Toddler won’t eat any carbs

[tudorqueenie]

Hello there :)

I have a 2.5 year old daughter, we never had any issues with food up to this point. This has been going on for a few weeks - she will not have any bread, pasta, rice, porridge oats, etc. She won’t have any meat. Even yoghurt, which she’d always eat, she currently won’t eat. She only wants raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, no bananas at all, and maybe some cheese. Oh and she wants fruit pouches.

Of course I know that these things happen and it’s pretty normal - I still worry about her nutrition. I try not to push, not to have any reactions, I have involved her in shopping, in food preparation, in cooking & baking, I have given her choices, I have not given her choices, I have tried so many things.

Oh and she keeps saying that she “only wants interesting things”! Which means pouches. So I have bought reusable pouches and tried making homemade stuff that I can put in the pouches but no luck.

Not necessarily looking for advice but just wondered if this happened to anyone else - I know lots of toddlers like beige food only but this seems to be the opposite.

Yes this is a tough age! They’ve finally realised they can control something and run with it. Dd was the same.

Just keep giving her normal food with the stuff she likes. The worst thing I ever did was allow Dd to dictate what she ate. She’s nearly 8 and we’re only just getting to a point where she will try new things.

Every meal I put something she likes, but make sure it’s balanced and if I don’t make a fuss ie say you HAVE to eat this and watch her, I just let her get on with it.

At 2.5 you just have to keep giving her a range of foods and ignore the waste atm. It should click.

Does she go to nursery? They always eat everything there and that was my saving grace with Dd because I knew she was getting a balanced diet 4 days a week.

Thanks so much. She doesn’t go to nursery yet!

My 19 month old son is going through a similar picky phase! No meat, most fruits are on the out etc. I keep worrying about his protein intake but he's a healthy weight and all we can do is keep offering. Fruit is all carbs by the way so please don't worry too much about that!

I am very grateful that pouches exist so we know he's getting some vitamins in anyway.

It won't last forever, they'll get there.

I've found this challenging as he was such a diverse eater before, he won't even touch some of the things he used to enjoy.

I wouldn't stress, but I wouldn't bend over backwards to accommodate her whims either! Offer small portions of everything that you're all having, and she can eat the bits she wants and leave the rest. Don't be running up and down getting her more fruit though - it's not good for her teeth, and if she's allowed to fill up on that she won't be getting a balanced diet. Just chill! Toddlers are masters of manipulation and as soon as they sense you're anxious about something they'll use it against you! 😆

This is great advice. I'd really cut the pouches entirely, they're so processed and packed with sugar. Keep offering small portions of whatever you're eating, alongside things she will eat (but don't just keep giving loads of fruit). And really don't make a thing about what she does or doesn't eat. mine eats so well at nursery, so i worry less what they eat at home.

Thanks so much 💜

When my eldest was 2.5 he only ate ham and yogurt for about 2 months, nothing else.

Very normal for them to start resisting allsorts of standard things, they are developing their own preferences and they swing from one extreme to the other for a bit and then settle down.

Just keep offering normal meals with some bits of what she likes and perhaps cut the pouches down to one at lunch and dinner.

The key is to not display any stress over her behaviour or overly try to persuade.
They're not daft, they will cotton on and resist more.

Hey! So normal and so frustrating. I follow Solid Starts on instagram, the US version and I find them BRILLIANT!!! They are doctor, dietician, child feeding specialists run and are very scientific and research based.

They have a section on picky eating and toddler eating. I use a lot of their advice when my 3 year old has a picky phase or a difficult day. Like yesterday when he refused to eat his dinner!!
They have so much practical advice.

Just keep putting small amounts on her plate - no pressure.

Try cold tuna mayo spiral pasta with grated mature cheddar.

Don't let her fill up on snacks either - children ARE allowed to FEEL hungry - it's a good thing.