https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 27 May 2026 07:33:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480719 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 21:00:16 +0000 Smurfette 2480719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: Mine does the same. We got her to try sautéed spinach and she was gagging and would have thrown it up if I didn't tell her no. Then she did the same with the fish. Which she has eaten before. 2/3 times we have gotten her to eat broccoli she has thrown up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480672 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 20:13:35 +0000 gingerbebe 2480672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I offer my kid stuff I know he won't find offensive plus a new thing here and there and he still won't eat a lot of times. I've stopped trying to offer her different things unless I know he's feeling under the weather and/or I need him to eat something so I can get some medicine into him. But lots of times he will just eat plain rice and I have it warm in the rice cooker at all times, so I will try that. And he can have some fresh fruit sometime after dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480622 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 19:28:18 +0000 Torchwood 2480622@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a super picky eater (to the point of it being a disorder), and some things that I like can still make me gag. I won't force LO to eat anything. I just have too many bad memories of being forced myself, and I still get so frustrated that even DH won't always listen when I say I really don't want to try something. I like the suggestions of offering something simple (like a sandwich) as an alternative. </p> <p>I also don't intend to treat dessert as a reward for finishing, so I don't quite know how I'll handle that. We don't usually have dessert though so it won't be an issue often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480619 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 19:27:44 +0000 Ms maths 2480619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't offer any alternatives to dinner, but we also make sure there is always one thing (and generally two things) that we expect to be appealing to the kids. And it's up to them what they want to try, what they want to eat, and how much. The only limitation is that they can't eat so much of one thing that there is not enough for everyone else. There have been dinners where LO1 eats a scoop of sour cream and nothing else :bummed: or only the starch. But he's generally an adventurous eater, so our approach isn't too difficult to enact.</p> <p>When he was younger, there was a stretch where we wasn't eating a lot at dinner--it seemed like he just wasn't hungry at the right time--and was waking up early. We weren't sure if there was a connection, but we decided to offer a later snack. We tried to offer the snack as long as possible after dinner, to try to avoid him skipping dinner on purpose. And we offered the same snack every night (for us, it was nuts and raisins.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480573 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 18:47:15 +0000 fancyfunction 2480573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We go through phases of this. She'll have some milk but if she doesn't eat her offered dinner, there's no other option. It only happens at dinner though so it doesn't bother me too much b/c I know she's had a lot to eat during the day. She hasn't had any issues waking early/hungry either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480515 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:42:17 +0000 MrsRcCar 2480515@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: N did this for a hot second. I made it clear that it wasn't acceptable behavior and he would be hungry otherwise. He hasn't done it in recent memory. In fact he is scared of throwing up since he got sick. I do try to make our food more appealing by using sauces and getting him involved in dinner choices and prep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480514 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:39:18 +0000 sorrycharlie 2480514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@knittylady: @MrsRcCar: @BabyBoecksMom: @mediagirl: @cheesehead: Yup, totally makes herself throw up. Like gags like I'm feeding her something totally disgusting! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480482 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:21:37 +0000 Foodnerd81 2480482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When she's going through picky phases like that I do tend to cook things I know she likes more often- mostly because I just can't find with her all damn day. And we have some staples that are healthy- like she will always eat frozen peas or mixed vegetables- so what's the harm in always offering them? I think she's a pretty decent eater and I have enough battles to fight. She has to try everything on her plate but if she says she doesn't like it I offer something boring sometimes. But if it's something she likes and just won't eat that night I assume she just isn't hungry enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480463 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:06:23 +0000 cheesehead 2480463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: no solution, just wanted to say I have the same issue with my 3yr old. He can make himself puke if he doesn't want to eat what's for dinner. Even if I only make him try a small bite. For him I know it's just a phase because he's eaten whatever it was before with no issues... i usually just have him try a small bite before he can say he doesn't like something aND nit eat it. He doesn't get something else until an hour or so after dinner. I'm hoping doing it that way won't encourage his behavior. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480460 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:01:51 +0000 Silva 2480460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't give her anything else, unless dinner turned out super spicey or something (this has literally happened twice). Usually I make stuff that I know she'd tolerate based on the spices/tastes, not necessarily something we've had before. like last night it was fish in a coconut curry sauce with carrots and red pepper. She likes all of those things, and it was kind of sweet from the coconut milk. But she only ate a few bites.<br /> I also always give her milk, which I figure gives her something in her belly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480431 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:43:07 +0000 LuLu Mom 2480431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was catering to her, until at night she just wanted to eat junk food. So, if she chooses not to eat what we are having I offer her a turkey sandwich and she must take at least 1 bite of everything on her plate. </p> <p>She does not get a nighttime snack unless she finishes enough of her turkey sandwich. If she does, I save it and if she says she's starving, she can finish it instead of a treat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480430 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:42:39 +0000 mediagirl 2480430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: my daughter does that too!! She will gag and act like it's the worst thing on earth. sometimes we find she takes bites that are too big so I end up cutting her food into minuscule bites. That sometimes helps. I also tell her she can drink her milk while eating to help get it down. If she doesn't eat what we're eating, no dessert and no more food till morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480429 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:42:25 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2480429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sorrycharlie: Do you think she's making herself throw up? Or does it seem involuntary? </p> <p>I don't make special meals for the girls. They either eat what I give them or they don't eat. I try to put at least one thing on the plate that I know they will eat (broccoli/veggies for W and any meat for C), but they don't get any more of their favorite part without eating at least 1/2 of the main part of the dinner. </p> <p>I will say that we are pretty sure that C is lactose intolerant, because she refuses to eat things with dairy, or if she does eat dairy, her poop is AWFUL for the next day. Once we eliminated it from her diet (as much as we could), we saw a huge difference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480424 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:38:54 +0000 MrsRcCar 2480424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have the throw up problem but N will gag a LOT when he doesn't want to eat something. We still have him what we eat but just small portions. Sometimes if he eats his portion with little to no fighting I will give him a snack right before bed. I keep my snacks to fresh fruit so at least its healthy. Since throwing up seems to be going on with O I would call the doctor and ask to see an allergist or GI. I don't think its normal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480417 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:36:20 +0000 Alba4 2480417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always offer an egg if he doesn't eat/like the family meal. He loves eggs so that will satisfy him if he doesn't feel adventurous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480413 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:34:08 +0000 travelgirl1 2480413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If she won't eat what is on her plate, I give her a choice of two boring options, usually porridge or toast. She gets as much of those as she wants so won't go to bed hungry, but I don't have to cook. DH sometimes offers her an omelette instead, but I tend to stick to toast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480380 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:20:59 +0000 JerricaBenton 2480380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lo's not super picky, but occasionally she's just not into what I'm serving so I just pad her plate with stuff she likes that I always have in the house; cottage cheese/yogurt, raw veggies, fruit, olives, even a spoonful of peanut butter. If it's every night though I might start specifically preparing meals I know she'll eat until the phase passes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480358 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:09:16 +0000 knittylady 2480358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is there such thing as a beef allergy? Just based on the examples you gave. Throwing up is so extreme!</p> <p>My 2.5 year old has become picky in the last few months and the ped says to not cater to it. Definitely hard to stick to when they wake early hungry though. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-your-preschooler-just-will-not-eat-what-you-serve#post-2480348 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:05:21 +0000 sorrycharlie 2480348@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>do you make them go to bed starving? do you start cooking things you know they'll eat? </p> <p>my normally decent eater lately has been LITERALLY throwing up at the dinner table after trying a bite of things. Like beef stroganoff, hamburg pie, etc. This is going way beyond the normal whiny I-don't-like-that.</p> <p>she wakes hungry by 4 am if i dont get her to eat a decent dinner or a snack before bed. so starving her is out, lol. I'm just starting to cook some less adventurous things (or have substitutes handy for her) because I'm also not going to keep tossing food she won't eat! ugh.</p> <p>please tell me I'm not alone! </p>