What do you do if your toddler doesn’t eat?

Question

What do you do if they don’t eat dinner? Do you give them something else? Do you just not feed them then? Do you give them milk before bed? 
What if they don’t eat lunch either? 
My 22 month old used to eat EVERYTHING! Now he’s super picky. Today before dinner as soon as I put him in the high chair and he seen what was on his plate he started crying and tried to get out. So I gave him a few crackers hoping that would give him more of an appetite. 
Well it didn’t work. He just kept asking for more crackers so I said no more crackers you have to eat your dinner and gave showed him his food and again he started crying and started playing/throwing his food. So I ended up just making him a peanut butter and jam sandwich because he will actually eat it. 
Im so tired of being stressed about him not eating and about planning our meals around what he likes. Today he didn’t want his breakfast either...
What should I do in situations like this?

Answer

I don’t feed mine a separate meal. If they don’t eat a good lunch & dinner then they will eat a good breakfast because they are hungry. Toddlers go through a picky phase and that’s normal. Your child won’t become malnourished and you don’t need to make a different meal for them.

Answer

I’m not a short order cook. I make one meal for the family every  meal of the day if they don’t eat then they are hungry. I try to make meals with lots of options, a main with sides if I can or things they will typically eat. It’s a struggle some days but I don’t cave.

Answer

As soon as he learns there’s another option, he will want it. For my picky eater, I always make sure there’s a SMALL amount of something she will eat on her plate (even if it’s a slice of buttered bread) with the meal we’re having. 
I’ve found too that it helps if I don’t make a big deal out of it, she gets super embarrassed when I’m trying to get her to try new things and make a scene, we just chit chat around the table and ignore what she’s doing, and she’s more likely to eat

Answer

I just go with it. If he doey eat then I know he will at the next meal. I just make sure he drinks his milk

Answer

Originally I wasn’t going to but my daughter has autism and getting her to eat something she doesn’t want to is basically useless and she will just not eat anything. So I try the main meal and if she really doesn’t like it I will make her something else

Answer

I’d she refuses to eat, she doesn’t eat or get dessert 🤷🏻‍♀️ my husband used to give in and give her something just to fill her stomach but then she started requesting bread for dinner so momma cut that out real quick lol

Answer

I feed my toddler what I’m eating. If she doesn’t eat she isn’t hungry. I try to make sure there’s one (healthy) thing she’ll definitely like. I feed her a sippy regardless at bedtime (but at this point- she’s two- it’s only if she asks wether or not she eats). Sometimes kids eat a lot during the day and we don’t realize it. Maybe begin writing down what your child eats and examine if they’re eating a lot at another point of day. At that age they’re likely to only eat one “meals worth” and maybe a couple snacks. Maybe try smaller portions spaced throughout the day.

Answer

Mine goes in streaks. She will eat super well and then back off. I just go with it.

Answer

My daughter is super picky too like most toddlers can be. Most of the time she ends up eating something different than us and I'm okay with that. I'd rather her eat something than nothing. She won't eat any meat except the occasional chicken nugget, but she will eat fruits and veggies. I just try to give her balanced meals and her meals are usually quick to make so it doesn't take extra time for me. If she does not eat most of her food though and gives me a hard time about eating something I know she likes, then I won't let her have a snack after.

Answer

Highly recommend the Instagram account called "snackswithjax" she gives great info on eating habits, nutrition, everything! Plus she is also a super sweet and down to earth mama

What do you do if your toddler doesn’t eat?

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