eating challenges

radiohd18

Is any one else having trouble feeding their toddler? I swear she is the pickiest eater ever. The daycare says she eats everything they serve her and that she loves to eat. When she gets home to have dinner she'll only eat like three things! Eggs, Tortellini/Ravioli and Chicken Nuggets... and now, she doesn't like chicken nuggets anymore. I give her chicken, beef, turkey, fish, peas, broccoli, you name it and she just throws it away. I feel like a terrible parent because I can't even get my kid to eat anything healthy. She'll sometimes eat yogurt and cheese and I've managed to get her to at least eat a pear/spinach gerber pouch, but she won't even open her mouth to TRY anything.

I've found recipes for all kinds of "toddler favorites" and she will not eat them and cries/screams. Dinner is not pleasant and I could use any tips... or even some of your own stories to make myself feel better.

help!

OliveOyl2014

Same here. Our pediatrician said its just a phase, but it could last until she is 2 or even later. Mine will take a few bites of her meal and be done. This lasts a day or so, then she eats like a machine. The pediatrician said not to worry, that she will eat when she's hungry.

Smores730

I'm going to go off on a tangent which is just totally my opinion, but I feel this is where picky eaters are created. There's this fear when we see our kids not eating and it leads us into trying to find something, anything that they'll eat to make ourselves feel better that they ate. In reality though, they probably just weren't that hungry.... but now their broccoli has been replaced with chicken nuggets, mac and cheese etc. which, let's face it, is easy to nibble at when you're not even hungry. We therefor just showed them that if they wait it out, a tastier alternative is going to appear and soon waiting it out turns to complaining for it, and now we have a "picky and fussy eater".

If your LO is eating well roundidly at daycare, they're not picky. My guess is that she's filling up at lunch and not needing or wanting much at dinner at this moment whether it be because she's having a lull in growth as opposed to a spurt, teething issues, whatever. Definitely don't fall into the trap of offering too many things. Pick one alternative if you really think she's hungry and if she doesn't want that, well that's that. She won't starve herself. She'll probably eat a good breakfast though

radiohd18

@Smores730, I totally hear you. This morning I asked LO's daycare teacher if she eats well and the teacher told me LO eats everything they give her and that she's the best eater they have!

It's hard to watch her throw everything I give her to the floor and to listen to her scream. I don't feel comfortable letting her walk away from the table without anything in her belly.

When we walk in the door from daycare/work at 6PM she points to her high chair and wants something to eat right away. She just doesn't want anything I offer her. She eats a good breakfast with me during the week but lunch (on the weekends) and daily dinners suck.

Thanks for reading.

Jacks92

I find that if I get any meal ready, and cut up everything for her, she freaks out! She would throw her food to the floor if her plate didn't look EXACTLY like my plate. So I don't cut things up as much. I just tell her "little bits" and she does great with it. She eats almost everything, expect ground meat! She hates that!

kmos816

If my LO shoves her plate or throws food on the floor we take her plate away and ask her if she's all done. Sometimes she's ok with that other times she'll reach like she wants to eat more- and than does.
My pediatrician said if LO refuses to eat they are trying to gain control.... As the parent we need to be in control and not just give them whatever we think they'll eat.
Just keep giving your lo whatever you are eating and she will get the message.
We do give her a hot dog or something if we are making steak or something that would be difficult for our lo to eat.

Jacky32

Same here! At daycare she eats like a champ (i didn't believe them until i change the very smelly diaper in the evening haha!) but she doesn't want to eat meat or veggies at dinner. She throws everything on the floor. So i give her cheese and fruit and she eats a lot of that! I started being worried but then i've been reading and yes apparently its a phase. And i always remember this: she will never starve herself! I also want to start cutting milk, maybe she's too full on milk...