My Two year old wont eat anything but pasta

Amy - posted on 07/25/2009

I have 3 boys and did daycare for several years. Your children will eat what is put in front of them. Pasta and rice should disappear off the menu for a while in your house. Serve very small amounts of other items that she/he would find appealing and that will also be on your plate - sweet vegetables vs. bitter, flavored oatmeal vs. cereal and work your way into food. You can't give her oatmeal and you have toast - you have oatmeal too. Eating is a family affair, not a buffet. You need a regiment for a while! Stick to your guns and don't serve a lot of juice, milk or anything that your son/daughter can substitute for filling up on - health is important though and children can eat very little and be fine but ask your pediatrican what to watch for to make sure your child is getting enough to eat. When my kids were babies and getting ready to eat, I pureed what we were having. This helps children get used to real food. Jar baby food is not real food and is is pureed too fine to get children prepared for real food - just have a jar for lunch and you'll see what I mean, yum! I think (remember, my children are 24, 23, and 21 now!) there is a book out there, "Feed Me I'm Yours." Good luck and remember "Nine days will bring 'em to it!"

Jaci - posted on 07/25/2009

if you don't want to geve her pasta. You could give her spaghetti squash and put spaghetti sauce over top of it you can't tell the difference. My kids love it, it tastes just like spaghetti without the pasta. We found that if we introduced food with our girl's favorite foods and she was able to mix them together that also worked. I know it is frustrating, but stay calm it could be just a phase and she will maybe like something new next month. I also gave my girls V8 fusion with their breakfasts.

Crystal - posted on 07/18/2009

Tanya had such a good idea! I never thought of that!

An important thing is not to turn mealtime into a power struggle - if they won't eat it that day, don't push it. I worked at the YMCA childcare, and we always put all the offered foods on the kids' plates, so even if they didn't want to eat it, they had the option of trying it. And sooner or later, if they were hungry enough, many did try the veggies that they thought they hated.

Tanya - posted on 07/18/2009

Puree cooked veggies and put them in the pasta sauce. My mother did that for years.

Katie - posted on 07/17/2009

my son is the same put i give him all the goodness he needs by blending veg of any type potatoes carrots swead and many more and adding then to the pasta sauce i also do the same with meat pork beef sausages burgers mines then i add that to the pasta sauce as well so then thay never know what is in it as thay cant see it so thay will always eat it and this whay thay get all the goodness with out u having any fuss over them not wanting to eat it

Kysha - posted on 07/17/2009

You can had vegetables to your childs pasta,just blend the veg.in the pasta.

Another thing that is good you can do a juice shake and ad anything in it. you need ice any juice kid love apple juice,frozen veg. ,fruit,soymilk,oatmeal and blend it in a blender and you and your child will love it.

kkeels

Nicole - posted on 07/16/2009

Quoting Sara:

My Two year old wont eat anything but pasta

hiya my 2 year old wont eat enough of anything but pasta or rice does anyone have any suggestions as im worried she ain't getting enough nutrients and vitamins as any time i serve her things like sausages and mash ect she wont eat it please help

HA HA I have the same problem. My husband has called my son a carbotarian! I do alot with juices. He has a glass of V8 Fusion which gives him a serving of veggies and fruit, in the morning and at Dinner. I try and lightly sauce up the noodles as well by adding cheeses so he gets a little dairy. Hot dogs have been the newest meat he will eat so I get really high end beef, chicken and turkey dogs. I still put whatever we eat in front of him and lately we ask him to try one bite of each thing that's it. Some days he'll eat alot sometimes he won't eat much. But don't stress. Give him his vitamins and he'll come around. Good luck!

Sandra - posted on 07/16/2009

It's hard to tell for me as both my kids are and always were absolute vultures when it comes to food, ;-) but I think, if it was me, I would probably still try to keep relaxed,offer as much nutrient dense food as possible and see if she grows out of it. There might be some herbal/homeopathic remedies that help stimulate appetite. If she doesn't grow out of it and you are still worried, It might be worth checking her for food allergies.

Sara - posted on 07/16/2009

luckily i buy wholegrain bread, pasta and rice i dont serve pasta everyday but she hardly eats she tend to only have half a sandwich the whole day ad sumtimes a banana but every time i give her something to eat she takes about a mouthful then leaves it the only other thing i know she will eat is grapes she used to love all fruit and veg and finish of her dinner but in the last few month she seem to have stopped wanting to eat which worry's me as she is very active but i dont see how she is getting enough to keep her going

Sandra - posted on 07/16/2009

Quoting Sara:

My Two year old wont eat anything but pasta

hiya my 2 year old wont eat enough of anything but pasta or rice does anyone have any suggestions as im worried she ain't getting enough nutrients and vitamins as any time i serve her things like sausages and mash ect she wont eat it please help

In this age, children have a natural instinct to avoid new tastes. Naturally, this used to serve the purpose of protection, so that children, when they begin to walk and wander off, won't eat anything poisonous on the way. At the same time, between the ages of 1 and 5 often there is a tendency to experiment with their independency and food is a very important statement. ;-)

In this phase it is important for the parent to stay calm and strong, not to get too uptight and worried and not to get into battling with the child. Many bad eating habits are formed at this stage and parents are challenged to be good leaders! 

It's all about finding a balance. Give your child options, so she can feel like she has some power over what she eats, but only those options that you, as the mother, know are good! Pasta every day should not be an option, especially not if it is white pasta.

White bread & pasta, as well as anything containing sugar, can get the digestive system used to getting to the food energy too easily, making it "lazy" to break down foods like vegetables. The more of these processed carbohydrates a child gets, the more will she refuse other foods.

If your child refuses to eat at all, let her. She will come back to it if she realizes that it really is the only food available today and she is hungry. But important is that she doesn't pick up on any worries or insecurities in you and you stay consistant. Children are not stupid, they won't starve themselves! But they do pick up on everything you feel.