ketchup and many others. He's 12 now and eats most things. Of course he has a few dislikes but we all do.

Surely she can't live off toast and tomatoes?

Mine lived off fishfingers and spaghetti (plain, boiled - not tinned) for 6 months!!

I think it is key not to make a fuss. Offer a range of things each meal and let them have what they want and then move on. Make sure there are things that you know they'll eat ate yesterday plus one or two new things. I know it's really hard, mine was unbelievably fussy.

I think it is at this age that they realise that they can actually have some control over this aspect of their life. Also, just because you have given them potato for dinner, doesn't mean that's what they fancied for dinner. Think about it - some days you just want something specific, and what you had planned to have really doesn't seem as appetizing. You can often change your plan - a toddler can't.

If she's not eating as much is she still using as much energy? Is the bad weather meaning she is not going out as much? Both mine dropped naps at 18 months so that sounds like a lot of sleep to me, but they are all different.

Yep totally normal. I can remember being so proud that my excellent baby-led weaning had led to a child who would eat anything until he suddenly started refusing all but cream cheese on toast

He's now 12 and eats virtually anything, but it's been a long journey and the range of foods increased very slowly at times (not untypical, I think).

Thank you for so many interesting replies! I really appreciate it

A really good point about her maybe not fancying something but if I ask her what she wants for dinner it's "how about some ... ICE CREAM"

I've tried to 'pimp up' pasta by swirling broccoli and fish in with it so at least some flakes attach to the pasta. She sometimes will eat something (she used to like) then spit it out. I've been pretty good at not reacting in front of her, just quietly stressing opposite.

Toast and tomatoes it is then!

@Seeline I really hope she doesn't want to drop her nap anytime soon, it's a lovely break in the day for us  she does about 10-11 hours overnight and up to 2 in the day so I think that's about right for 27 months... I hope anyway as I do love that nap!

My DS is similar OP, he's the same age and used to eat anything but is now pretty fussy. Some things that are working for us for now anyway

Put a small amount of any new/disliked foods on her plate with stuff you know she enjoys. My DS surprised us recently by trying a bit of risotto alongside his spag bol. He ate a whole fried egg tonight which we thought he'd leave - nonchalant persistence is working for us.

My DS always has fruit and yoghurt after dinner. We used to give him his meal first, then the fruit and then the yoghurt, but now he gets it all at once. He looks like a banqueting prince with two plates and a bowl in front of him! But we're finding he's eating more of his actual dinner by being able to move between "courses" as he pleases. He'll often declare that he's finished his dinner, demolish his fruit and yoghurt, and then go back to his dinner again.

Toddlers are funny little creatures :D