Any other 18 month olds not eating??

Stephanie - posted on 06/21/2010

Ahh i see ok. Ill try that approach and see where it lands me.

Chrystyna - posted on 06/15/2010

IT IS NORMAL THEY GROW OUT OF IT JUST TRY TO GIVE THEM A HEALTHY SNACK AND DON'T LET THEM DRINK TO MUCH IT CAN FEEL THEM UP

Stephanie - posted on 06/14/2010

I'm having such a huge problem now with my daughter eating now. She use to eat like never before and now all of a sudden she just doesn't wanna eat anymore. It's bad enough shes and extremely picky eater but now its like all she wants to do it drink and not eat. I've tried giving her all her favorite foods, not giving her something to drink at meal time the works its just not working and im getting worried. Any advice?

Danielle - posted on 05/10/2010

im am so glad im not alone on this subject! my son has always been a big eater but the past few mths he has been a nightmare the only food he eats is his breakfast (weetabix) & yogharts its always a fight 2 get him to eat ive have tried everything the one thing that does work is offering food seeing if he wants it if he doesnt then i take it away dnt offer any snacks then try him again wiv something different at the next mealtime more than likey he will eat this time its jus getting the first mouthful in is the problem lol but from wat all u's r sayin its jus a phase i cant wait until he is a chubby bunny again. gd luck :)

Kylie - posted on 05/05/2010

we also bake/grill with no added fat, frozen chips the kids like this (similar but healthier to maccas) pasta and melted cheese... add some bacon or tuna/salmon to this...

spaghetti in a can/baked beans. bread butter and honey. rice crackers... try anything, just watch the sugar/salt intakes... strawberry, avocado, bananas, apples are our fav.

also try making muffins with fruit in it (add apple mush from a can instead of butter, helps to glue mix together and adds no fats) make them small snack size. date loaf kids like cakes, make them healthier!!

Kylie - posted on 05/05/2010

we're going through that with 18 month and almost 3 kids....
try potato gems (also known as potato nuggets) mini pizzas made from half muffin with tomato sauce, capsicum (or some vege, mashed/pureed) and lots of cheese melted!!! we also do slice of bread spread with vege/promite then add slice of cheese, 20 sec on microwave let cool then cut into triangles...
as a last resort, custard/jelly/ with REAL fruit cut up into it.
i did savoury mince the other night with blended/grated veges (carrot zuchini and pumpkin) added in after meat is cooked, also add diced bacon. we all have the same prob, they eat or they don't... keep up fluids, i've bought sippa straws to help when milk is not being drank.

Emma - posted on 05/05/2010

My son is the same, I seen a karitonie nurse and she said that it isn't unsual for children around this age to do this, she said to try and give him plenty of small healthy snacks through out the day rather than 3 main meals. This seems to be working for us so far.



My son also has a thing with eating at other peoples houses, he just plan refuses weather i am there or not, which makes it hard to leave him at some one elses home so me and my husband can have time out. Has anyone else having this problem.

Chelle - posted on 05/03/2010

I am SOOO glad someone has posted this. I was going to start a similar conversation today. Ever since loch has had solids he has eaten pretty much anything you give him- fruit, veg, dairy- you name it, he ate it and ate it in decent quantities. But over the last maybe month i have noticed a distinct change in his preferences. He does not always eat what you give him, or if he does he doesnt eat as much of it. He seems to be preferencing a lot of carbs at the moment and barely considers green veg like he used to. I had heard something about children going through some drastic changes in taste when they hit two, so i wondered whether this was it? As loch has usually been a couple of months ahead of these developmental changes?? But then i have also noticed like others have mentioned that he has a series of teeth coming through at the same time- some of which are his back ones. I know these have been causing more pain lately as they are even too tender to put teething gel on, so i can understand why he may not want to eat or chew like he did before. I am just hoping that my good eater does not turn to a permanently fussy one!

Jennifer - posted on 04/29/2010

My 18month old is the exact same way...looking for a solution myself.

Nikki - posted on 04/29/2010

Same here, my daughter can get eat very little somedays. She is healthy too I just get a little worried too. My grandma said she is healthy sometimes they just don't have an appetite.

Sherri - posted on 04/27/2010

I've been having the same issue with my 18mos. old for the last two days. Normally she'll eat just about anything...even beans n greens. Now she's snubbing her french fries even....???? I hope it don't last.

Victoria - posted on 04/27/2010

my daughter will not eat either but her back teeth are coming in and thats the only reason i can come up with my daughter was a very good eater also i will always offer her food constanty she is eating the fruit cups pretty good. so just try to keep giving her food a lot that is kinda working for me

Nicole - posted on 04/27/2010

My 18m.o. also does not like to eat. The doctor told me that there will be ups and downs...they will scarf down food for a couple days and maybe not eat very much for a couple of weeks. He also told me to feed him whatever he REALLY likes and will definately eat. With a fickle eater, I had to try a lot of things. He continually eats bananas, applesauce and cheerios. Now that may not sound like a great meal, but he won't eat much else. He will even stick out his tongue to taste something so it doesn't have to enter his mouth first. If he doesn't like it, he usually replies, "No, all done". I know it is frsutrating, but just keep trying different foods....which is also expensive :-/

Sarah - posted on 04/26/2010

My little one is doing the same! I have a hard time finding him something to eat some days. Of course, his biggest problem right now is that he has been cutting teeth. On days that he doesn't feel like eating, I try giving him the regular foods that he likes. His favorite foods are carrots, turnips, bananas, and chicken, and he will eat those almost every time I put them out. Sometimes his mouth hurts him so badly that he doesn't want to chew anything, so if he is really hungry, but won't chew, I will even give him some of his sister's baby food. It's soft and bland, so it doesn't hurt his sore mouth, and he will usually eat at least one 4oz jar. (I try to offer the combination foods to him - like apples and chicken, or turkey and rice so that he's getting at least a protein and some kind of carb or veggie, that way if he won't eat a whole lot, then I know he's still getting some good nutrition and my mind feels better that he got at least something) Of course, never force, they will eat when they're hungry. :) Hope that helps, and I hope my little one will start eating well again soon!

Megan - posted on 04/25/2010

My son is also 18 months old. I thought I might be able to give you some advice based on what has happened to him. Wyatt has several small medical issues, one of them being trouble eating. He was referred to a Speech Pathologist for "swallow therapy" or as many might now it as a version of "feeding therapy". He goes because he has problems swallowing food other than baby food. Some of the problems aren't just medical but also behavioral. So, I would just see what your doctor thinks. Swallow therapy, feeding therapy, has realy helped my son to eat more. Hope this helped. :)

Megan

Cynthia - posted on 04/25/2010

My son is similar. He goes through spurts where he will eat more and then he will pick at his food. He is a picky eater about some things. He loves pasta though so I make sure and buy Barilla Pasta in a yellow box (it isn't a whole wheat pasta but it is packed with Fiber and protein) and maybe add some zucchini or some sort of veggie to his sauce. He likes the sauce. Also, I will often melt cheese over his veggies and he will eat them. Or I will make zucchini bread with extra zucchini and maybe add some carrots in it too and I might substitute apple sauce for some of the sugar. He loves it.

Stephanie - posted on 04/24/2010

I am right there with you. My Bella hardly eats at all and I am convinced this is why she wakes during the night. Try Jenno turkey ham. Bella seems to like this. I have tried almost everything. Some days are better than others. I also notice when I don't let her snack all day like on gold fish, rasins, etc (which happens sometimes) she tends to eat better at meal times. I have a 14 week old and it has taken me awhile to balance caring for both babies.

Michelle - posted on 04/24/2010

Mine is doing the same. Though he is going through a crunchy phase - french fries, potatoe chips, goldfish, pretzels. We have a bit more luck with that kind of stuff. And sometimes noodles. The doctor said it's normal. We try to get a pediasure a day in him to cover the nurtution. But, it's hard.

Shana - posted on 04/23/2010

My 18th month old son has his days where he does not want to eat anything but puffin corn, cheese balls or cheese doodles (maybe once or twice a week). Then there are days where he does nothing but eat, his food and everyone else's (we are a family of 6 counting him), on top of his snacks (5-6 days a week). I learned that he enjoys eating more if he is allowed to be active while eating. So he pretty much walks around the house with food in hand, stops takes a bite and continues on. If we put him in his high chair. He will refuse to eat. So we have quite placing him in his high chair and just place his snack, meals on his toddler table. My son, is so active that he can not keep the weight on. He only gets milk when he wakes up, at nap time and when he goes to bed at night. His milk is pedisure, since he is underweight based on his dr. At meals, he gets 100% real fruit juice (also recommended by his dr). He weighed 21 lbs at his last dr appt (april 3rd). I do not seem to be concerned about his weight, because I was underweight my entire child hood up until I turned 19. Same with my husband. So I think its more genetics. But he also has a high metablism so that is also a factor.

In regards to your daughter, maybe offer her 2 or 3 choices and see if she will eat one. What I have learned is a child no matter what their age, will eat when they are ready. So just make sure to have foods on hand for when she is ready to eat.

Rosie - posted on 04/23/2010

Maybe your daughter just doesn't like the foods you are feeding her. I have 2 kids and they both don't like hot dogs, mashed potatoes or carrots. I recommend making her things like maybe cheese quessadillas, pasta with butter and parmesan cheese. buying pastas that are in different shapes to stimulate them.

Most importantly i recommend this book called First Meals by Annabel Karmel. This book is very very easy to follow, has meal ideas that are extremely fun for kids and is organized into age categories. hope this helps

Meg - posted on 04/23/2010

My ped dr told us that children don't normally starve themselves, they will eventually balance themselves out, just make sure that you don't give in when they won't eat with the standbys.

Masego - posted on 04/23/2010

My 18 month old baby would eat she will just eat two to three spoons and thats it,all she wants its milk and if you look at her you would just think she is such a eater cause she is so chubby but no all she wants its milk milk milk.i dnt know what to give or try anymore.

Christina - posted on 04/22/2010

I've gotten into the routine where my daughter only gets milk right before bed, or just after she gets up. and that's it. any other time during the day she gets cereal, or some kind of healthy snack. As well as those gerber graduates meals they make. My husband and i both have this philosophy of, "when she's hungry enough, she'll eat" and I gaurantee you she's signing for milk and even saying milk along with please, but the key is not to give in. I don't know, i may be a little harsh in some others opinions. But my daughter is healthy, she's not underweight persay, she just got over the flu about a month ago, and she lost weight, so she's putting it all back on. She was a liquid diet eater, and her doctor told me to cut milk completely which is actually bad, but she's gotten better. Also a lot of kids around this age have problems with solid food not because they don't want it, but because their teething. so chugging down a cup of milk takes less effort than chewing with sore gums. mine is currently cutting a molar and a front tooth.

Louise - posted on 04/22/2010

MMM it is so hard, just still give her milk she still needs it and the calcium is so inportantant. I still give my 18 month old milk. At least they have that until they start to want to eat.

Heather - posted on 04/22/2010

Really??? Opposite problem here. My son eats anything he can find. I mean ANYTHING! I may have a Maury baby on my hands. :)

Falecia - posted on 04/22/2010

My son whom is 18months as of the 18th also doesnt want to eat... I dont know what it is but he does drink his milk he can go through a gallon in 4 days, yet he wont eat more than a few bites of food if any. I have just started giving him v8 juices several times a day with his meals... He is still drinking it up and takes a few bites but I feel like he should be hungry. Idk I think all you can do is offer and try to get her juices and fruit.. maybe vitamins to get her nutrients. I feel your struggle!

Aveline - posted on 04/22/2010

I see a lot of people are experiencing the same kind of thing so it must be normal! My son barely eats at the moment, he's become so fussy, but I think it's mostly due to this new attitude he's developed recently lol, where he seems to enjoy doing the opposite of what I want!
Just some advice though, if your child is refusing food it's worth checking that they don't have a fungal infection on the tongue or somewhere in their mouth because it's quite commen with little ones, especially if they use dummies. My son had it and it put him off his food untill it was treated.

Alison - posted on 04/22/2010

My daughter is a snacker. I've realized if she doesn't eat when I offer, I leave it out, and she will eventually gobble it all up at some point. She loves fruit. In fact she had been a bad eater up until this past week or so--suddenly she is eating snacks and meal. Before I had just relied on her snacks to get anything in her. Is this something new, or she has always been like this? Did you talk to your ped about it?

Nicole - posted on 04/22/2010

My son went through the same thing, and still gets that way sometimes. The Dr told me that it was normal for that to happen. If she is teething that might be part of it too. My son doesn't want anything in his mouth when his gums are bothering him, not even a teether. I would just try offering her smaller meals or more frequent snacks. Good luck!

Andi - posted on 04/22/2010

I just did my 18 month checkup yesterday and my son only gained 3oz from his last visit and is only in the 10th percentile because he doesn't eat. My doc told me that I could put Carnations instant breakfast into his milk in the morning and at least he would get his nutrient from that. She also said maybe I was letting him drink too much throughout the day and it filled his tummy. I need to limit his liquids so he will eat food. Another trick that works with my son is acting like im gonna eat his food, he always grabs it before i get it and eats it so I wont get it....its a game that we play and he eats with it.

Rhea - posted on 04/22/2010

my son is 18 months and i had that same trouble with him last month
it's just a faze they go through he actually lost weight but what i have found is he prefered fruit and would eat it all the time
and he loves pasta
just try to find what she loves either than milk
and do lots of small portions

Shai - posted on 04/21/2010

I find that my daughter(also 18 months) has trouble keeping focused on a meal because she is so distracted and busy with being a toddler. My best advice is to get super excited about eating, i make a big deal out of all meals so my children think its something fun. I also try outdoor picnics in the front yard when the weather permits. Let her help assist you in preparing food.

Megan - posted on 04/21/2010

My son has been like that for the last month or so, Its because his Molars are coming in...

Megan - posted on 04/21/2010

I don't know if this would help, but for the longest time like two months my son, Aiden, would not even touch food. He would always point at the fridge (which is the basic signal that he wants milk). After a while, I got worried about his nutrition so I started keeping pedisure or off brand (like Meijer) on hand. It gave him nutrients when he wasn't eating what he needed, but it still wasn't enough so I started making sure that I ate with him. I started realizing that he didn't want something unless I had it, so I started making a normal plate for myself (like a PB&J, spaghetti, eggs... not all at once, but stuff that I would eat) and he started eating half my plate every time. After a while, I started introducing fruit in between meals and slowly, his appetite started to seem better. He still has those bad days where everything I give him, just isn't it. :/ If all else fails, try oatmeal packets with the fruit in them.

I don't know if this will help your daughter, but I hopes it gives you some more options. :)

- Megan

Pam - posted on 04/21/2010

Similar problem we were having. I stopped giving my son snacks and he eats more of his meals now. I give him milk with his meals too. He'll eat most of his food, try new things (not really veggies) and drink his milk.

Angela - posted on 04/21/2010

Hello,
My two are like peas in the pod, my eldest was never much of an eater, but some days out of nowhere, there is not enough food in the house! I can always get fruit and veg in him.
My youngest, well, he's going through a "not sure about this veg" phase, I can feed him it in casseroles etc. He'll typically eat and eat, all day long, if allowed. Then he'll eat mine and his brother's too :) He'll eat cereal or toast for breakfast, some hummous on bread and cherry tomatoes for lunch with a yogurt for pudding, then I do him some mixed vegetables (carrots, sweetcorn, peas and green beans) with something nice for dinner. Sometimes he'll eat them, sometimes he won't.

Don't worry too much, if she's drinking milk, she won't starve, however, maybe you can sneak in some good things on her "won't eat" days, such as carrot battons, cherry tomatoes, strips of pepper, if she likes that, have them as snacks in little tubs maybe?

Kim - posted on 04/21/2010

My 18 month old Addison is the same way. It seems like she's really starting to eat well and then all of a sudden she won't eat. She takes two bites and then throws it on the floor, which makes me even more angry. At first I thought it was because more teeth were coming in but now I'm not so sure. The only meal she'll fully eat is breakfast. When she does this to me, which is often, I try to make her eat at least a yogurt so I know she has something in her stomach. It so frustrating so if you do find a solution, please let me know!!!

Jennifer - posted on 04/21/2010

cant believe I just read a post that a mother forces food into her toddlers mouth. Your child should enjoy eating. just have patience and try them with lots of different things. My son doesnt eat much vegetables either, unless it is a puree, but I know he'll come around eventually. I would say forcing food into a childs mouth is abuse.

Anita - posted on 04/21/2010

MY 18 MONTH OLD WAS ANTI FOOD UP UNTIL LAST WEEK, now she is only half anti-food. lol She eats some days, but other days she will eat, but regardless it is not usually a lot. Our. pediatrician said not to worry as long as she is still breastfeeding, which she is. She will always drink milk. She still does not eat a variety of foods, but on a good day she will eat grits and scrambled eggs, about two teaspoons total. For lunch maybe the same amount of mac and cheese, and for dinner, some mashed potatoes, peas or broccoli and maybe a little chicken or ground beef. But after a day of eating like this, it may be two or three days before she eats like that again. I have two older children (ages 26 & 24) and my 24 year old ate like this or worse when he was little. I swear sometimes he lived on apple juice and mc. donald's french fries alone. but now he is working on his doctorate and is the most healthy of us all. Trust that your daughter knows what her body is asking for. Trust that she will not starve, as long as you are providing healthy variety, even if it is a bite or two, they will be fine. Good luck!

Anita

Valerie - posted on 04/20/2010

My son does the same thing! It worries the heck out of me. When I put him in his high chair, he just throws his food and cup on the floor. Its very frustrating. He is a very picky eater as well. Although, he tends to like ramen noodles and fancy cut green beans. I'm afraid to give him too much due to all the sodium. Its a bit stressful because I cant really tell if he is getting enough nutrients.

Kasey - posted on 04/20/2010

my girl is a very picky eater too. So for all you moms out there that your lil one wont eat, how are they sleeping at night for you? My girl never sleeps through the night.

Jackie - posted on 04/20/2010

My son is the same, he is very suspicious of food and only has a couple of bites and then spits it out, and thats even with the food that used to be his favourite. He also had check up last week and weighs just 20lbs but to the eye looks healthy and is extremely active but he does get cold after cold. I am seeing a dietician to see what answers they have.

Tina - posted on 04/19/2010

Phew I am so glad I am not the only parent going through this! Justin is the same way... he only eats certain foods and he rarely will try anything new! that goes for any veggies and the only fruit he will eat is a banana.. ive tried strawberries, apples.. he wont eat it.
I did figure out that alot of those graduate entrees he will eat and if i blend in the mixed veggies like peas and carrots he wont be able to tell the difference. But its only if I blend it in the spagetti sauce and it has to be tiny tiny or he will spit it out. I swear he will live on pb&j sandwiches, pancakes and mac & cheese cuz that is the only thing he eats! Other than snacks of course.... Hes 18 months old and weighs only 22 lbs but hes tall and like my husband and myself we arent big people. I think its just a phase they go through... I did find out that ketchup is a good trick, seems that he only will eat meat if its dipped in ketchup. =)

Cara - posted on 04/19/2010

I would be careful with starting the ranch habit, my sister did that and now her girls don't know how to eat things without dipping them in ranch!

Kim - posted on 04/19/2010

oh and the smooties really do work. My daughter gets really excited when she sees me get the blender out, to the point that she gets frustrated with how long it takes to make it and starts crying. :) I use 3oz vanilla yogurt, 1 cup milk and 1 1/2 cups fruit (I usually just get the bags of no added sugar frozen mixed fruit from the store). She loves them! But they have to be red, or she won't even try it. She's big on red food. It's weird. I even catch her eating the dog's food, which grosses my husband out to no end, but only the red pieces...

Kim - posted on 04/19/2010

My 18 month-old daughter's the same way. I guess it's just something kids go through at that age. She eats cereal and a glass of milk every morning, but for the rest of the day, it's hit and miss. It seems like all she ever wants is juice. I just keep things around the house that I know she likes, which turns out to be mostly fruit. Fruit Roll-ups makes a Simply Fruit one now that's got 90% fruit and is pretty low in sugar and she loves those. She also likes pomegranate apple sauce and whole grain goldfish, but those are about it. She just snacks a few times a day. If I make her a sandwich or anything else, she just feeds it to the dog. Lately, she's quit sleeping through the night, because she wakes up hungry in the middle of the night, so I finally had to start making her a couple scrambled eggs before bed and leaving her in her highchair until she ate them. I talked to her doctor and she said that as long as she's at a healthy weight and seems active and alert, not to worry about it. Just give her a multi-vitamin (she loves the flintstones gummies) to make sure she's getting the vitamins she needs.

Jill - posted on 04/19/2010

My 18 month old son doesn't eat a whole lot either..unless it's junk-chips, crackers those are just fine, but food food-not so interested. I think the smoothie idea is great, I'm going to try that. I have 3 boys, with the 18 month old the youngest and they all went through spurts where they didn't really eat too well. I ask their doctor and he keeps reminding me that he's never seen a case of a child starving when they are offered food regularly. So that gives me peace that when he's hungry enough and I put food in front of him at a meal, he will eat. And he does, once or twice a week he'll eat like a TON of food at a sitting, then back to the picking and few bites. But I try not to just give him the junk I know that he'll eat, because then I worry that he'll never have good eating habits and will always want to eat junk. Good luck!

Molly - posted on 04/18/2010

It is actually a relief to hear of someone else going through this. My daughter loves breakfast and is finally starting to accept some lunch but hates dinner. She is 17lbs 8oz. We just had her 18 mo appt and had blood work done to see if anything was wrong and it turns out she is fine. Just small and stubborn. I just take any opportunity i can to stuff her. I dont even care if she eats dinner with us anymore. I put 2 bites on her plate at dinner and pray for the best.

Nicole - posted on 04/18/2010

Our daughter is like that too most of the time. Whenever we give her something she either takes a bite and spits it out, or turns her head away and refuses to eat it then throws it on the floor for the dog to eat. There is a few things that my daughter loves such as chicken nuggets/patties, cheese, pickles, eggs and fruit. So if I think she's not eating enough I just make her something that I know she'll eat, but she usually won't eat what were eating for supper or anything. I'm not exactly sure why either, I was going to ask our pediatrician when she has her 18 month checkup.

Elissa - posted on 04/18/2010

My daughter was doing this too, almost 2 months of it now, she wouldn't eat any meat, and two months ago swore off veggies. All she wanted to eat was pasta, and fruit. I have found that giving her baby food in a pouch helps...Ella's Organic Kitchen, or Plum baby food. She will suck it out of the pouch, and loves it. She will also eat veggies in soup...cream of broccoli is her favorite. She has also come to love spinach artichoke dip...I don't know if those last two count as a serving of veggies, but their green, and they have veggies in them, so I am. She is starting to come out of it, and is starting to eat more, and try more.