I have a almost 3 year old and she wont eat any of that stuff she eats some fruit and she like carrot and celery peas and corn but I cant get her to eat mashed potato stews, egg or anything else and I have even tried to bribe her with lollies afterwards but she will not have it. She loves her 2 minute noodles and she will eat garlic bread and spagetti with no sauce just plane she eats her cereal most morning and loves toast with vegemite but I am at my wits end with her eating potato and other vegies

Hello!

I have issues with my son also who is nearly 3, he is also losing weight and is under a gastroenterologist. All his fav food he was rejecting and only wanting porridge all day.

I started envolving him in preparing the meals and praising him for helping me and making a beautiful meal, you should see his face beaming with pride! He can wait to eat his food by the end.

Spag Bol with grated carrot, zucchini and other vegies grated is good, also I make frittata's, quiches with grated vegies hidden in it....my son thinks he is eating a cake for dinner! LOL

He is finally putting on weight! Dont give them too many choices because they can get confused with what they want and revert to the choice of porridge etc...

Good luck!

TOTALLY have that prob atm only mine is almost 3, have tried almost everything to get her to eat dinner with virtually no success. till recently we are one of the odd families who cannot eat dinner together (due to work commitments) so to make sure my other half gets a good feed (he never gets breaks at work) and my daughter actually eats some vegetables before she gets tired at night time, i make our dinner type meal at lunch time serve them up some and put some away for my son and i for later. works well as she is more alert and easier to reason with at that time of day.

i'd say try feeding her dinner type (usually veg rich) early in the evening when she is not tired, might help as i am guessing she might be cutting her day nap at that age too. ::)'s

Hi,

I can relate because I have a 2 years  and  5 months old child too.  Sometimes they go through difference eating patterns or phases so I try to introduce them to other dishes and have them try it to see if they like it.  Children I've noticed grow out of their favourites foods and develop other favourite. As they grow their tastebuds change.  Give them a couple of options like asking them "would you like beef stew or chicken and vegetable soup with crackers.  It's still nutritional and great for dinner. Other ideas might be macaroni and cheese (calcium), adding some meat or mince to it.  Sometimes I make it a creative game and have them help me eg, making a fruit salad and sometime that gets them more excited to eat fruit or make a happy face using fruit on their plate. Use a variety of fruits, like berries, grapes, peaches etc.  Colorful and fun to eat. Get really creative.  Make meal times fun. Sending them off to bed hungry is sending them a negative message regarding food. Be patient and understanding. You know your child better than anyone.  Children feed off your emotions and feelings.  Try to relax a little with meals and make them fun, they should respond better.  I hope this helps a little.  All the best to you and your little one.

Our son is the same age and doing the exact same thing.  I'm so glad you asked this question! 

Our son will ask for a "snack" or "cereal" in advance of and instead of what we're serving for dinner.  What we've been doing is offering something he likes and is asking for (like another piece of bread or cheese) in exchange for two or three bites of something he doesn't (but used to!) like chicken or veggies.  He's old enough now that he can understand the offer and usually takes us up on it.  Not sure if this is good parenting or not, but it's resulting in a (more) balanced meal.  It does not often get him to finish what's on his plate, but we'd rather see him go to bed a bit hungry than to encourage him to potentially overeat.  For our son, at least, dinner's always been the smallest meal of the day (compared to the quantities he'll consume at breakfast).

hi, my son started that at the same age, and still does it, now he's 5, if he doesn't eat what we give him he goes to bed with nothing, it hasn't made him eat any better or any worse, all that has happend from doing this is he will see what we are having and say straight away, i'll have nothing for dinner then fills up on drink.

this can work for other kids as my brother did it with his daughter and she will now eat her meals, so try it and see what happens.

good luck

My son did the same thing at that age--but he's in the 90th percentile.

I just let him eat whatever he wanted, as long as it was low in sugar and fairly good for him.

I think there was a month there where he ate almost nothing but cottage cheese and peanut butter toast, because those were his favorites. 

There's a good chance it's the teething thing like someone else mentioned--but maybe she's bored of her favorite meals?  Maybe try some new foods (but don't force her to eat it, then it'll just be a power struggle)?  

It's hard to fall asleep if you're hungry!   I would think if she wants cereal, give it to her.  At least cereal is vitamin-fortified and her little tummy will be full. 

But then, I'm no doctor, and certainly no parenting expert. :)

 Could your little one be teething??  She may be getting her 2year old molars..   My boy wont eat when teething, very fustrating.  Like the person below I just offer a healthy alternative like bread and butter or fruit.

Try not to stress (better said than done) One thing I have learnt is that kids will not starve themselves.   I find that on child care days my son will not eat much dinner.  Either he is too tired or had had too much afternoon tea.    

I usually try not to give much food after about 3.15 in the afternoon this makes for a hungry boy at dinner time (6pm) and now he eats just about everything I give him, with me saying if you don't eat it mummy will.  

Try offering a variety of food, it sounds like you already are.  My son used to love yoghurt and bananas but now will not have a bar of it.   No matter what I do.   I think that this is 'cause I gave it too frequently.   So try some different recipes.   

Do you all eat together as a family?  If not try it.  If she is eating the same as mummy and daddy then that might also help.  

I wouldn't be giveing her the cereal - yes I think you are forming a bad habbit.   Try once or twice sending her to bed without haveing dinner and see what happens.  She may just see that you are serious and change for you.  

If your daughter is putting on small amounts of weight etc...  then I wouldn't be worring too much just as long as she dosen't loose too much.

Good luck

She is discovering the power of "no!" isnt she! And so far the consequences for her have been quite nice - so yes, bad habits are creeping in.

Yes, I would try to put my foot down - she really ought to try to eat what you are or nothing (or in my case, a boring or healthy alternative - if at all possible I either offer bread and butter or a piece of fruit as an alternative to the main course, and my DD2 will almost always eat a fromage frais, so I know she isnt going to bed completely famished!). You may find that she chooses to go to bed hungry just once, but she will believe you after that. Or she may just climb back up to the table a changed child once she sees that you are serious. Alternatively, how about a tiny bowl of cereal for pudding if she eats a few bites of the main course first?

It's tough though, especially if you are already concerned about her weight/nutrition. Has she always been around the 10% line? If so, then she ought to still be on it - after all, very few of us are average, and someone has to be small to balance out the tall people in this world! My 2&3/4 year old eats very little compared to her elder sister, but somehow she is still tracking up her 25% (weight) and 50% (height) lines that she has always been on or near. MrsSanders said last week that children of our daughters age should eat the equivalent of 3 adult sized meals over the course of a whole week to stay healthy. My DD2 certainly does, and maybe yours does too? If so, she will be fine. Just remember, she needs to learn that there are consequences to her decisions, and not eating mummy's yummy dinner makes little girls feel hungry!

Of course, if she has just dropped a nap or started a new activity, her refusal of dinner may be down to tiredness - is this possible? Then you may need to move the larger meals earlier in the day and just accept that she can only manage a snack before bed for the time being?