https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:23:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1626459 Sat, 10 May 2014 12:58:29 +0000 brownie 1626459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My little guy is a snacker and always has been. He was also failure to thrive so food was important to us. We would offer dinner and we just keep it around. He will usually tell us he wants more food soon or does some drive by eating. We also make sure that the snacks he has are filling. Lots of meat (he loves meat) and veggies/fruit as snacks. We love the freeze dried peas and carrots and frozen peas. We also get the trader joe green bean chips. He gets freeze dried fruits.</p> <p>We just go with it and try to offer foods that have huge bang for their buck. </p> <p>He will also go a full month not eating anything and then chow down the next month. It is insane. Just when I think I am used to his portions, he changes them on me. </p> <p>He's 3 now and has moved up in percentiles even with crazy eating. </p> <p>My friends kid doesn't eat anything and he is 5 and still just fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1626445 Sat, 10 May 2014 12:35:11 +0000 immabeetoo 1626445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.cookie: I love, love, love that book and recommend it all over the place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1626241 Sat, 10 May 2014 09:42:53 +0000 hilsy85 1626241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: thanks mama! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1626228 Sat, 10 May 2014 09:39:21 +0000 hilsy85 1626228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.cookie: I have heard good things about that book, I think I need to read it!</p> <p>@Dagny: yup I do try, but it doesn't seem to help much unfortunately :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1626065 Sat, 10 May 2014 06:50:24 +0000 Dagny 1626065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm just wondering if you eat with him at each meal? Maybe something to try? I feel like its helped my LO that we sit down and eat together (as much as possible). That sounds really frustrating though, sorry mama! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1626036 Sat, 10 May 2014 06:02:41 +0000 mrs.cookie 1626036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, yep. This was (and sometimes still is) us with our son. He just doesn't get hungry. And he's veeererryyyy picky too. I got a lot of reassurance and practical advice from raisehealthyeaters.com which is a mom who is a dietician. She has a book called fearless feeding which is GOLD. She's just really spot on about feeding issues but also totally normal. My son is now 4. He is the tallest kid in his class by a good two inches, although quite thin. I've learnt to really relax about what he's eating (no pressure, no praise) and it was the one thing that improved his eating, apart from time (sorry, I know you don't want to hear that! Bit time helps). He was worst around your LO's age. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625952 Sat, 10 May 2014 00:59:47 +0000 shopaholic 1625952@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Haven't read all the replies, but I feel you mama! I spent the past 2 months with battles at every meal time. The last month was like you said. She seemed to just have no appetite. I think she subsisted on BM and yogurt. Seriously, during desperate meals (which happened a lot), I turned to YoBaby yogurt drinks and smoothies to get some protein and calories in her! Hang in there! It's like a switch flipped on 3 days ago, and she's back to eating pretty decently for now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625791 Fri, 09 May 2014 21:28:55 +0000 hilsy85 1625791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BabyBoecksMom: I think that might work in a few months, but I think he's too young to get that concept now! Our doctor told us at his 12 month and 15 month visits to expect his appetite to decrease, but I didn't think it would be so drastic!</p> <p>@scg00387: ha oh man, I guess I should be glad we're not in such a dire situation as that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625769 Fri, 09 May 2014 21:19:35 +0000 immabeetoo 1625769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: Oh I was saying that as reassurance, too - in that even if they didn't outgrow/stop the pickiness, they're still happy/healthy! It is a plus that he will eat a variety and it's not pickiness though... one of the kids I'm thinking of basically subsists off Nutella, bread, and bananas and has for the past several years because that is all she wanted to eat when she was little, and they were desperate to get calories in her. Hope he picks up his appetite for you soon :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625732 Fri, 09 May 2014 20:56:57 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1625732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't read through all the other responses, but this is what we did. If DD decided she was "done", we would let her get down from her chair. But, before she got down, we would explain that if she was hungry later, she would only get to eat what was left on her plate - no snacks. If she did ask for a snack, we would reminder her that she could have the rest of her lunch/dinner, and that was it. It took a little while, but she learned. </p> <p>I also had to come to grips with the fact that toddlers eat a lot less than babies... and it seems to happen over night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625621 Fri, 09 May 2014 19:52:04 +0000 hilsy85 1625621@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SleepyMonkey: omg this is the same battle I have...I can feed him food while he's distracted with something else, but I feel like that's creating such bad habits and I feel guilty!</p> <p>@scg00387: ha yes, it is exhausting for sure. He won't be starting preschool til next fall, and hopefully by then this won't be an issue. I do try not to hover over him, and sometimes if I walk away he'll take a bite or two. But usually after that bite or two he starts saying all done, or he'll throw a piece of food on the floor. I also don't really know if I would say he's picky--more like just uninterested in food, because it doesn't seem like he's holding out for another food, just that he doesn't want to eat, period. I also don't want to be deaing with a picky tween lol--I am hopefuly that when he is more verbal we can talk about the issue/eating his food, if it isn't resolved by that point. I guess I would say he's somewhat of a "good eater" in that when he DOES eat, he eats a variety (veggies, fruit, protein, carbs). He just doesn't eat a lot in quantity. But I think I just need to let go a little. </p> <p>@Applesandbananas: hmm I'd probably talk to the pedi before doing that, and at our 18 month visit he'd had a few good days (with me somewhat feeding him) so I didn't bring it up as a concern. But thanks!</p> <p>@Sammyfab: yeah true! even when he nursed he was never one to nurse a ton/for a long time. And he is just a skinny kid, like my DH is/was. @sunny: yup all his food gets cooked in butter/oil and cheese added when applicable! He is also low on the weight percentile so I always worry because he also has no chub! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625603 Fri, 09 May 2014 19:42:08 +0000 SleepyMonkey 1625603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>L is getting much pickier these days. i find that if she actually sees her food on her plate, she is more easy to refuse it than if i feed it to her. so...sometimes i feed it to her. i know i am enabling bad habits but sometimes i just want to get some food in her! but i keep telling myself that she won't starve and she'll eat when she is hungry, and i try to let it go. its tough though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625552 Fri, 09 May 2014 19:14:31 +0000 Applesandbananas 1625552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Commiseration here!</p> <p>My LO doesn't seem to eat much but we're still nursing at 13m so I try to tell myself he's making up the gap with breast milk. </p> <p>Could you offer some toddler formula or Pediasure in addition to the meals to give yourself some extra comfort that he's getting nutrients from that? Or a vitamin? It's not the ideal, ideally he'd be eating a plethora of healthy foods, but maybe it's an option. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625540 Fri, 09 May 2014 19:09:12 +0000 immabeetoo 1625540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: wow! that sounds exhausting. isn't he starting some form of preschool soon, I thought? there's no way they're going to do that! can you do something else while he eats, like clean the kitchen? you might find that he eats more with the pressure and your watchful eyes off. I know I've said this other places, can't remember if to you, but I've seen firsthand picky eater toddlers grow into picky eater tweens. Still healthy and happy, and skinny. That's just how some kids are! It doesn't help that everyone talks about kids who eat a lot as "good eaters" which is ridiculous.. :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625306 Fri, 09 May 2014 16:41:53 +0000 sunny 1625306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO's eating stresses me out too. She's at the bottom of the growth chart at 5th percentile (and has gone down to 1st) so she really has no chub to rely on. </p> <p>The best advice given to me was make every bite count. So I try to make it as fatty and nutritious as possible. And when that fails, I just try to offer up all of her faves even if its junky. When she goes through her phases of not wanting to eat anything, I'll offer up fish sticks, crackers with sunflower seed butter, etc. Just to get her to eat a few bites of ANYTHING. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625275 Fri, 09 May 2014 16:25:36 +0000 Sammyfab 1625275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you may just have to accept that he's not a big eater. We have never had a day where we've been like, "holy shit, our kid is eating like a horse!" There have been a handful of meals where he's eaten like a champ, but that's relative to his normal eating habits. He's also a regular pooper (like yours!) and he sure as heck would tell us if he is starving!! Kids may be too busy playing to eat but they won't starve themselves.</p> <p>I don't want to tell you not to worry because it's a valid concern, but maybe just give you a different perspective. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625246 Fri, 09 May 2014 16:16:55 +0000 hilsy85 1625246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aegie: so regular "meals" just smaller sized, it sounds like. I haven't really done soup because he can't feed it to himself, so I have to do it. I guess I could try that more. </p> <p>@NovBaby1112: oh no, I don't get the feeling you're belittling me at all :) It's definitely true that LO's weight gain and lack of milk drinking is contributing! Although today he had about 6oz of milk, so that's pretty good for him. </p> <p>@scg00387: ha weeeelll....the thing is, the last few weeks I've been so desperate that I've been feeding him with a fork instead of letting him self feed, often while I"m reading a book to him at the same time :bummed: so I feel like he's been eating a lot more that way, but it feels forced (not like I"m shoving the food in his mouth, but like I'm not letting him choose the food. The past week I've tried just letting him feed himself and not doing any distractions and he's eaten so little! I think part of the issue is that I just need to trust him and his body to know what it needs, but it's hard!</p> <p>@Lindsay05: ha this is true! He poops a TON! 2-3x a day at least. So that's a good point. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625121 Fri, 09 May 2014 15:19:18 +0000 Lindsay05 1625121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to stress so much about LOs eating as well. And then, I realized I was changing 3-4 poopy diapers a day, so she must have been getting plenty to eat. I just figure she will eat when she's hungry. Also, if she is not in a growth spurt, she must not need a lot of calories. I hear ya though, I always wonder how they can survive on basically just air! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625075 Fri, 09 May 2014 15:02:54 +0000 immabeetoo 1625075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>and, I know your LO is skinnier than mine and it's been a point of stress for you - but that's how we handle it! If it makes you feel any better, he completely skipped lunch Monday, little stinker. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625069 Fri, 09 May 2014 15:01:08 +0000 immabeetoo 1625069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: if it's helpful to look at it from this angle.. if he's been doing this for a month and is still healthy and happy, I wouldn't worry about it, ya know? You can only do so much. LO does this for a day or two (but then always switches back to eating like he's starving -- so not the same). I try not to panic, either way, and offer him consistent food at reliable times. If he asks to eat in between a meal &amp; a snack, I generally tell him no unless it's a special treat/instance. My Mom was HORRIFIED when she saw me deny him but... he survived until dinner, and ate a good dinner. I think it's totally normal for a toddler to do this - you can only control what &amp; when you offer :P (although I did just hear someone at a playdate give the advice that she just gives her kid ice cream for dinner because that's all he will eat... so you could try that too :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1625005 Fri, 09 May 2014 14:37:17 +0000 NovBaby1112 1625005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: i usually keep the meal around for 15 mins or so after she's done, just to see if she wants anymore. If she doesnt- it becomes my meal, haha :silly: . if she's hungry a short time later- i try and find a healthy snack (but she's rarely hungry a short while after). I should also add, it's easy for me to adapt to this attitude because M has never had any weight gain issues and drinks a good amount of milk, so it's easy for me to say "she'll just eat when she wants!" I can see being more worried about it if LO had weight issues or didnt drink much milk, if that makes sense. I just don't want you to think I'm belitting your worries! I think it's a super common toddler phase- and hopefully a short lived one!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624989 Fri, 09 May 2014 14:31:52 +0000 aegie 1624989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I give her chicken noodle soup with lots of chicken and noodles. I'll actually puree the cooked veggies into the soup so she's getting more bang per spoonful. I also give her lots of broth + rice, dumplings, very mild curry, fish + broccoli, pasta (with veggies pureed into the tomato sauce) - i stick with mini cheese tortellini and mini raviolis so she's also getting cheese. I don't have to give her a lot so I will make a small amount and pack half into a container for the next day or if it's soup I'll freeze it to use some other day so she's getting variety since she's eating a lot of small meals during the day. I'd say on average, she eats about 4-6 oz of food per meal with dinner being the largest meal of the day. But i purposely make her wait for dinner so she can get a bigger portion down. her snacks are usually yogurt, fruit or if she's being particularly fussy, cereal snacks. Again, I'm not too concerned with the amount she eats per sitting since she's snacking/eating about 5-6 times a day during the week and about 4-5 times during the weekends. Plus she drinks 8 oz of milk and water. So even if she's eating 4 4oz meals a day, that's a pound of food she's consuming! That's a lot for someone who weighs 26 pounds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624919 Fri, 09 May 2014 14:15:56 +0000 hilsy85 1624919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all! This is seriously enormously helpful. </p> <p>@NovBaby1112: so true! I need to take up that attitude :)<br /> @aegie: what sort of small meals do you do? I guess I have a hard time thinking of snacks that could double as mini meals. Also, for snacks, he almost always gets fruit, yogurt, or cheese, so it's not like his snacks are huge.<br /> @looch: that is a great idea, thank you! I will start that today. </p> <p>@Sammyfab: I guess that's true, I just don't see how he's NOT hungry, especially on a day when he's been running around a lot. And I would totally be fine with it if it were just a few days, followed by a few days of big eating. But it's been like this since about 17 months...<br /> @Periwinkle: @Periwinkle: also good advice!</p> <p>So if you just let them down when they say they're done, what do you do with the food? Do you give it again at the next meal? What if they say they're hungry an hour later? Do you give the meal or a different snack? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624809 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:47:52 +0000 Periwinkle 1624809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are going through almost exactly the same thing at 18 months old! We actually had our checkup at the pediatrician yesterday and he reminded us that LO's relationship with food has changed significantly, and that food is just not his priority right now. He reminded me that LO will let me know when he is hungry and that I should not get too upset if LO is just not interested in eating for a day or a few in a row. He made a great point that LO is much more interested in the things going on around him and that sitting in the high chair for a meal is just not that "exciting" to him right now-- of course I understand that, but I also worry about how hungry he must be getting!</p> <p>My advice (and I am trying to follow this too) is to make less of an issue around food. I find that when I am eating, LO wants to eat too-- he likes to eat socially! It's so hard not to worry, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624805 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:46:36 +0000 Sammyfab 1624805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son isn't a big eater either...and on top of that, he can be pretty selective!</p> <p>We've learned to let go a little because you can't force a child to eat. I also remind myself that what I eat and how much I eat changes on a daily basis. One day I may eat a ton and the next day I won't have an appetite. I'm not going to force MYSELF to eat if I'm not hungry, right? We just try to focus on offering nutritious and filling foods and not making mealtime a battle. :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624790 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:43:18 +0000 looch 1624790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Keep a food log then come back to it at the end of the week. I know it's hard not to worry, but you might be surprised at how much he's eating over the course of the week (a nutritonist gave me this homework after a session with my son). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624774 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:39:38 +0000 aegie 1624774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think at that age, toddlers are too busy to eat. or so they think. So lots and lots of little meals are fine. Slowly you can start combining them but I give my LO a small breakfast + 3 small meals with 2 fruit snacks and a yogurt for daycare (9-6). She eats all of it within the course of the day. Then dinner. None of her meals are very large, but she's consuming a lot of food throughout the day. On weekends, I give her a small breakfast, a small snack around 10, a decent sized lunch around 12:30 and then nothing until 5. If she whines, I'll give her some fruit or yogurt. That way, she can eat a big dinner and crash for the night. Again, I don't think eating lots of small meals is a bad thing. Especially when I'm more interested in feeding nutritious and healthy foods and variety. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624751 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:34:13 +0000 Greentea 1624751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh man feeding in general is soooooo stressful! Hugs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624723 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:26:20 +0000 NovBaby1112 1624723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ugh, I can SOOOO relate! LO is going through a terrible eating phase lately, although she has never been a very good eater to begin with. Some days I am lucky if she takes one small bite of food at her meals. It also seems like she jsut has NO appetite and would rather be doing other things than sitting still to eat! The snack thing is hard too- I'll give her one bc she is whining, but then she won't be hungry for dinner/etc. I was driving myself crazy with it- following her around the house with her dinner plate and trying to sneak in bites...</p> <p>BUT it got so tiring and meal time just became so frustrating to I said F IT! She will eat when she's hungry! If all she wants all day is a cracker, fine. It's not like shes waking up hungry at night anyways. I am really just trying to keep telling myself it is a phase and it'll pass. I really do not want meal times to become a bad experience for her and I do not want to force food on her. All I can do is offer it and if she doesnt want any, fine. I do offer a small snack before bedtime, but most of the time she only takes a few bites or nothing at all. It IS frustrating, but I keep telling myself there isnt much more I can do. I certainly cant force her to eat! Hugs mama!! Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/seriously-losing-it-with-los-eating#post-1624653 Fri, 09 May 2014 13:10:04 +0000 hilsy85 1624653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Looking for advice, commiseration, anything!</p> <p>LO is 18.5 months and recently has become a terrible eater. Not even that he's picky--he just seems to have no appetite. It is 2pm here and he has eaten: 1/2 cup yogurt, handful of raspberries, and one little ham and cheddar muffin. I just tried to give him lunch and he had ONE BITE of the quesadilla I made him and said he was done. I really try not to keep him in his chair after that, I don't want it to become a screaming fight. </p> <p>Any advice on getting him to eat more?? I just find it SO FRUSTRATING because 1) I don't get how he's not hungry 2) I know he will be hungry in a little bit while we are out, and if I give him a snack, I feel like it only perpetuates this cycle. Even if I give him his lunch food for a snack, then he's having a big snack at 3 or 4, and then won't be hungry enough for dinner, so that will be another fight... </p>