Hardly eating

[polony]

DD is almost 20 months old and has always been up and down with her eating, but in the last week, she refuses to eat anything.

Being Christmas, she has been given lots of "naughty" food such as chocolate, biscuits etc which I was not happy about but was finding it difficult to control as my relatives were quitely slipping them to her and they were easily reached too.

She now refuses to eat anything unless she sees the "naughty" food then wants that.

Breakfast is usually a piece of toast, two eggs or some cereal. Now she will hardly make a dent in any of them.

Lunch is a sandwich, some fruit and yogurt. She now will gingerly take a bite out of the sandwich, won't touch the fruit and just plays with the yogurt.

Dinner I usually make her some vegies, spaghetti, stuff like that. She flat out refuses this now.

She really only eats a few bites during the whole day. Snack are cruskits, fruit, pikelets etc but she won't eat them either.

I don't know what to do. I have been giving her more bottles of milk (going from 1 to 3 or 4) a day to try and keep weight on. She is a lean child as it is and cannot afford to lose any weight. I really want her to eat and to not expect these "naughty" foods. I want her growing up eating healthy food.

Is there anything I can do?!?!

[the pero clinic]

Dear Polony,

Christmas and holidays can be such disruptive times for the routines of bubs and toddlers! The main thing to remember though, is that typical healthy children will not let themselves starve.

Continue to offer your little girl the usual healthy foods you would like her to eat, and keep the unhealthy options out of sight, out of reach (and preferably out of the house) while things settle back to usual.

While milk may be a healthier option than junk food, allowing your daughter to fill up on milk does not help to encourage her to eat appropriate foods. If she is at a stage where she doesn’t want good foods in the first place, it will only be easier for her to refuse them if she isn’t hungry after having milk.

Return to her typical one drink of milk a day to allow her to be hungry. Offer drinks of water if she is thirsty. Try also to return to her typical meal routines and foods (snacking may have increased over the holidays). Do not offer unhealthy alternatives when healthy foods are refused. There is a very big difference between feeling hunger and being malnourished – so don’t feel guilty if your daughter misses out on a meal or two.

Of course, if your little one stops eating altogether or is not staying hydrated with water, see your doctor or CHN.

the pero clinic