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**TiredOfBeingFat** · October 19, 2004, 02:23 PM

Well here are some answers I found:

#1
Question: My toddler wants only junk food. What should I do?

Answer: It's really frustrating when you put a great meal in front of a child and she turns her nose up at it! Keep offering foods you know are healthy — remember, peanut butter on bagels and pizza fall into that category — and remind yourself that this phase will pass. Don't make food a battleground. You may win the battle, but you face a distinct possibility of losing the war and creating more problems later on.

At mealtime, offer your toddler small portions of whatever the family is eating. Don't make a fuss over it, and don't use food she likes as a "reward" for eating the food she doesn't like. For example, you might put some peas, a bit of chicken, some rice and gravy, a few grapes, and a cookie on her plate. She eats the cookie, and then demands another one. You simply say, "No, the cookie is all gone. You need to eat the rest of your dinner now." If she refuses to eat anything else, then when you all are finished with dinner, she is too. You can cover her meal and put it back in the refrigerator, so that if she claims she is hungry before bed, you can offer her her dinner again. "Oh, I saved the food you didn't eat. Did you want your chicken now?" She may go to bed "hungry" a few times but it won't hurt her. Don't save the dinner for the next meal; if she doesn't eat it, then throw it out. However, no snacks unless the rest of the family is having a cone at the Dairy Queen. Try to be matter of fact about mealtime and the food she eats. Make sure you always give her something she does like at each meal, along with the rest of the food. Toddlers are picky, but they will not deliberately go hungry unless they are using food as a control issue with their parents. Good luck!

#2
Opposite of the overeater, the picky eater seems never to eat enough. These kids don't have much of a food repertoire. They nibble and pick at nearly every meal and often claim they never like anything. Parents wonder if these children are getting any nutrition at all. Rest assured picky eaters will eat when they're hungry. The best advice is to offer a range of nutritious choices. "Would you like yogurt or cheese? Grapes or an apple?" Remember that children's taste changes and what your little one won't touch today may become his favorite next week- or vice-versa. Experts say you might offer a food nearly ten times before a picky eater will decide to like it or even try it. Don't give up.

#3 From Me

If they don't eat it - who cares - they will not let themselves starve to death - they are just testing you and right now you are losing the test and they are winning.....the doc is crazy giving advice like that to you.....

Dave

**SanSSanity** · October 19, 2004, 03:40 PM

I used to be that way. Very stubborn :P I go with Dave, and #3. When she gets hungry enough...she will eat.

**Dieselbud** · October 19, 2004, 03:50 PM

Re: picky, picky kids!!

Originally posted by lttlesweetbaby

Please help I could really use some tips on how to over come a suddenly very picky toddler! Any tips or advice on how to get my almost two year old to eat something other than pb&j's? I hate feeding them to her, but when she actually started losing weight our doctor said to let her eat them if thats all she'd eat. I feel like such a failure she's just a little girl why can't i convince her to eat anything healthy? I mean after all I'm supposed to be the one in charge, right? :help

You CAN be in charge with PB&J.

Give her natural peanut butter, unsweetened, no trans fats

Whole grain breads......... even 60% WW is a start

And jam with no sugars (Smucker's makes a great selection with splenda)

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picky, picky kids!!

picky, picky kids!!

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