2 Year Old Only Eating Oatmeal with Cherrios

When my first son came along I worried a lot about how much he was getting and obsessed about it and tried to force foods on him that he didn't want which I believe has made him a picky eater now. Try to be relaxed about food with her so she doesn't feel your anxiety and then associate it with food. I've been told to just keep offering the things you would like her to eat, have them available in easy to eat sizes but don't force her to try things at this age. Your idea of going to an occupational therapist is great. I'm sure you will get your best answers there. Good luck!

My daughter is 3 1/2 years old and around 2 years she started to be very selective in what she ate. She also gags on meats, but over the past year and a half she finally eats fish sticks, ham and homemade chicken nuggets (some days she still does not eat those because she just is not big into meat). At times I call her a vegetarian because she rarely eats meat but loves fruits and sometimes corn/peas. She would live on strawberries, watermelon, apples, raisins, cheese, whole grain crackers, yogurt, grilled cheese, oatmeal & cereal.

For the most part we just keep offering a well rounded meal, I do not force her to eat any of it BUT she does not get anything else OR dessert till she has had enough bites of all her food. We did try to force food into her which made the gagging even worst, so now we just say you have to eat what is given (I always have 1-2 thing she likes on her plate and a new item or something she does not always like) or no dessert/snack later. The gagging seems to be with certain textures of meat and veggies but it is also something they can control, so we just always offer healthy options with a daily multi-vitamin. If we are at a place that does not have something she will eat (usually over at others houses or church meals) I have a small bag of healthy snack that she can have (fruit, cheese, whole grain crackers).

Oh I just started steaming cauliflower in the oven then mashing them up with milk similar to how you make mash potatoes and that has gone over very well. It has the same texture of mash potatoes and similar taste (to me they taste even better). Good way to get veggies! We also only drink V8 Splash because it has servings of fruit and veggies.

What about maybe mixing in something with her oatmeal. Chunks of small fruit or if they have a multivitamin in a powder form...not sure.

You'd be surprised how they thrive on what seems like nothing. Offer a supplement drink if you're really worried about it, but toddlers live off of air,I swear! My oldest child, now 14, wouldn't eat meat until she was five. She just didn't like the taste of it. Just keep offering familiar and unfamiliar foods, and she'll eat when she's hungry. By not self feeding, do you mean she wont put any thing in her own mouth, or she just prefers to have you spoon feed her? Try putting a spoon in her hand and put your hand over hers and raise it to her mouth. That will teach her how to do it on her own, but most two year olds aren't that adept at silverware and often eat with their hands, so offer finger foods, and just be patient. She'll get the hang of it.

Start her with soft food, baby type yogurt. mix fresh fruit and veggies.
cereals are normally sweet, that is the reason they appeal to them.
if the parents enjoys veggies and fresh fruit as snack, the children will follow.
My grandson Samuel is three, he imitate what we eat. if we like cheese stick he will request for them too. Make meal time fun not punishment.
USA has so many food to choose,,, someplace don't even have enough to feed the children after morning meals.