18 month old doesn't like ANY food at all!

[Fedallio]

Hi please help. I'm in tears and dread mealtimes now.

DD was a really good feeder. Gobbled up most things placed in front of her. Now every meal is a struggle, she refuses pretty much everything except grapes and ham. She's even refusing her previous favourites of cheese, banana.
I batch cook chicken, lamb casseoles for her but she won't eat these now.
Help help. I'm going mad.

Just leave a selection of food out for her and ensure it doesnt turn into a battle of wills. She may be sickening for something or teething - or just being a toddler. My DS1 was a fussy eater - DS2 has hit the fussy eating phase (now 20 months old) but when hungry will eat what he wants to eat. They like to be in control so if you leave finger food where they can get it, they'll eat what they want to. And remember look at what she eats over the course of a week and I'll bet its quite a lot more than you think she's eaten.

Thanks Dinky, will try that. Just worried she doesn't have proper meals like she used to. Good point about measuring over a week period.

My 18 month old is also being a nightmare about food at the moment, some mealtimes he eats absolutely nothing (he will always eat grapes if given them, but I am worried they are giving him diarrhoea, and he will always eat chocolate pudding if spoon fed this, but I am trying to get him to eat other things first before being given pudding).

Yesterday he ate nothing at all between 9am (pot of yoghurt) and 6pm (when he was quite hungry and ate several parsnip and sweet potato pieces as well as a small piece of meat). I sometimes feel quite despairing when I put lovely food in front of him and he simply ignores it, does not even try it or look at it! He is a tiny little thing but strong and lively, I have no idea where he gets all his energy with the minute amount he eats!

There's a huge developmental spurt at 18 months (one developmental psychologist refers to it as 'the mother of all developmental transitions'). It has huge effects on toddlers' sleep, eating, mood and behaviour - but is temporary. My 11 m.o. does this when working on a spurt.

If he doesn't want to eat what's in front of him, I offer a healthy alternative but don't worry if he eats nothing. He is bf, though, which helps me be relaxed about it.