Toddler refusing to eat

I have the pickiest kid too, I am probably not going to gift the best advice here but what do is I populate his plate with foods that I know he likes and small portions of foods that are new or that he doesn’t like so that he has the chance to try them again. It takes the patience of a thousand mother Theresas 🤪

I always offer a safe food with my toddlers meals, especially if she's trying something new, the something new will be a small portion so she doesn't feel like she has to eat it, it's just there for her to try. Hunger shouldn't be used as a punishment. If she doesn't want to eat that's fine, if she asks for something later she can have a healthy snack.

I've started doing bedtime snacks every night, whether dinner was eaten or not. So there is at least a banana or some pretzels in her belly before bed

I always make sure they like at least 1 part of the meal, but they have to at least try everything on their plate before they can say they don't like it. If they don't eat anything at all the plate gets put in the fridge and offered to them if they say they are hungry later. We have rough set meal and snack times so if it's not bedtime snack time they get their meal back. Going to bed with no dinner isn't going to cause issues, he'll just be hungrier when he wakes up. If he is skipping multiple meals in a row there may be an underlying issue. Here we have a syrup you can get from the pharmacy that helps to expand a kids appetite, made with fenugreek, which helps them to eat more. We used it with my youngest a few times and within a week he was eating more again without fuss.

We always offer a safe food alongside foods he’s less likely to eat, and then when he asks for more safe food, we say “eat a few bites of x” before giving more safe food.

I was an extremely picky eater and my parents tried that whole move with the not giving in…ya it doesn’t work and it creates a really unhealthy relationship with food. My parents eventually dropped it and always made sure that there were at least veggies on the table that I would eat, and then it was up to me if I picked at anything else. I’m so grateful they let me explore things in my own time. I had extreme anxiety around trying new foods (still do) and I just needed people to be gentle with me.

I don’t offer anything else. If she don’t eat it, she’s goes to bed hungry x

Lots of great suggestions up top! We're in food therapy for our kid who went from eating everything to chicken, fries and milk. Suggestions from therapy: Eat together as a family!!! Always present something they like and add "challenges" Can he bring the food to his forehead, cheek, lips? Playing might make him want to try the food. Describe things based on texture and color not "wanna eat this? Tastes yummy right?" We've been to a bunch of sessions and now he asks to try our food including salmon. Still waiting for the love of veggies to come back. If your son is like mine, starving doesn't work. Mine's solar powered.

My daughter is the same, we just end up giving safe foods, I hate wasting food so sometimes I will try and get her to eat something different from my plate but it’s mostly a no.

It is a phase that they all go through. Just give him things that you know he will eat.

Mine only wants salad and eggs 🤦‍♀️but at least it healthy. I've been told to add more protein to her diet so I'm going to get her some.more seed packets

I don’t agree with basically starving him. If/when my kids do that they wait until everyone is finished eating what I cooked and then right before bath/teeth brushing they can either have a small yogurt (not that sugary crap like danimals but actual yogurt) or a banana or strawberries.

Currently going through this 🫠 echoing what most others said, I make sure to always have a “safe food” available. I won’t let him go hungry, ever.

I really disagree with coercing a child into taking a bite but I do agree with your husband to a certain extent. Be patient.....offer a meal that includes things he will eat and things he won't. No pressure but also don't make or give him anything else until next snack or mealtime. He either eats the meal you've provided or he doesn't....its his choice. For me - I will decide what my little girl is being offered to eat, she decides whether to eat it or not'

I watched a video on Instagram yesterday from a child therapist or something showing how she gets her son to try new foods. She didn't even have to do much & he took a bite out of a tangerine without much encouragement. It's all about them getting the feel of something before they put it in their mouth.