Feeding your toddler

Pediatrician suggested present what we are having and then always have a safe option included on the plate. Essentially an always yes food. For us that's typically applesauce or peanut butter banana 🤷‍♀️

@Page I give her carrots and fruit. She said no to both! Today she ate the 5 carrots and no blueberries, the other day she ate one blueberry and that was it. It's just not enough and she wakes up early asking for breakfast.

My boy is super picky and will go to bed hungry and starve if he has to until we give him what he wants. So I always cook dinner give him what we're having and a few nuggets or whatever I think he will go for sure. I always worry because he's not a breakfast eater so his big meals are lunch and dinner. So don't feel bad some kids are just picky my 2nd boy will eat anything and everything no matter the time or if he just ate. Safest is just give her a yes and offer the other. It's helped my boy eventually they see the meal enough times they'll try it and start to eat it on their own. Eventually you'll be able to get rid of the yes when you see they like the family meal.

@Page also she will eat every other meal and gets a snack between breakfast and lunch but never between lunch and dinner unless it's RIGHT after her nap.

@Ashley it's rough out here being a toddler mom. Some days he eats like a bird other days it's a never ending pit. If she isn't loosing weight then she is getting enough. We went through a big "hunger strike" type phase a few months back and my peds biggest advice was he won't starve himself and as long as the food is accessable and reasonably enjoyable/has been enjoyed before you're doing the right thing. If she is loosing weight it's time to get some more professional evals done, IMO.

@Summer okay so the option is just give a yes food. But her yes food is carrots like she's always down to eat carrots. Do I basically give her enough to make her full or just a regular serving?

@Page I definitely think she's gaining weight at least one lbs since last week. I just feel bad she's going to bed hungry. I feel like I would not be satisfied if I only had 5 carrots for dinner lol

If you can try to turn carrots into something else. My LO is obsessed with popsicles right now and only wants to eat that so I blended up fruit and veggies into a smoothie with flaxseed and just let her eat popsicles with every meal. Before the popsicles she was obsessed with bananas only so I made banana bread and that helped to get something else into her. We still offer her what we are eating and every once in a while she will eat that too so we just keep trying.

Does she eat anything else besides carrots? My picky eats corn dogs or nuggets but is obsessed with grapes so I give him the grapes plus his other yes which would be the nuggets and some of family dinner. Hopes this helps you.

Good rule is as long as they eat something and continue to gain then you can stay rest assured everything is fine that's what his dr said. Or if you can make them a smoothie and that works swell Jasper doesn't care for new things but he does like his pedialyte protein drink I'll give him when it feels like he's been eating like a bird.

I try and do a variety through the day so if he eats fruit and veggies earlier I’m ok if he doesn’t at dinner. We always offer what we’re having and when he says he’s done he can get down. If he really didn’t eat anything I’ll make a quick chicken nugget. If he ate but not a lot when he asks for a snack he’ll get something healthy like yogurt.

If our son is hungry after dinner he can have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (or the rest of his dinner, which he rarely chooses). PBJ is the only alternative. It keeps him from going to bed hungry without a fight or making anything special.

I give my boy a nutrition packed breakfast we have healthy snacks through lunch fruit things and protein like cheese sticks or yogurt sometimes beef jerky. Then cut off snacks around 3ishh usually by dinner he’s so hungry he eats most of his food. Some days if he really won’t eat anything for dinner I’ll make him sit while we eat then I try again an hour later. If he still won’t eat I’ll give him a safe option like porridge which he loves or chocolate milk.