Feeding a 2 Year Old!

wow, im so sorry that people dont read what you are asking and decide to be rude and go off on you for bein a good mom. let me tell you that my son is the same way. only sometimes he eats a good breakfast but will only eat a little bit at lunch and then sometimes no dinner. I try to make things that i know he likes. he eats lots of wild rice and so i try to have that with dinners. I also have chicken nuggets for my son as well as fish sticks. he did like mac and cheese but wont eat it anymore. and as far as people saying it is bad food, if it i was bad, pediatricians would not say its ok for them to have it. anyway, i liked the idea of a pizza bagel, i have done an english muffin at times and he likes that. i know its not really a "dinner" food but my son is a oatmeal-aholic. he loves it, he can eat 2-3 packets (3 if it is the fruit kind) and sometimes he eats that for dinner and is fine. i know eggs are easy and my son likes those as well. i know it might not help too much, but i hope everything works out.

how about a pizza bagel, use jar sauce, cheese and let him put a topping on it like veggies or meat and pineapple, he will feel good about helping too. Also grilled cheese and soup. Good luck they go thru stages and I know he can eat most what you do but sometimes the seasoning or other things could be harsh and just like us we dont like everything other people like.

First off, I'm sorry for some of the responses you've gotten. It sounds like you're doing a great job and are just looking for a few quick ideas for when your son is obviously hungry and will not eat what is on the table. It also sounds like this is somewhat of a rare situation.

Some things that might work: hummus and cut-up vegetables or bread, any leftovers that he liked before, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and crackers, cream cheese toast, bagel, etc.

Good luck!

Just give him whole milk. Don't let him dictate what you make for him.

Having been in this boat for a LONG time, my suggestion would be to continue to try to get him to eat what you are eating but only offer one alternative if that is turned down. And by one alternative I mean that is the ONLY alternative EVERY TIME (i.e. PBJ). I think a family night of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, fish sticks is completely acceptable inbetween other "adult" foods you make...that way it helps them see that it's not all "your" menu but an "our" menu because some of them are based around him.

I've found that if my kids repeated refused to eat what I placed in front of them I had both of them making different requests and I became a fast order cook (which is a MAJOR pain in the butt!!!).

Okay, call me a doting grandma but I don't think it's wrong to sometimes offer something in addition to the "adult" meal. It doesn't have to be a situation where you prepare two meals. Perhaps he would like part of what you're having. Cooked baby carrots are a good choice; perhaps a ham and cheese "rollup", scrambled eggs if he likes those, green beans, etc. I do agree that he might select part of the meal but not all, maybe try to get him to try "one bite" of things he doesn't like. My 25-year old was a very picky eater when he was young, but he now eats "almost" anything. So, picky doesn't last forever! Best of luck!

I would actually recommend that you do NOT make something different for him if he doesn't like what you've fixed. 2 year olds are picky eaters... even ones that used to eat everything start to refuse foods they've previously liked. The important thing is to keep exposing them to these foods, keep offering them. I refuse to be a short order cook. Our kids will eat what I make, and if they don't like it, they won't eat. That being said, I do try to make lunch more "kid friendly" especially if I know our daughter probably won't like dinner. If she eats a good breakfast and lunch, I usually don't worry about dinner. She'll eat if she's hungry. Our pediatrician told us not to worry about her nutrition on a meal-by-meal basis, but more on a day-to-day basis. Some days she'll eat great, and others she won't - but usually by the end of the week it all evens out.

Whoa - I read all of the responses and I would be nervous about posting too... And what is wrong with kid food??? If my little guy (and his 5 siblings before him) didn't have that around he would probably starve - just kidding, I wouldn't let him starve! When you try something new or something he did not like in the past just make sure that one thing on his plate is something he likes - mac & Chz, applesauce, etc. Then he has a bite or two of the new and plenty of yummy to fill him up. Remember, in general, kids go through eating fazes just like everything else so don't get too caught up in today.

I do not know if this is typical or not, but I have 2 year old boy/girl twins and we can depend on them eating black beans whenever they are not eating the meal in front of them (and with mine it is not consistent that they eat most anything else). We can also get them to try a lot of things if they can dip it (in whatever makes sense for the food).

LOL, J., if I didn't know better I would have thought you were talking about my son! They sound like identical twins! Too funny!
Of course right now I am drawing a blank but what quickly comes to mind is a cheese casadia (sp) and I now when he gets finicky about eating spag I just add a bit of cream cheese to it and suddenly it is the best thing he has ever eaten! LOL
I will think of a few things and re-respond w/ them later!
Take care and hang in there w/ the rest of us! ha!
K.

Hi J.,
One thing we always have on hand for quick solutions is frozen ravioli or tortellini. We just buy it in bags in the freezer section, and when needed, we can just pop a handful in a bowl into the microwave for a few minutes. Toss with a little sauce or butter, and my kiddo devours it! Good protein, and easy. Another fallback is an egg, toast and fruit - egg in the microwave for one minute and just enough time to toast the bread and you have a winner!
Good luck!
D.

Growing up, my mom always had 2 alternatives if we didn't like the dinner (I still cannot eat seafood so was thankful to have another option on fish sticks night!). We could either make a peanut butter sandwich (your little guy probably isn't eating nuts yet) or have a bowl of cold unsweetened cereal. We all knew that these were the options so it made things easy for everyone.

I see that you got some good advice here and some down right RUDE responses, but as a mom of a two year boy too, I always have soup on hand. There is sometimes he is not interested in our dinner and there are sometimes that I don't wnat him eating what we are eating like if it is realy spciy or something so I make soup for him. I get the chucky Campbells such as Chicken and Egg Noodle or the Sirloin Burger and Veggies. I put it in a bowl microwave for two minutes and then drain all of the broth off and he loves it.

Honestly: ditch all that food that you consider to be kid food. It's not healthy, it sets a bad standard, & ABSOLUTELY forget about catering to your son's tastes. The only exception would be when you have something way too spicy for his system.

The rest of the time.....just expect him to eat what you're eating. It makes life so much easier & will prepare him for school years!

I absolutely agree with the other comments...do NOT turn yourself into a short order cook!!! WHEN are you going to turn this off and suddenly start telling your son to eat what is on the table?? Try and make sure that he likes at least once thing that is on the menu and then if he doesnt eat...he will eat enough to get him through the night. Don't argue with him...be very matter of fact...remember, you are setting the tone for the rest of your meal times for a long LONG time!!!
R. Ann

Sorry, but I was just going to say more of the same: why whip something up if he refuses to eat regular dinner? We have an eat it or not policy around here. Works fine.

I read that little kids get most of their calories from breakfast and lunch and that dinner was more of a social thing. Is there something he can make himself if he doesnt like dinner? (show him how to make a peanut butter sandwich or a bowl of cereal--I know....he's two) maybe if he has to make the effort he'd be more inclined to eat with the family. Generally I'd agree not to cater to him...my nephew is 8 and has a special meal made for him ever¥ night and none of them are healthy (frozen pizza etc) and freaks out if he has to try "regular" food. Or just give him a cheese stick or something (a no prep food)....make it something he's not too excited about and won't fill him up though or it might become a nightly event.

Totally agree that unless your child has some sort of medical problem, you should give them the meal that you are having and let them choose what they eat. It doesn't hurt a child to skip a meal and as they get older, you will find them turning up their noses at more and more foods and then you will be stuck cooking two meals every night.