my toddler don't like to eat (meal, milk, baby, toddlers)

[callalily10]

My toddler is very skinny because he don't like to eat. Any good suggestion?

[Kibbiekat]

What did the doctor say?

[NJGOAT]

What does your pediatrician say? Assuming they are otherwise healthy, maybe they aren't eating because they aren't hungry. Of my three kids each has their own unique appetite and pattern to eating as well as build. All are within the normal ranges and are pefectly healthy and active kids.

My son (7) eats 4 smaller meals throughout the day, but is rather picky and has a rather bland diet. He will eat until he is full and then he is done no matter what we are having. He is tall for his age and rather muscular. When he was a toddler there were times he would barely eat for a day or two and then devour everything in site the next day.

My oldest daughter (3) eats like a bird. I swear the kid hasn't eaten an actual meal in over a year. She prefers to graze on things throughout the day and will only eat a little at a time. She's also tall, but she is definitely on the skinny side.

My youngest daughter (2) loves her food. She will eat full meals, whatever we put in front of her and she also likes to snack if we let her. She is tall as well, but on the 'thicker' side, especially compared to her sister.

Basically what I am saying is that kids will eat when they are hungry. As long as you are confident there is no underlying health problem and they are developing normally then just keep offering your son good food choices and let him choose whether or not to eat and how much to eat. The WORST thing a parent can do, IMO, when it comes to food is force a kid to eat or treat food as something beyond what it is, sustenance. You don't want to force him to eat just because you think he is skinny and train his mind to override its natural function of telling him when he is hungry and when he is full.

[callalily10]

the doctor said he's okay, just little bit skinny. NJGOAT, you are right. The doctor also said each child has his/her own eating habit. We can't force them to eat. They will eat when they are hungry. Maybe I just too worry about my son...........haha

[Kibbiekat]

There's nothing wrong with being a little bit skinny. Just keep serving complete, balanced meals. He'll eat when he needs to.

[callalily10]

any trick to attract kid to eat more? colorful meal?

[somebodynew]

Originally Posted by callalily10

any trick to attract kid to eat more? colorful meal?

If the pediatrician says he is fine, why do you want him to eat more?

[somebodynew]

If you obsess about his food, it WILL come back to bite you in the butt. Feed him. Let him eat. or not.

[callalily10]

because I hope he can get stronger, he is very easy to get sick.

[haggardhouseelf]

Try finger foods and dips. I remember when my boys were toddlers, if they couldn't dip it, they weren't interested. lol

Things like:

pretzel sticks dipped in peanut butter or mustard

cheese sticks dipped in ketchup

baby carrots dipped in ranch dressing

celery dipped in peanut butter

breadsticks dipped in soup, like the roasted red pepper and tomato soup that comes in the carton (my kids loved this)

apple slices dipped in cinnamon apple sauce

apple slices dipped in dulce de leche (put a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of boiling water... don't open the can but you can remove the label if you want (I don't)... reduce the heat a little bit... to medium... and let it simmer like that at a low gentle boil for about two hours, adding more hot water as needed to keep the can covered. After about two hours, remove the can of milk, let cool, and then open it. Scrape and pour all the dulce de leche out - it's like a really delicious caramel sauce! When you first pour it out, stir it hard and fast with a wooden spoon until it glistens. The more you stir it while it's warm the more "caramelly" it will be. Very yummy. My kids loved this with sliced apples. Just don't do this too often because it has a LOT of sugar! lol)

Anyway - think little finger foods and dippers... think about what they put in lunchables and then try to do your own version of them... kids love that stuff.

I just remembered my youngest son went through this phase where he wanted a banana and a small thing of chocolate pudding. He would dip the banana in the chocolate pudding and that was pretty much all he wanted to eat. Then he moved on to a macaroni and cheese phase... lol I worried about the banana thing because they can "clog you up" if you eat too many of them... but his doctor said he was fine so... and he never had a problem.

My older son used to like to dip slices of toast - I would make toast and then slice it short-wise to make little fingers of toast - he used to dip those toast fingers into strawberry jam and peanut butter that he mixed together himself with a spoon. Kids at the toddler age really thrive when they are allowed to do as much for themselves as they can. Often their temper tantrums are due to the feelings that they have no control over their lives... they want to do more and become really frustrated when the grownups won't let them. lol