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When LO doesn't eat their meal

Jmcmahon21Jmcmahon21 member
in Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
What do you do? Today I made him grilled cheese, pears and gave him some turkey and he didn't eat any of it. I'm sick of giving him unhealthy stuff like a whole grain corn dog or chicken fingers so I didn't give him any more options. So then I put him down for a nap and now he's not sleeping probably because he's still hungry! Anyone have advice? I would really appreciate it as this is frustrating.
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Re: When LO doesn't eat their meal

  • bluejettabluejetta member
    In similar situations (which we have occasionally) I would use my last resort options which I still consider nutritious - milk, yogurt, fruit, or cereal with milk. I too would be worried about no lunch and sleep disruption.  I worry less at dinner if I know she's had good meals earlier in the day and she has occasionally gone to bed without dinner and been fine.
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  • hopefulmom81hopefulmom81 member

    imageCrash Into Me:
    If she doesn't eat, she goes without. She has plenty of opportunity to eat. Some nights she's not as hungry as other nights. Last night she basically ate part of a peach and a slice of cheese and maybe 1 piece of broccoli, while leaving the meat and the rest of the veggies on her plate. She didn't ask for more fruit or cheese and she even left a fair amount of milk in her cup.

    My DD is a chunky monkey and has never not eaten, but if she didn't this would be my attitude as well.  I am not a short order cook, you eat what is served or you wait until the next snack or meal.  Their brains and bodies won't allow them to starve.  


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  • Tink112011Tink112011 member

    That sounds like a pretty kid-friendly meal.  If he didn't eat it, then he's probably not hungry.

    When DS does that with dinner, I wrap it up in case he decides he wants in later in the evening.  When he goes begging for food then, I re-offer his dinner.  He'll eat it if he's hungry enough.

    Don't offer alternatives.  If you do, he knows that he can hold out for chicken fingers or corn dogs.

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  • Netty_3Netty_3 member
    our pedi said to just keep offering the healthy opitions...they won't starve, so at some point they will just eat what's there.  So I try to do this...but sometimes if I've thrown it away...he gets something not as great. :/
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  • Aurora_BorealisAurora_Borealis member
    imageEstwd2:
    imagehopefulmom81:

    I am not a short order cook

    This is a great way to word it. I don't make alternative meals for DD either. If she's fooling around at the table or not eating, I ask "Are you done? Okay, then please leave the table." Sometimes she stays and eats, sometimes she doesn't. I won't fight over food. She'll eat when she's hungry.

    Yup. I do not play 'mealtime guessing game' bringing out alternative foods if the first thing served is not eaten. That is a great way to train your kid that favorite foods are on their way if s/he refuses the first thing served.

    If DD doesn't eat what is served, I just assume she's not hungry. On average she eats really well except for maybe 2 lunches and 1 dinner per week, which is not enough to stress me out.

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  • dairygirl19dairygirl19 member

    I'm with the pp. You either eat or you don't.

    My kid is a decent eater all around but has her meals where she doesn't touch much. Whatever. She'll live.

    I also have no problem with snacks. So if she doesn't eat awhile later I'll make up for it with a healthy snack. Either fruit/steam bag veggie or part of whatever she didn't eat before. I also only put stuff on her plate I want her to have. So I can't get mad if she downs all her fruit and nothing else. I make the next meal/snack more meat veggies and no fruit then. I don't start battles if I don't have to basically.

    I just can't get worked about food. Eat it or don't. Take it or leave it.

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  • TiffanyBerryTiffanyBerry member
    Exactly what you did - offer some healthy options that she would ordinarily consider and that I'm ok with her having regularly.  Then if she chooses to eat, great.  If she doesn't, great.  But I'm not making something else and she's going to have to wait a while for the next snack time.  (Though I might bump that up.)

    I'm a little more hardline because my daughter would happily graze throughout the day, eating a little every hour, if I let her.  And that's not practical or what I want to encourage.
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  • quietlyexpectingquietlyexpecting member
    My husband sings to her silly songs when we finish eatting our meal and will slide in an extra bean or potato or peach when she's paying more attention to him than the food itself.  We do this when we know she hardly ate anything all day and it is dinner time.  I'm not the singer for any meal...like many of you, I feel she should eat what she wants and then know that she's probably getting what was left on her plate later if she's still hungry. She is a big breakfast girl and typically tapers off for each meal after that.  Good Luck!
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  • skibunny59skibunny59 member
    I usually offer her yogurt, cheese, sweet potato, or carrots.  I know that these are foods that she will always eat no matter what.  If she doesn't eat them then I know that she just isn't hungry.  I don't really stress about mealtimes that much.  As long as she eats something then I'm happy.  Also, I don't see chicken fingers as being unhealthy.  I give DD chicken fingers all the time.  I buy all natural chicken, cut them up into fingers, bread them with whole grain breadcrumbs and bake them in the oven.  What's so unhealthy about that?
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  • stemms8810stemms8810 member
    I offer my LO what we are eating if it's okay for him to eat along with some of his go to options that I know he will eat like yogurt, cheese, soft tortilla, Cherrios, banana, strawberries, applesauce and chicken.  He won't touch vegetables anymore.  I should offer them to him more even though I know he won't touch them.
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  • blushingbride_08blushingbride_08 member
    My LO was an extremely picky eater. Now I just offer 1 food from each food group. Something that is healthy and easy to prepare like fresh fruit, yogurt, quinoa, peas, and lentils. The foods don't always "go together" but I put in on his tray separated like a buffet. He loves the variety and i dont force him to eat anything. It still allows him to have a choice but I don't care if he doesn't eat his peas. I do care if he doesn't eat an elaborate balanced meal prepared. I also offer him some of what I'm eating too so he can try new foods. GL!
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  • dizzycooksdizzycooks member
    If she doesn't eat dinner, I save it because she normally comes begging for a bedtime snack again an hour later.  Normally there is not bedtime snack because bedtime is and hour and half after dinner.
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