At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

All he will eat is mac and cheese. Literally. And a few snacks. I feel bad but some days he won't eat hardly anything bc i refuse to give him just mac and cheese. What can I do??

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

I don't have an answer., but I'm right there with ya... My 20m old has been on a pasta and nothing else kick... It's driving me crazy. She used to be such a great eater. Now one day she'll eat something, the next day not a chance... I don't get it...

I've heard that you shouldn't give into their pickiness and just keep feeding what you're offering them. If they don't eat, they don't eat... They'll get hungry sometime... I know... Easier said than done. At least you're not alone :hugs:

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

I have no ideas...Bc all my ideas didn't work on my son. He's awful at eating. Refuses everything, I have to pack meals just so he'll eat sometimes. I've hidden stuff in his food and he's wise to me. I'm sure (Bc people that don't have picky eaters tell me) I've done this to myself by giving in and making him his meals out so he'll eat. But I've tried since he was little, gave him a plethora of diff foods. All the time I'd try and try but nothing!! He's stubborn, he's gone a day wo eating and begs for what he likes. I'm chalking it up to he's a picky eater and until I can legit reason w the kid, I'll give him what he asks for. I'll try forever but overall he gets the limited menu he's unfortunately accustomed to as much as it pisses me off that I'm offering him food I know is delish (mostly Bc I made it) jk but I know it's not dog food he just likes what he likes

Message edited 2/5/2014 1:22:35 PM.

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

I'm right there with you... :(

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

Right there with you too. My DS will eat well when he is with others, but not for me and DH. Last night he took 2 ravioli's on his highchair and showed me over and over again open and closed by smashing them together.
My problem is that I am from the school that says, eat what you are given or don't eat. DH will chase DS around the house to try and get him to eat and will offer him a multitude of options.
So frustrating.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

My 15 month old will only consistently eat bananas, Cheerios and peanut butter and jelly. There are days he will barely eat, and there are nights he flat out refuses dinner. I have no suggestions but I am right there with you. So frustrating.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

Maybe put chicken and veggies in the mac & cheese. How about if you do like a chicken bake, where there is cheese on top of it. Will that entice him to eat it or atleast try the food and then sneak in a side?

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

I would just keep offering different things. The pickiness is usually a phase and that's why you shouldn't give in. They won't starve. They will realize they have to eat.

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

when DS1 was 2 he wouldnt eat breakfast. Loved it before but just stopped. Ped said it was a normal phase. That our job was to supply them with food it was their choice if they ate it. She said no need to give numerous choices. Eating is the ONE thing in their life they really have control over so he was exercising that right. However if he got hungry he would eat.

A friends Dr told them not to worry that some toddlers wont eat a good meal more then once every 2-3 days and that was fine. Again when they are hungry you will know it.

DS2 is nearly 3 and he is a pain with eating. Some days I can't feed him fast enough and other days he wont eat more than a waffle for 2 days!!! He also used to be the kid that if you tried to mix say chicken with his mac and cheese he would feel the texture difference in his mouth and spit just the chicken out. He is better with that now! Even now I would say out of 7 days DS will not eat dinner 4-5 of those days!

Have you tried the gerber mac&cheese, its kinda thick and has veggies and chicken. It made me feel better through our mac and cheese phase! LOL

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

I don't do snacks. If they eat a great dinner (everything on their plate, then they get a snack: cheese sticks, fruits or goldfish). The 3.5 y/o boy gets a snack at school, usually crackers, apples, or celery.

I only offer (and only have food) that they can eat. They only eat food that we all eat: fish, meat, chicken breast, veggies, salads, etc.

If they don't eat, they go hungry til the next meal (sometimes til the next day).

They get over it quickly.

Neither of my kids are skinny.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

thanks for the reassurance everyone. some days i feel like a horrible mother, bc i feel like he gets no nutrition.

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

My 2 year old eats a ton of pasta and cheese. He'll also have grapes bananas and tomatoes, sometimes chicken and a few other things. I just keep putting things in front of him. I also hide veggies in tomato sauce.

Can you steam and purée vegetables, like cauliflower or zucchini, and mix them in with the cheese just so he gets the nutrients? Anything that will blend in with the color and texture? Maybe orange or yellow peppers (puréed) or sweet potatoes (mashed smooth it might make the cheese thicker but the color should blend well)

Message edited 2/5/2014 4:28:47 PM.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

He's testing your limits. I would just kept offering him ONE meal at each mealtime and possibly an alternative. If he doesn't eat, he doesn't eat.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

My DD has always been a really picky eater. I don't know how she's 30-something lbs. at 21 months, but that's another story. Her doc said as long as she eats a good meal every 2-3 days and has all her milk (I give her (4) 6 oz sippy cups a day), then it's ok. She also has water throughout the day. I'll usually offer her a 2nd thing if she doesn't like the 1st, but that's it. When they're hungry, they'll eat.

ETS: I also started giving her a fruit & veggie juice using the Nutribullet and she LOVES that.

Message edited 2/5/2014 4:45:07 PM.

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

One of my sons is a great eater. The other has about 10 things he eats. He likes meat-especially burgers, but will eat steak, chicken, pork etc. nothing with sauce or melted cheese. Hates grilled cheese and mac and cheese for the most part. Hates pasta. Hates vegetables. Likes some fruits, but not all. I mix a puree with spinach and pear into applesuce and also mix puree into burgers(spinach, carrot, broccoli etc) He likes drinkable yogurt. I do a vitamin and probiotic and also make smoothies. He used to fall for spinach being muscle power but now will not. Good luck.

Re: At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

It can be frustrating, but it's important to see what they eat across a week rather than meal to meal or even on a daily basis. My own can go through super fussy phases, and if they refuse a part of a meal, or more rarely a whole meal, that's it. They can eat at the next meal but I don't want to set precedent for being a short order cook. That being said, they do eat fruit, cheese, bread/crackers and some veggies very regularly.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

My DS will only eat properly every now and again. He loves rice and pasta. Last night i gave him rice with brocolli, carrots etc in it cut up very small. He picked the veggies out and fed them to me and ate the rice. LOL. He is too clever for my tricks. He will eat bananas, cheese, yogurt and loves fruit pouches. I know he is getting enough with all of this but i just wish he would eat what we eat everyday. Some days he will eat great and others he won't. We had thai food the other night and he ate my green curry from my plate but wont eat mash LOL. As everyone says i hope it is just a phase.

At my wits end...re 2 year old eating

Ds went through a phase when he wouldn't eat dinner. I did the whole then don't eat thing but he's stubborn and was fine with it. So then I started to bribe him and it worked. Now he eat fine but occasionally he will give me a problem like tonight. I told him if he doesn't eat his meat then hes not getting dessert and its ice cream. So he ate it all up.

Message edited 2/6/2014 6:40:48 PM.