Toddler refuses lunch

[nolunchforher]

My toddler is 14 months and she has a boiled egg with a small bit of toast (really she just chews on a finger) for breakfast. She falls asleep at 11 and usually sleeps for 2/2.5 hours and refuses lunch when she wakes up. I’ve tried giving her a snack before her sleep and sometimes it works but she often refuses it too.

She does usually eat a good dinner but I don’t feel she’s eating much and I think she’s maybe having too much milk but it’s hard to say. Any thoughts?

I wouldn't worry about it. Offer her a light lunch (peanut butter on toast or a banana) half an hour after she wakes. If she wants it then fine. If not no worries. She'll eat if she's hungry and sounds like she's eating well for other meals.

Why can’t she just have lunch when she wakes?
10:30 would be incredibly early to have lunch before an 11am nap! Surely whatever she eats next is lunch regardless of what food it is?

@Completelyjo sorry if I wasn’t clear, I do offer it to her when she wakes but she generally doesn’t want it. Even things like cheese which she usually really likes she just doesn’t want - I think it’s related to still being a bit groggy and sleepy. I’m just conscious she always seems to miss a meal with me!

But surely she eats at some point in the afternoon? She might not be hungry immediately upon waking so just offer it a bit later?

No, she doesn’t - this is what I’m asking

You say maybe too much milk

What is she having

At this age

A cup /beaker when wakes and one before bed is all that is needed

If she is having milk 10/11am and 2/3/4 pm

Then there is your answer

So she has one egg, a finger of toast and dinner and nothing else during the entire day?

Pretty much, apart from milk. She does eat a very good dinner.

@Blondeshavemorefun no she’s only having some milk just before her nap.

A couple of these posts are a bit sharp.

Would she go down for a nap without the milk then? Or on less?

How is she doing on weight & measurements? Growing normally? If so I wouldn't stress.

I’ll try her with less. It’s hard to know! She does tank up with milk before bed as well.

I do think overall she could do with eating a bit much but she is offered food. I can’t make her eat it.

Milk before a nap and a milk before bed will be filling her up.
I would make sure you don’t offer snacks, it’s not good for toddlers to graze throughout the day at the expense of actual meals.

Is she falling down the centiles? It sounds like you either need to bulk up her actual food to be more dense in calories rather than her filling up on milk, or she’s consuming more than you realise over the whole day if her weight isn’t an issue.

At the moment she’s a healthy weight as far as I know. But I do think she’s having more milk than ideal. She’s having two good meals a day as a minimum but nothing else outside which probably isn’t great.

Mine is like that at the moment. It doesn't seem to matter how much milk she has, she never really fancies lunch and only eats a little breakfast. She does eat a large dinner though.

Mine is the same age as yours btw.

Good it isn’t just us!

I do think their growth rate slows down at this age which might be something to do with it! I thought it was that she was having too much breast milk but she's even like it when I'm at work

It's fine just offer it.if she says no then that's fine. Mine went through cycles of not eating much then eating loads

She's not having loads of milk. Little kids are really good at judging how much food they need. If she's got plenty of energy and growing well then I really wouldn't worry if she goes a few hours in the afternoon without eating. Offer but if she's not fussed then she's fine. And I disagree with the PP who said that it's not good to graze - it is good, as long as what they are snacking on is also reasonably nutritious.

I would stop the milk before nap. That's 10/11bet she will eat lunch when she wakes

At 14mth they don't really need milk daytime

Try giving less /watering it down

@Springadorable And I disagree with the PP who said that it's not good to graze - it is good, as long as what they are snacking on is also reasonably nutritious.

Snacking all day long is terrible for children’s teeth. The more nutritious people think the food is, fruit, raisins, other dried fruit, the worse it is.

A whole egg is filling for a child of that age/size. Let her lead on when she's hungry, she's listening to her hunger queues.

I think I the recommended amount of milk at this age is 300 ml of full fat milk?

Could you offer her a small snack and a cup of milk before her nap?

Another thing to try is moving her nap a little later to 12 noon by doing it gradually over a week or two and giving her lunch before she sleeps?

Is she might weaned too OP? That can make a massive difference to appetite

I could have written this post exactly. I think it's just a really awkward age because of the timing of the nap. It was the same with my first. Just remember it's just a phase though. In a short while the nap will become later and then she might have lunch before she goes down. She will also gradually have less milk.
And don't worry about having milk, as that also has nutrients and calories

I can remember it being an awkward age due to the nap and lunch too. They are so so cute at this age but are getting used to having less milk and having to eat more solids, they usually understand much more but can't communicate that well so end up frustrated and are usually mastering walking all at the same time