3 year old will not eat, so picky. Only weighs 26 pounds

Diana - posted on 08/29/2011

If there is nothing causing him to be finicky like allergies then you are the Mom and you decide what he will eat. Stop the hot dogs and all things not nutritionally favorable for growth. Give him a choice between carrots or peas, apples or peach, chicken or beef. Then only give him a very little amount. Your son's stomach is very small. Try making him protein shakes with the mild fruit and a carrot for sweetness. But make it small. You might make a decent size one and give him sips throughout the day or make them into popsicles and that is a treat. Reward him for eating something nutritious. Praise him for trying new foods. Your child should be eating the same foods you do only in very small quantities. He won't like everything but he needs to take 2-3 bites then if he doesn't like it don't give it to him for 2 weeks but keep trying the food. Do not salt his food and for goodness sake the only sugar he should have is from fruit and vegetables. Try Jessica Seinfeld's book "Deliciously Deceptive". Even my husband eats stuff he swears he will never eat. He just doesn't know he is eating it. Good luck.

Teresa - posted on 08/29/2011

I have an almost 13 year old little girl, when I say little.. I mean it. She weighs a whopping 54 pounds. Wears size 7 slim kid jeans. The doctors always tell me she eats what she needs, never to force her to eat. I think some people are just naturally little. Just because he seems to be a picky eater does not mean that's causing him to be so little. My little one goes through stages, she eats non-stop on some days. Other days she may only pick at her food. I would see his pediatrician about your concerns. I've had a few different ones and they all tell me "she's just little".

Dee - posted on 08/29/2011

My Daughter is exactly the same, went to every dietitian and doctor, he is eating in small portions so leave him off, as long as he is eating even if it is small amounts he will be fine, he is eating enuff for his body, trust me i worried till my hair was falling out over this and my little lady is a petite little thing but is as healthy as the next child, everyone is different. Your hansom prince will be just fine hun, he will eat what he needs for his body and all he needs after dat is hug and kisses :))

Alison - posted on 08/29/2011

I'm not sure who it is, but there's a nutritionist that talks about the "division of responsibility"--parents are responsible for providing good food and the kids are responsible for choosing what to eat. Except for a medical condition of some kind, they won't starve if you have food available for them. Honestly, I know of a couple kids as small as yours and they're fine--active and happy. One thing my doctor recommended for my son is to make sure he sits down for every meal and snack. It does help a little when I do that because he'll focus on eating, but I also give him food while he's watching a show or walking around too--like pancakes and bananas.

Sophie - posted on 08/29/2011

cut the milk..for a few days to one a day trust me he get hungry he will eat he keeping full of milk.

Angela - posted on 08/29/2011

what does his blood work say. talk to your dietitian. if he drinks juice get teh kind veggies are included.my son was picky till started preschool and ate what every one else ate.

Cassandra - posted on 08/29/2011

I have raised 2 boys and they were both picky eaters between the ages of of 2 to 4, just give the baby what he will eat, don't force feed him. He will eat when he is ready, you may think he's hungry, but he isn't. Trust me, by the time he gets to the age of about 9 or 10, you are going to wish he would just stop eating, don't worry, he will be just fine.

Karen - posted on 08/29/2011

all I have to say is that many food issues have to do with textures. Keep trying and hopefully he will grow out of it.. Mine did..

Cecilia - posted on 08/29/2011

I COMPLETELY sympathize ... My oldest son ate ONLY boiled potatoes with butter or pasta with butter until he was EIGHT!!! He did eat fruit and bread and i DID make him a carnation breakfast type of health drink in the morning ... my second was better, but not much ... they are both grown, healthy and sophisticated eaters now! hang in there. xx's

Holly - posted on 08/29/2011

He will not starve himself with food available to him. They go through stages, & when he has few days where he is eating more than usual, expect a growth spurt. My husband worried about the same thing with our daughter, & she is fine. 3 1/2 & FINALLY broke 30 pounds!! Hang in there, and remember....he WILL NOT starve himself. Just keep offering the food. Good luck!

Maria - posted on 08/29/2011

i look at it this way. as long as there is food in the house he will eat. my son was the same way at his age. now he is 14 and he eats me out of house and home. he will grow out of it. goodluck and do not worry.

Tara - posted on 08/29/2011

my son was like this too and he is 7 now and still weighs under 50 lbs. Dr was concerned and even told me that if he didn't gain weight that he would turn me into CPS!! I informed him that it was obvious that he was getting the nutrition that he needed because he was still growing in length. He shut his mouth about the CPS after that comment. As long as your child is still getting taller, you can be assured that he is getting the nutrition that he needs. Don't let him dictate what you feed him by what he will eat. (It will turn into bad eating habits down the road) When he is hungry he will eat. And they tend to eat more when they are going through growing spurts. Also with the milk, or any liquid for that matter, it fills their little tummys up fast so here is something that I do. I don't have anything at the table for them to drink at meal time. When they are done eating, they can have something to drink.

Tamera - posted on 08/29/2011

I have a 25 year old who is still picky he has been all of his life.. he never was a small child and is not a small adult. This child will eat when he is hungry there is nothing you can do. I went through this same thing with Anthony. He will out grow it. If the dr thinks he is mal nurshied I am sure he will let you know.

Glendis E - posted on 08/29/2011

I have 6 kids and not all are good eaters and wat I do is that my kids would eat wat they want but in a healthy way I'll give them wat they eat more in order for them to eat and I stopped buying them junk food like chips cookies and wat ever u can think. Of.........in order for ur child to eat cook wat u think he likes more and u would see the difrences...God bless u with ur child if you need more contact me

Michelle - posted on 08/29/2011

I have five kids - and although they all started out small - they all caught up fine. My youngest is 5.5 and a whopping 32 pounds. It is good advice not to let them fill up on liquids (a stopped serving milk at dinner, or another other liquid, until they had a decent amount eaten). Is he active and well? If so, I'd keep on with vitamins and just not worry about it. The bigger deal we make about stuff as parents, the more power they feel about the situation. At this age, it is not uncommon to not eat much and even skip a year without growth. Talk to the pediatrician about it - but not with him there - and don't discuss it in front of him ever. Prayers for a linebacker in 15 years :) He's lucky to have a caring Mom!

Anissa - posted on 08/29/2011

My daughter is 2 1/2 36 inches tall and weighs 26lbs. She has a similar problem.. She eats like crazy but barely gains weight. And lately she has slowed her eating, its still more that a normal child her age, but bc of this she looks thinner. Makes me worried even though I know she eats a lot, her doc said that she simply has a fast metabolism and requires more calories than most kids her age. And recently he wanted to increase it even more bc he wants her over th 20th percentile for weight for her age group. You can get pediosure to pack in some extra calories. You can also add some high calorie low sweet snack an hour before bed to ensure that he already had his fill of needed nutirents for the day. But the easiest way is to mix this high calorie high fiber chocolate powder into their milk before bed. I can't think of the name at the moment but if you ask your pharmacist they probably know, its otc btw. Several small meals/snacks throughout the day help to and will get him used to stopping and eating more often. There are many different ways to increase the calories in your childs food. I was just like him when I was little my doc had my mom keep me on baby foods as snaks, like the meat sticks, oatmeal, and jars of fruit like they are pudding. My mom found it really trying that I barely ate anything but what I had already eaten, it was really tough for her.They did that diet till I was just over 5 y/o. I was tiny naturally though, didn't break 50lbs till my 11y/o check up. and was in toddler clothes till 2nd grade. I'm 5'4 now and still thin even after having my daughter. I grew out of my extemely picky stage eventually and I really hope he does too! Good luck!!

Suzi - posted on 08/28/2011

Toddlers eat small amounts and frequently, they have a hard time with 3 meals per day. This is normal for this age group.
If they don't want to eat when you are eating or don't want what you made. I would tell my kids "I guess you are not hungry... when youre hungry come eat with us" It didn't always work but I didn't become a short order cook either.

Always offer foods you know they will eat, along with new foods. Don't pressure them to eat or give rewards for eating veggies. Give them really small portions too. Then they can ask for seconds. Must parents can give too much food and that can discourage them.

Support this age group to self feed which is thought to encourage self regulation of energy intake.. and keep them from getting overweight in the future.

Growth rates slow at this age too and they go on food jags. Food jags: certain foods they like to consume to the exclusion of all other foods. This is normal behavior and parents should be reassured its OK. They also become resistant to new foods - food acceptance is facilitated when children have repeated exposures (5-10) to new foods and opportunities to learn about food and eating.

Talk about what your eating or growing in the garden.. make food fun.

Check out these books: they might be helpful:

Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense
Ellyn Satter MS, RD, CICSW, BCD

Cook Book:
Deceptively Delicious : Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food By Jessica Seinfeld (she talks about hiding pureed veggies in foods...)

Some of us are "super-tasters" which means those kids/adults are very sensitive to bitter flavors and basically will avoid certain foods (mainly veggies) so they do better with milder tasting foods.

Good luck -- hope that helps
Suzanne (Dietitian)

Jeanie - posted on 08/28/2011

I have a really neat handout called "What Do You Hand a Hungry Toddler?" It has so many great suggestions for specific foods as well as ideas to make the presentation (i.e., put finger food in a brand new, clean plastic toy boat) or location (I.e., make a special picnic lunch and sit on a blanket in the lawn or the park) more interesting to young children who are picky about foods they eat. I'd be happy to mail you the handout if you send an email with your mailing address to LLLRidgecrest@gmail.com. 

Peggy - posted on 08/28/2011

Is he taking vitamins? My son's appetite always increased when I gave him vitamins.

Lynn - posted on 08/28/2011

My middle daughter who is now 20 with a child of her own would not eat anything except bread, cheerios, and crackers pretty much her whole life. I didn't think she could possibly grow correctly with that diet. She still orders french toast with a side of toast if we go out for breakfast. Dont worry your little guy will survive.

Shawika - posted on 08/28/2011

I think everyone has that problem some point in a child's life. I would suggest making sure to stock up on the items he does like. Leave them on the table or where it is easy for him to reach. When he is hungry he will eat. My three year old eats in spurts. A little here a little there...eventually its all gone :)

RONDA B GOAD - posted on 08/28/2011

MAKE WHATEVER HE EATS ENJOYABLE LET HIM WATCH YOU EAT AND TELL HIM THAT ITS GOOD FOR HIM MAKE HIM GROW TO BE STRONG

Amelia - posted on 08/28/2011

My first son was a really big boy!! My second boy was a little guy. He was hitting all of he is milestones. He is pretty good eater. He neve lost weight but was always between the 3-5th% of the weight chart. He iron was low at 15 months. I have been giving him supplements and he was my meat eater. It did not make sense to me. Well, on July 8th I found out he was a type 1 diabetic. So just make sure you children is getting all his nutritents which is very difficult to get from our food. I am very thank i was using supplements because his little immune system was being attacked daily. If you have any questions about supplement email me at peas_23us@yahoo.com

Erica - posted on 08/28/2011

A lot of what people are saying is true...........get him off of the milk. While milk is almost a perfect food....it lacks iron, vitamin c and zinc. Calories at this point in his life should come from solid table food and not a liquid. We are fighting a feeding disorder with my 17 month old and the dieticians that we have consulted have all said the same thing. Using milk for nutrition is fine when the child is unable....but should not be encouraged. If you start slowly with meals first and then follow with the milk...he will start to eat more food because he is hungry and will take in less milk. I know how frustrating this is and it seems like doctors go from "just fine" to "serious medical problem" and back again all in the same appointment. A few appointments with an occupational therapist could be helpful too. :)

Teresa - posted on 08/28/2011

I only read the first page of responses, but if he is growing and meeting milestones... I wouldn't worry about it.

My 3.5 year old is 31 pounds. His 4.5 year old cousin weighs the same... or a pound or two less.

I was 13 pounds at 13 months and my son was 13 pounds at 2 months. Kids come in all shapes and sizes. ;)

Dawn - posted on 08/28/2011

My granddaughter is 5 and doesn't weigh much more than that, We had her 1st on Pediasure and then Carnation Instant breakfast drink for about a yr. Just to make sure she was getting the daily amt of vitamin. The doctor did say she needed only 3 servings a day..She was filling up on liquid more then food. Her sister is 15 months and weighs about the same..She is very active and does kind of eat whenever,,She throws tantrums when u sit her down for a meal and just picks..Same thing like you son will eat Hot dogs, chicken nuggets etc,,We give her a meal and then keep food out for her to snack on when ever she wants. We hope she will increase her eating as she gets older..She is starting K this yr. She is about 1/2 the size of all the other kids..The doctor says she is healthy..Only the 5% for Height and not even on the chart for weight. I just give her whatever she wants to eat when she says she is hungry y at my house..I also Bribe her with fun things to do if she clears he plate..works about 60% of the time. Good luck.

Mammason - posted on 08/28/2011

My son was exactly the same. I took him to the pediatric Dr., he said that my son will eat when he's hungry. Not to worry. He's not throwing up, with diarrhea, or showing other types of sickness. Inwas told just leave my son alone. Offer healthy eating and keep him drinking. He did fine. He goes through sputs. Right now ye is eating me out of house and home. In May he was returning home from school with the whole un eaten lunch I packed and not hungry for dinner. Just based on experience... Just let him eat when he's hungry.

Sherri - posted on 08/28/2011

I would include some pedisure drinks a few times a day as well. That will help give him all the nutrients he is missing from food.

Kushawn - posted on 08/28/2011

My best advice is what I received from my sons pediatrician, and that was "he will eat when he is ready to eat". I think it is a phase. My nine year old, James was the same way. Not to mention, he was a preemie, born 5 weeks early and he was not able to eat. He did not know how to suck, and we had to move his jaws to give him his bottle. But my son was also a very picky eater. He went through a phase when all he would eat was hot dogs, bananas and apples, and would snack on bread.
Just be patient, and he will grow out of it. Now, my son is almost 10 years old and he eats almost anything. When we went to Mississippi for a family reunion, he particularly enjoyed the all you can eat seafood buffet, especially the crab legs. Give him a childrens multi-vitamin, and let him eat the foods that he enjoys.

Marjorie - posted on 08/28/2011

My youngst son was the same so i got the nutritional stuff in threw shakes. I mean fruits veggies whatever in liquid form. So he would have a shake full of whatever before every meal and now he may appear to be small but he went from 28 pounds at 3 to 38 pounds by 3 1/2. Examples to what ever food you want him to eat like rice put a little sweat and sour sauce from the chicken nuggets on it or on whatever veggies. Nuttella is a natural hazelnut chocolate spread put it on what ever. Every kid loves chocolate and its good for you too.

Christine - posted on 08/28/2011

If you've taken him to his pediatrician and he's otherwise healthy, he sounds like a typical picky 3 yr old. He weighs about the same as my son when he was that age. He's now 5 1/2 and about to enter kindergarten and still weighs under 40lbs. A couple of things that work for us...he loves fruit (like your son) so that is a side dish at every meal and is the first thing I offer for a snack, I would cut back on the milk and offer it after he's eaten at least part of his meal (I found my son would fill up on the milk and not eat his food), cut back on the processed food (mine loves chx nuggets, etc as well but not the most nutritious!)-substitute "real food" instead like a chicken drumstick instead of the nuggets, make homemade mac n cheese instead of the box kind, etc. Also, the rule in our house is you have to at least try a bite of what's being served-if he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to eat it. But more often than not, he's surprised to find he likes what he tried. I also feed him a multi vitamin, just to be sure he's getting what he needs. Bottom line, if he's otherwise healthy, kids this age are notoriously picky so make sure they've got healthy choices for meals and snacks and they'll typically eat when they're hungry

Julia - posted on 08/28/2011

Have you dewormed him?? Also, a lack of iron leads to decrease in appetite. A month of chela fer iron supplement (tastes nice) will do no harm. Also, try to limit snacks as much as possible, and lots of juice (fills him up) or milk before food.

Cindi - posted on 08/28/2011

At that age of 3 they are curious and want to help mommy, so have your son help you prepare his meals, kids usually eat what they make because it was fun for them. cut his sandwiches using fun shaped cookie cutters also may help him gooble down the snowman, or ginger bread man.

Kathleen - posted on 08/28/2011

My mom always told me they will eat when hungry, just make sure there is healthy choices to choose from. Sitting down 3 meals a day, and my son who is 31 and he is 3yrs old now only drinks milk once in the morning so he will eat. When he was 2 though he weight about 26-27 lbs and did not each much. It was usually chicken or mac and cheese. Now he'll eat almost anything I put in front of him. I have also learned not to overwhelm his plate. If he asks for me I give it to you him.

Teresa - posted on 08/28/2011

Try to keep healthy high fat foods around at all times, like nuts and wraps with peanut butter. Fruit, veggies, cheeses and cereals available. If you are certain he's healthy then don't worry too much! We all come in different sizes!

Mary - posted on 08/26/2011

If you offer your wee man a variety of foods and try not too fuss too much about how much he does or does not eat he will eat - what you pay attention to will increase - ie if you catch him eating anything esp. healthy options and praise him to the max - you hopefully will find he'll eat more of it to please you. I was a fresh air eater - if the food is there he will eat when he needs to - some kids live on fresh air!

D'Vaughn - posted on 08/26/2011

YOUR SON IS NORMAL DO NOT PANIC. HE JUST HAS A FAST MATABOLISM. FEED HIM A SMALL PORTION OF A 3 CORSE MEAL. ALLOW HIM TO DRINK ENSURES OR BOOST W/HIS MEALS. MASHED POTATOES & ANYTHING HIGH IN PORTIEN WILL NOT ONLY INCREASE HIS WIEGHT BUT WILL GIVE HIM THE NUTRIENTS NEEDED FOR ENERGY & HEALTH. DO NOT PANIC HE IS AT THE AGE WERE HE IS MORE CURIOUS WITH LIFE THEN WITH EATING. TURN MEAL TIME INTO AN ADVENTURE. GO ON SCAVENGER HUNTS TO FIND THE POTATOES, MISSIONS TO FIND AND EAT THE PEAS, GAIN SPECIAL POWER IF YOU EAT ALL THE PORKCHOPS. ALLOW HIM TO GO BACK AND FORTH. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE HE EATS.... DON'T FORGET TO PRAISE HIM FOR EATING EVEN ONLY IF IT WAS A LITTLE. WHEN HE SEES U GET EXCITED HE WILL WANT TO CONTINUE TO PLEASE YOU....GOOD LUCK I KNW U CAN DO IT..(IT WON'T HAPPEN OVER NITE BUT IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!)

Katrina - posted on 08/25/2011

My son is 4 years old and weighs 30 lbs. He is following his own curve and the doctor is not worried. He has always been a very difficult eater... and then I discovered that if I separated all the items and put them on his plate one by one, he will actually eat. It's his thing - he doesn't like his food items to be mixed up. So for about 6 months, he got 2 baby carrots on his plate. When he was finished that, he got some cucumber slices. When he was finished with that, I gave him 3 tiny pieces of meat, etc. Now, I put all the healthy items he is familiar with on his plate, but they are all separate. He eats much better (i.e. more in quantity than I do) and has only gained a pound or 2 this year.

The lesson here is that when trying to convince your child of something, the right approach might be to look at it from his point of view ;-)

Good luck!

Mercy - posted on 08/25/2011

I feel your pain. My 3 year old has also pretty much stopped eating and has lost a lot of weight.
One thing I have learned is that if I force him to eat, he eats less than if I leave him alone and let him have as much as he wants. From what I've read, this is a stage many preschoolers go through and is hardest on the mommy. :)
Give him all the fruit he wants, and see if there is a healthy starch he will eat and give him that. My son usually wants plain rice or buns. Do limit sweets and processed foods, and let him have as much healthy food as he wants. And try not to freak out. It will pass.

Cynthia - posted on 08/25/2011

Thats quite a lot of processed meats despite the small amounts he is eating, Try home made meat balls without added processed fillers, boiled egg, boiled carrot, sweet potato, raisins, cooked coleslaw. Have you tried taking him off milk altogether for a few days to see if his appetite improves a bit?
What his is height and wait on the growth chart? Has the doctor done any testing for dwarfism? 26lb at three seems extraordinarly low? I have a daughter who started life at 7lb 3ounces, 21 inches long and progress up the growth curve until about 4 months when her growth slowed dramatically, she was active alert, curious, she started creeping at 3 /12 months crawled at 4months (no lie she was my third, I had hung a soft ball attached by a string over her feet in her cradle and spent a lot of time from three weeks or so just kicking it about, I removed it about the time she started creeping.) she was and is an quick learner learning primarily in the auditory visual learning modalities. I'm not saying this to brag but to find out if your child is expressing similiar traits!, my daughter at a year was around 15lbs and didn't reach 21lb. until she was around two after that I lost track, she didn't speak much more than a word or two until she was 3 when she also started to grow again, the general consensus was this was just her growth pattern, she's now 27 and 5'2" I am only 5' myself though her father is 6'2, Her younger brother started life at 8'8 ounces and developed sleep apnea at 6mths, within months he had dropped below the growth chart curve I couldn't get a diagnoses for five years despite my best efforts, and despite continued apnea and snoring, despite low frustration tolerance, despite eating quite reasonably once he had his tonsils out before his 5 birthday in the first month of Kindergarten(his apnea was worse with colds, allergies etc.he wasn't able to walk more than twenty feet or so without wanting to be carried and didn't create a fuss as most walking underfives would at sharing a push chair .
What I'm trying to get across is there can be different reasons for lack of growth, some are perfectly normal and some are not. I nursed both of these children until they were three,
If you have a wide range of natural heights within both sides of your family you may just have a normally small child, and you may have a child who has allergies and have like my son sleep apnea,(is or was he exceptionally quiet child as and infant, does he have a very low frustration level, does he get upset very easily, does he throw temper tantrums for no apparent reason, if so ask your doctor order a home sleep study, my sons apnea could be caused by the slightest of ear infections, he also had mild asthma.

broad the base of food your child eats cut up and set up cut fruits and veg in a covered dish set in a bowl of ice, and a simple spinach dip or cream cheese dip. set your eyes on quality since he isn't doing quantity! Step back from control issues, ie don't organise every minute of you childrens days their days should have structure determined by meal times, and bedtime, but within this structure, free play should predominate, once they have helped with chores. Hope some of this helps though going by how many pages so far I'm sure I've just repeated other posters ;)P

Erica - posted on 08/25/2011

does he/she sit down when eating? try getting him to sit maybe put him in a grown up chair that may help give hem/her main course first then slowly introduce the veggies then the fruit and sweets for dessert. Think about it if you were 3 and cookies cake and friut tasted good why eat anything else. Let him feed you. the only other thing i can think of is to give him vitamins like flinstones they make yummy gummy ones good luck god bless

Becky - posted on 08/25/2011

I have a nephew who is now 22 and very healthy and in the Air Force that when he was little he literally only ate Fruit Loops, pancakes and hot dogs with loads of ketchup. That was his personal menu. My son was picky also and I decided that it'd be better to feed him the few items he likes to keep weight on him. Then as time goes on just slowly introduce new things.

Ripleigh - posted on 08/25/2011

Is it a medical disorder or is he just picky? If it is an eating disorder then follow your doctor's advice. If he is just so picky that he won't eat then go old school. I swear every time I've listened to peds about my daughter's picky eating I end up in tears. When my grandmother said, "let her go hungry" I was leery. I didn't want to be that mean mom but let me tell you it works. Sometimes she goes to bed hungry but she always eats the next day. We've limited everything that isn't a whole food. If she doesn't want it then she can wait for the next snack time or meal time to eat. It has worked so well it is unreal what she will eat now. It worked so well she eats brussel sprouts!

Tiffany - posted on 08/25/2011

my first suggestion, take the amount of milk down. At 3 yrs old, I'd be down to 2%, and 2x per day - about half a cup to one cup each time. People dont think about it, but milk is food and it fills kids up so they arent hungry at thier meal times.
2, introduce some new foods with ones he already likes. I would never suggest feeding a kid bologna and nuggets in the first place, the fats and nitrates alone are gross, but if you introduce a food beside the nuggets that is new and colourful and tasty (maybe that he even helped you make!) he's more willing to try it.

My daughter is almost 3 (6 weeks til her bday) and she weighs only 27lbs and is 91cm tall (just under 3 feet) so she is small as well. but we eat well. She loves veggies, whole grains (we do peanut butter on whole grain toast and slices banana for breakfast a lot), fruits, fish (a great choice for kids with developing brains!) muffins and cheeses and really everything! we started her eating a ton of differnet kinds of foods early and she knows it is unacceptible not to at least eat one bite of something new.

Try mixing it up!

Linda - posted on 08/25/2011

my grandson is the same way. I use to worry about him eating, but when he's hungry he'll eat.. We give my grandson a nutrient drink c alled Boost. Three times a day. At least he'll be getting some nutrients

Elizabeth - posted on 08/25/2011

My 3 year old daughter is exacty the same. She eats very little, but she is sharp, active, and cheerful. She also weighs 26lbs.
My suggestion is that you continue offering him foods that he may or may not eat. Fish sticks, broccoli, carrots, edamame, sweet peas, corn. Anything you can make with as few spices. Even of he doesn't eat it, expose him to it. He will eventually come across something he likes. Don't make a big fuss over eating. He will eat what he needs.
My nephew was having the same problem when he was about the same age; he was given a drink supplement, and now he's overweight. I say his because I believe their little bodies will take in what they need. No need to interfere with Mother Nature.

Joanne - posted on 08/25/2011

As a pharmacist and mother of 2, I do not believe in any herbal or other supplement. We grew up just fine by eating a regular diet. Unless you have a chronic condition or former premature or cardiac/diabetic child, I don't believe medication is necessary. Growth charts are simply a point of reference for health care professionals. What is a "healthy" weight is as relative in children as adults. My son is a little over 2 and hovers at 25 lbs. I would not worry, just maybe add gummy vitamins, keep the milk if he takes it and possibly fortified cereal. Try new things and they always mimick the parents so be open to new foods! Good Luck : )

Emmanuelperkins - posted on 08/25/2011

Hi Gina! Is your son around other kids or go to daycare? Because that can help him if he sees other kids his age eating alot of different foods

Jo - posted on 08/25/2011

Try cutting his milk done to 1 a day as it is more liquid food than a drink. do u hide vegies in the bologna or reward him with stickers?

Jane - posted on 08/25/2011

My youngest didnt eat- mainly because she filled up on milk all the time. I spoke to a peaditrician only yesterday who assured me that children will not allow themselves to starve. She said when they are hungry they will eat. I believe this. I offer a large variety of different fruit, veg, cheese and yogurt during the day. They eat what they want when they are hungry. (its all healthy so I dont mind what they choose) They were always in the lowest percentile for weight. They are healthy and happy. If you are worried though, go to a professional and ask the question.