[PureBliss]

My 2.5 year old used to be a fabulous eater and would give anything a go. I have found over the last 3 months she is increasingly fussy to the point where dinner is becoming a challenge. I refuse to engage in food battles, as she is very strong willed and I don't want the dinner table to become a battle ground. I figure, if she is hungry she will eat.

So, if she refuses dinner without even touching it, she is not offered anything else. I worry that she is going to bed hungry, but she rarely asks for something else.

Food she will eat.
Weetbix
Porridge
My muesli which is full of nuts
Eggs - poached or boiled
Toast
Pancakes
Bacon
Cheese
Sandwiches
Spaghetti Bolognese - she asks for pasta every night.
Sausages
Chicken nuggets
Meat pie
Grilled fish from the fish and chip shop
Lasagne
Roast meat - sometimes
Tuna - sometimes
Fruit - apple, watermelon, apricot, grapes. Sometimes she will surprise me with a nectarine or banana - but not often.

Vegies - sometimes mashed potato - won't touch carrot, peas, beans, broccoli, etc
If she can see vegies, she won't eat them. If they are "hidden" (eg. in bolognese sauce,) she will.

Does this sound reasonable? She would go without dinner at least 3 nights a week (eg. if I make a beef casserole with rice, she won't touch it.) I don't make spicy food, so anything I serve to her is child friendly, but I refuse to give her pasta every night. I am thinking the more I serve her a variety of foods, the more chance we have of her eating it one day!

Classic example - but all accounts she "should" like quiche. Have made it several times, and she won't even try it.

She has a good appetite during the day, so she won't starve. She has always had a ravenous appetite early in the day, which peters out as the day goes on.

Should I be handling this differently or is typical 2 year old behaviour?

THANKS

This post has been edited by PureBliss: 01/02/2013, 12:57 PM

[TashaG]

Hi OP,
Sounds perfectly normal. By the looks what she does eat has a fairly ok balance of nutrients. I too refuse to offer other food, my DS 2.4 is similar, one day he eats something, the next he refuses. Maybe if she is hungrier early in the day, offer her last nights dinner left overs, and it could be her main meal for the day.
Toddlers are willful, frustrating and testing. I think you are right to not make an issue out of it, as that will only lead to bigger issues later.
IMHO you are on the right track. Keep offering variety, pick your battles, and hopefully things will improve over time.
Good luck!

[Jess1308]

My son has recently started doing this too. Has been a fabulous eater and just recently has been refusing dinner, no rhyme or reason, will eat what is given one day and will refuse the identical thing the next day. From reading a couple of toddler books its completely age appropriate. I have found though if I put something in a tortilla he will eat it, I am calling it his mexican phase

[Natttmumm]

Sounds fine and reasonable to me. Just as a tip mine will eat just about anything if the presentation is right e.g. Special plate, toothpicks used, arranged as a face etc.

[soufgirl]

Sounds just like my two year old. I also don't offer alternative food if he won't eat his meal and just keep offering a range of healthy foods. Some advice I read somewhere said don't look at what a toddler eats in a day but rather over the whole week and I have found this to be a useful approach on days when he seems to have eaten nothing.

[nicknick]

Gosh I wish my 3 year old would eat half of that list He hasn't gone hungry yet but has a very limited diet, I have found the more I fussed the worse it got. If she is limiting dinners maybe you should try more of a dinner menu for lunch?

[DB01]

My DD eats most thing I cook..but, if she doesn't like something, (she has to give everything a good try) I am apply to steam her a mix plate of veggies.

That's our trick....fine, don't like your dinner here's a mx plate a veggies.

That way she either, eats her dinner, or eats a plate of veggies.

This is the ONLY substitute she is offered.

[JBaby]

sounds like normal age appropriate behavior and not that bad a mix of food she will eat. I would handle it exactly the same as you have so I think you're on the right track!

[lovealpacas]

Sounds like mine. I don't give her anything to eat after 4pm so that by dinner she's a bit hungry and will eat the meat part of our dinner at least.