Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

How do you handle this? DD is 16 months and has been in a picky mood phase with foods -- even foods that used to be standard favorites (grilled cheese, pizza, etc.). So for example tonight I made chicken nuggets with sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon. She ate like 1 chicken nugget (they were cut up so I don't know exact quantity) and refused all the sweet potatoes. She immediately says, "No more. All done." This actually translates into "I'm still hungry but I don't want what you gave me" and she'll start saying "More, more" and doing the ASL sign for it. I refuse to be a short order cook so any other food options given are non-cooked and easy to grab (string cheese, yogurt pouch, cottage cheese, etc.) We take a bite or two of the 2nd given food and same routine all over again. "No more. All done." She's doing this until I break down and give her fruit which she would eat all day, every day if I let her. My mom suggested to have a 2nd "standby" food option (like yogurt) which is given if she refuses the actual meal given. If she eats the 2nd option, she gets fruit. If she doesn't eat it and starts her shenanigans, she gets taken out of the booster seat and dinner is done. Thoughts? What do you do? Hoping this is just a phase! Thanks, everyone!

Message edited 8/25/2016 7:30:57 PM.

Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Totally normal. I give dd two options of what she wants. She'll pick. Then if she doesn't eat it she's out of luck. They don't starve themselves.

Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

At 16 mo I would probably offer a few more options at meals-maybe 2-3 veggies, a protein, and maybe cheese? Even now, I tend to give Dd small portions of multiple things-whatever were eating as the "main" and then a few other things I know she likes that are easy- frozen veggies, cheese, etc

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

No way!
Give a food you know she will eat... Don't expect them to eat liver, but chicken, fish, steak is all fair game! We've never done chicken fingers!
If she doesn't eat... Don't feed her ANYTHING until the next meal. No snacks.
All my kids tried this a few times. Stick to your guns! They won't starve themselves!
Plus, kids will develop tastes for things. DS loves kale & DD's fav food is spinach! Kids have come over our house, been expected to eat adult food and surprised their parents!

Message edited 8/25/2016 8:12:11 PM.

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

When I was a kid. If I didnt eat what was served for dinner, there were no other options. You ate what was put in front of you. Dont give options

Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

At this age I dont think a battle over food is worth it. Some days my DD loves a particular food, the next day she wants nothing to do with it. As long as she is overall eating healthy it is not worth the energy to stress over it. If she doesn't want to eat the dinner I prepared I always offer veggies, yogurt or fruit in place of it. Even cheerios so she doesn't go to bed hungry. I wouldn't say eat this or you don't get food, at 16 months it is more about choices and learning to have opinions then the actual food they are eating (imo).

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Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

She's so small still. Honestly I wouldn't eat the sweet potatoes lol. Give a meal prepared. Then easy other options like you mentioned. Making food a battle will make eating miserable for everyone. You can also try "eat this chicken or xyz ...one bite THEN you can have a bite of your fruit". One bite of this veggie etc then o e bite of this fruit.

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Posted by Lara&Aidansmommy

When I was a kid. If I didnt eat what was served for dinner, there were no other options. You ate what was put in front of you. Dont give options

Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

I only gave one option for a meal. It included meat/starch/veggie/fruit. If they didn't eat it then tough

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

AHHH I'm going through the same thing with my 16 month old twins. One is so difficult with breakfast. Her sister loves yogurt and fruit. Devours it all. But my picky one won't eat the yorgurt. Only wants the fruit. So we let her eat the fruit. Still try to offer her the yogurt, which she says no to, and then I give her either cheese or some cereal (cherrios or vanilla/blueberry puff cereal...kinda like kix but a slightly healthier version) and she will gladly eat that.

Now the one that loves breakfast usually fights me on dinner
She likes pretty much everything we give her but she just puts up a fight...mostly because I think she just would rather snacks. What I normally do is, whatever it is that Im giving them for dinner, I put on their tray and if she won't eat I'll put some cheese or puffs on the tray with the food and she will magically start picking at everything.

It works..for now anyway so I'm just rolling with it.

Good luck!

Message edited 8/26/2016 9:51:44 AM.

Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

LO went through this stage and I used to waste SO much food. I finally realized, if he's hungry enough, he'll eat. If not, it's no games. I couldn't have my 1-2 year old playing food/money games with me. So we started implementing what we offered for dinner. If he says he doesn't want it or doesn't like it, we offer 1 other option...yogurt, bananas, etc. If he doesn't eat that, then he gets nothing else until he takes one of the 2 options given to him.

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

My ped has told me a million times - they won't starve themselves. If they are hungry, they'll eat whatever you put in front of them.

Mine are a total PITA - but that is MY fault for allowing it to happen.
If your DD is just starting this, honestly if I could do it again, I would have stood my ground and let them go to bed hungry a few times - No one would have died!

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

when my dd was that difficult i just said i guess you want to go to bed hungry we can try again tomorrow. and next time, she ate it! i may offer one or two other standby options but if shes in a mood and not eating, i let her not eat. and then next time she isnt as difficult. now she eats ANYTHING. (well except swiss cheese, she hates it. and raw onions) but to me shes a crazy good eater. i tell her, oh you dont like dinner? well its this dinner or no dinner you decide and then she goes oh well if thats the case... lol

Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

My DS has to eat what is cooked for the family. If he does not want that, he has 2 choices - yogurt or nothing. That's it. I am not a restaurant. He will eat when he is hungry enough and more often than not ends up eating the dinner that I have made.

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Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

No advice. My 3.5 yo does this still. I think it's par for the course.

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Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

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Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Re: Toddler refusing meal prepared.....

Personally, I think that's a little young to battle over food. DS1 was especially picky at that age. As he has gotten older, he is a much better eater and more willing to try things. DS2 has always been a good eater, but did go through phases of not liking certain food that he had previously liked.

I'd probably give her an option that I know she'd eat. More often than not, we eat different food than the kids because our meals are more involved so they're not ready until later in the evening. When DH does make stuff for everyone, the rule is that they at least have to try it. I don't have a problem offering cereal or yogurt as a second option though if they don't like the meal.