Toddler Will Only Eat Toast

Just keep putting other foods in front of him. Don't stop trying. You can't make him eat anything, but you can offer it to him. Eventually his toast and cereal phase will pass.

My children are also picky eaters in their own way. My daughter does not really eat meat, or peanut butter so I worry about her protien. My suggestion is try pairing toast with oatmeal or eggs in the morning. Also try putting some fruit into his cereal. As for other foods, I find my kids love it when they get to help me cook. They are 2 and 4 years old. I have noticed when I include them in the cooking they tend to eat better. I have found some great recipes with mac and cheese, would be happy to share if your interested, my kids love these. Other than the above suggestions talk to your doctor about pedia-sure and try giving him fruit and/or vegtable juices.

Add cheese! :) My 19 month old will eat anything if I put a little cheese on it. Spaghetti, soup, etc. I had a hard time with her eating habits but we found this is the best way to get her to eat. Sometimes, I just get the grated parmesean cheese out and pretend to shake then start feeding her (soup especially.) She thinks there is cheese on it but we all know you can't live off cheese. Good luck :)

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My daughter has been picky her whole life. We finally just started giving her what we were having for meals, making sure that there was at least something included in the meal that we knew she would eat. Sometimes that's all she eats! She usually makes up for it by eating more at breakfast. However, she has started trying things that she wouldn't touch beofre, and She now likes many more things than she used to. I am sure this would work for your son. If you stop offering him cereal and toast, and offer him what you are serving for everyone else, he will eventually eat something! He won't starve himself. They say a kid has to see something on his plate 20 times before he will eat it!

J.:

It's important for health reasons that your son eat fruits and veggies as well as dairy products in addition to cereal and toast as vitamins and calcium in addition to other minerals are vital to maintain optimum health. If he's not getting these from food, please make sure he's getting supplements. I don't know what to advise except that I think there are times when we as parents need to show tough love and just say, "This is what we're eating." I would guess that he wouldn't go to bed hungry two days in a row.

There are a number of avoidable and unpleasant illnesses caused by deficiencies in diet. In addition, this is when we form our eating habits. My parents didn't force me to eat anything I didn't want to when I was little and I wish they had! I didn't have as limited a diet as your son but it was pretty limited.

I'm including some interesting and related reading, if you're interested: http://www.webmd.com/news/20010329/food-for-thought-ricke...
http://www.webmd.com/news/20001009/whats-on-your-childs-p...
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/vitamins-fact-from-fiction

Give him some dipping items, like yogurt or jelly. You can also spread his toast with a yogurt spread. As long as he is eating, you shouldn't worry about it. All kids seem to go through eating phases, it will pass.

If you want an actual expert opinion on food from developmental experts -- there are lots of books on on the subjects; in the meantime, totally, completely disregard the "tough love" advice with regards with forcing them to eat and taking away their favorite foods. That's old school and debunked as actually counter-productive and will *create* poor eating habits because of the force factor that produces negative association with food. We're not drill sergeants -- we're parents and we encourage, educated, guide... and try not to pull our hair out. I'm highly health conscious and I can't stand nutrient-deficient food, but I also can't get my child to eat anything other than toast and bananas. Do I take them away? Hell no, that's just mean and absurd. Children may have a very good reason (to them) for not eating -- rarely are they trying to be "difficult". Have patience, keep giving nutritious options and stock up on the food they WILL eat.

My know 6 year old only ate cereal at that age, what I did was offer one other thing with his cereal, a fruit, a veggie if it was lunch and then for dinner he had whatever we were having, most the time he would push it around but eventually he started to eat it. I didn't make it a struggle and I also realised that it is a phase that all kids go through. Today he is a good eater will eat almost anything but still he LOVES cereal that hasn't changed. All my kids have gone through these phases, right know with my almost 4 year old it is cheese sandwichs and has been for years, but she eats whatever is for dinner. I am waiting to see what the 18 month olds favorite is going to be, I have been lucky so far......he will eat anything and I mean anything! Good luck and don't stress to much!

Stop giving him cereal and toast. Plain and simple. Continue offering him other choices, yogurt, eggs and so on. Is this just at breakfast or every meal? If at every meal, serve what you do everyone, if he refuses then put it in the fridge until he comes around hungry and say matter of fact, this is what I served for dinner, it is yours if you want it. There may be a fit, tantrum but he will not starve himself and it is a power struggle right now. Don't let him win the power struggle. He will eat if he is hungry. Eliminate his favorites until he branches out and tries new things. If you nip it now in the bud you will be so thankful as setting him up for picking eating gets worse before it gets better. Good luck and don't cave, he won't starve and it doesn't make you a bad mom. If you indulge him then you are fostering his picky eating.