My family members often joke that my baby Levi eats more than my toddler Myles and I usually laugh with them, but I know deep down that it’s the truth. When Myles was Levi’s age he ate so much and was willing to try anything. He wasn’t picky, explored different textures, and was willing to give everything a shot. Once he hit toddlerhood, things started to change. My little guy who used to love all types of fruits and veggies wanted to live on just crackers and smoothies. He started getting picky and didn’t care to sit down to enjoy a meal. When he does sit down to eat, he usually only eats a small amount before he tells me that he’s done. Here today to tell you that this is normal. Is it frustrating at times? Absolutely…but normal.
At Myles’ 18 month appointment I was confident that our pediatrician was going to tell us that he wasn’t eating enough. I was already preparing a speech that I’d tell her about his eating habits and why he wasn’t consuming much daily. When she came into the room and told me that “he’s growing great” I thought to myself, growing great??? How?? She told me that he was following his growth curve and consuming exactly what he needs.
Many times what we think our little ones need is much more than what their bodies tell them that they need. I let Myles regulate his food intake and trust that he’s eating the right amount for what his body needs. Are there days that he eats great? Absolutely! Are there days where he barely has a good meal the entire day? For sure. Toddler appetites fluctuate so much, so I keep that in mind and have peace knowing that he’s in tune with his body.
Quick Tricks For The Toddler That Won't Eat Dinner Your Kid's Table
Continue to offer a variety of foods and try to make things interesting and fun! Involve your toddlers in the kitchen and try to make meal times an enjoyable experience!
It is so important that we allow our babies and toddlers to listen to their internal hunger cues. They are in tune with their bodies and when we try to interfere with this natural ability, that is when power struggles and negative relationships with food come into play. Of course if you are seriously concerned, contact your pediatrician, but the division of responsibility still applies in toddlerhood. It is our job as caregivers to provide nutritious meals and their job to choose what, when, and how much to eat.Is your picky toddler not eating? It happens to all of us at one time or another. Here’s why it might be happening…and what you can do to make it better (or at least how to know what’s normal so you can relax).
You get everyone to the table and bring out the food. Your toddler won’t eat, throws a fit, or fusses. No matter how hard you try, this is often the reality of feeding toddlers. The good news is that a toddler not eating is actually quite normal.
Your Toddler Won't Eat At Daycare. 6 Solutions To Try
Family meals are a chance to be together at the end of a long day, to enjoy food, and to create daily rituals and routines. But when a toddler won’t eat, whether at the family table or not, it can throw off even the best of intentions. And it can make meal time a huge source of stress.
The reasons a toddler won’t eat are unique to each kiddo and situation, so I’m going to try to be as comprehensive as possible here.
For a quick reference, you can download my Printable Toddler Nutrition Guide so you can refer to it for reassurance and information. Use it as a guide, not a hard-and-fast rule, since kids aren’t robots and will not eat like a chart. I share this first because portion sizes may actually be a lot smaller than you realize and often we are simply overestimating the amount that our kids need.
My Toddler Isn't Eating Much. What's Normal And What's Not?
It’s very possible your toddler’s not eating because he simply isn’t as hungry as he was when he was a baby. Toddlers grow less rapidly than babies and may be less hungry and need less food than you expect. If you give them a larger portion size than they need, they may eat some and leave the rest—and it may visually look like they haven’t eaten anything even though they did.
And toddlers don’t always have the words to be able to effectively communicate that they aren’t hungry, so they may just refuse to eat. This may look like playing with food, throwing food, or flat-out refusing to have anything to do with food.
A normal toddler meal may be two bites of a food. Or it may be a whole plate. A normal toddler may like something immensely one week and not at all the following week.
Why Your Toddler Won't Eat: Possible Causes, Solutions
Or, it’s entirely possible that once they have it in their head that they don’t want something, they won’t eat it. Sometimes not wanting dinner is about power. Toddlers are in the developmental stage where it’s normal for them to test boundaries. They are learning what they can and cannot do and the effects their actions have—both at the table and away from it.
Talk with the rest of your family about how to create some structure around meals—when they happen, where they happen, who sits where, if music is playing, if phones are put away—to help your child know what to expect. Toddlers thrive on routine and attention.
Introducing a fun utensil can help your toddler relax and get excited about eating. Our favorite food picks are specifically designed to be safe and effective for toddlers. These are used by feeding professionals and parents to help kids explore and try new foods every day.
How To Get Your Toddler To Eat
There are a few ways to rethink this issue. First, if you are in the habit of short-order-cooking the foods you know your toddler will eat, you may want to consider stopping. Explain to your kids that we’re having such-and-such tonight but that you will make their requested favorite food soon. Then follow through so they know they can trust you!
Then, make sure there are 1-2 foods on the table that the child usually likes, even if it’s something simple like fruit or cheese. Surround them with the food you want them to eat and let them decide what and how much of it to eat.
Using this Division of Responsibility in Feeding approach to meals can be a total GAME CHANGER, as it clearly delineates what the parent and child are each responsible for at the table, lessening pressure on everyone. It also gives the child a chance to stay in touch with their own hunger cues without prodding, pushing, or cajoling—which has the added benefit of helping to make mealtimes more enjoyable for you, too.
What To Do If Your Toddler Is Refusing To Eat Anything But Milk
We want our kids to know their own hunger and fullness cues so they know how much to feed themselves as they grow into adolescents and adults when we aren’t around. And those cues can be hard to tap into if they are constantly overridden by external cues (like if we push them to eat a certain amount), however well-intentioned.
You can also try to involve them in doing something to help get ready for the meal to distract them from their concern about what’s for dinner. Try letting them help to set the table, help with simple meal prep (like washing veggies), or wash their hands. Hand washing is an excellent toddler-diversion tactic when they get upset about something.
If you are okay with cooking separate meals for your kids because it works better for you right now to know they will eat the food you make, then by all means, do that.
What To Feed A 2 Year Old
But if you’re wanting your child to eat family meals and eventually eat more of the same foods as the rest of the family, then try the tips I just shared above.
It is incredibly difficult to accurately estimate someone else’s hunger. I am a big proponent of moving from the goal of “getting the kids to eat” towards “how can I make mealtimes happier for all of us?”.
TIP: Almost every toddler is “picky” in one way or another at some point. Toddlers are quirky, it’s part of the fun! (And the challenge, of course.)
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If your child is playing with their food rather than eating it at the start of the meal, chances are they aren’t hungry enough to eat. Take a break and try again in 30 minutes if possible—or for the next snack or mealtime.
If your child just doesn’t seem hungry for any food or much food, consider how long it’s been since their last meal or snack, how much milk (or juice) they’re drinking throughout the day, how much they ate at their last meal or snack, and whether they are teething or tired or otherwise off.
If your toddler won’t eat foods he once liked, try serving them in new ways—such as cutting carrots into sticks rather than rounds before cooking them, but also remind yourself that it’s normal for toddlers
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