Hellobee Boards

We're in a very similar place with our 23 month old. He doesn't eat meat either but at least eats a lot of fruit. I am trying to be patient and just keep trying, but it's getting worse rather than getting better. So no advice but plenty of commiseration!

@Bubbles: my 2 year old will eat veggies but only eats meat if it's processed somehow- like chicken cutlets are ok, nuggets preferred, but definitely not just grilled. Sausage or meatballs are good, but regular meat is a no.

Oh and her favorite vegetable is the frozen broccoli with velveeta type cheese sauce. The more preservatives the better.

My DD is 22 months and I have the same problem, but with fruit! My kid just won't eat fruit to save her life. It's a win when I can get her to just take a bite of banana or pear or apple. It's crazy.

But I do what you do and give her pouches. It's something at least. She does like some veggies, so I just give her those. My pediatrician said she's seen Kindergarten kids eat pouches and it's totally fine.

I thought it was quite a normal developmental stage for them to refuse food at about 2?

My DD now 3, lived on eggs, cheese and bread for a good couple of months I'm sure, we just kept putting various veges on her plate along with stuff we knew she would eat.. I know it's hard but don't stress!!

Found where I read it:
Fussy eating – showing independence is part of normal toddler development and this often includes refusing to eat foods that you offer. Rejecting a food does not always mean the child doesn’t like it. If you offer it on another day, they may eat it!

@Foodnerd81: he does eat fish fingers, but won't eat chicken nuggets or anything like that! Even homemade fish fingers are not acceptable!

@KT326: This is really reassuring. I keep telling myself this, but I find it so hard to imagine him ever eating anything new!

@fussygal: We used the flintstones multi vitamin with iron (he had low iron). We only gave him half of one. At first I would crush it a little then feed it to him on a spoon. Once he figured out how to chew it I would just give him the half.

@KT326: thank you - I think it's just because it's been going on for like a year now it's hard to imagine things being any other way! But I shall try to have faith

@Bubbles: ha mine will only touch fish fingers when I call them "special chicken nuggets". The frozen ones of course, I wouldn't even attempt to give her homemade ones. (I mean I have attempted giving her fish and she has even tried it, just doesn't like it).

@fussygal: I shall commiserate! My 23 month old will only eat veggies in pouch form, and is a pouch addict. The only other way he gets veggies down him are when I cheat and smash them up with black beans or avocado and put it on tortilla chips. It works sometimes. I feel like the past week all he will willingly eat is peanut butter and toast, ugh

My LO seems to get better then worse then better then worse again. At 19 months I really stick to the "it's my job to put healthy food in front of her. She can eat it or not" thing. I just absolutely refuse to get into a power struggle with her over food. I feel like it would only make things worse.

I only ate cold oats with milk for 2 years, no joke. I also remember a year where I would only eat chili and cookies and cream ice cream. I was suuuuper picky until I started cooking now that eat and cook almost everything. I would not worry.

DD just turned 2 and is suddenly SUPER into pouches after barely touching them for months. I have no idea why, she just started asking (okay, demanding) them one day. She's not much into veggies aside from the orange ones (baked sweet potato spears, mashed butternut squash, and carrots) and, weirdly, spinach. But the spinach has to be cooked into something, preferably one of the Spinach Wheat Foldovers from Starbucks. I'm sure those aren't super healthy but I let her have one now and then just to get something green in her. Tonight, we had tuna casserole and she picked out every single pea from hers and just ate the pasta and tuna. I've basically given up, I still put a few veggies on her plate but pretty much write them off as destined for the compost. I figure she'll try them eventually and maybe even like them.