What to Feed My Two Year Old

Updated on February 29, 2008
M.B. asks from Gilbert, AZ
51 answers

My two year old is very picky and will eat only certain foods. He hardly eats and rather drink. Know I think he is getting tired of what I am giving him and I don't know what else to try because He cant tell me because of his speech delay. Please Help

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S.W.

answers from Rochester on

My daughter is the exact same way. She would rather drink than eat. The smoothies work great!!! and I agree, make eating fun with faces or something.

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A.W.

answers from Phoenix on

Some kids will get into having a dip with their food like ketchup or ranch dressing or even melted cheese. They can be a little more willing to try something else if they know they can dip it in something they like. Having them eat with other kids will also sometimes open them up to other foods. When they see that there friends like it. Using a cookie cutter to make foods look like more fun can also be helpful.

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D.

answers from Phoenix on

I have a 15 month old that can be very picky at times. He loves White rice rolled in a ball, chicken taquitos he can hold. He also loves Grill cheese cut like French Fries. I try tomake everything a finger food He seem to eat better this way

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T.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi,
I have 2 boys, 1 and 2. My 2 year old won't eat either, but he loves his milk and juices. I have been making him some smoothies and putting protein powder in. Fresh fruit (which he won't eat) milk, yogurt and protein powder. He loves them! I also just read to put toothpicks on the food after cutting it up, like at the grocery store when they have samples. One mother said her kid tries anything at the store! Good luck!

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C.

answers from Denver on

It is very normal for 2 year olds to be picky with their food
choices. Part of this is due to their need to exercise control
over their environment and part of it is due to normal fluctuations in appetite. Toddlers experience growth spurts,
when this occurs they have an increase in appetite and when they are not in a growth spurt, the appetite decreases significantly. At times this may seem like a child is a picky
eater, however, they are really just adjusting to their own body needs. The key is to provide healthy, nutritious foods and not give in by supplying cookies, candies or foods that have little nutritional value. Also keep in mind, that with the current heat, toddlers sometimes have a decreased appetite
for solids and prefer liquids. Again the key here is to supply
healthy liquids like milk, juices without added sugars and
sweeteners and water. In terms of food choices toddlers often
have a favorite food that may last for weeks or months and then
they become interested. Continue to offer a variety of foods
with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Be sure things
are cut into pieces the child can chew. If you have patience,
it is also fun to allow the child to participate in some food
preparation. For example, use a cookie cutter and let the
child cut shapes from sliced cheddar cheese or have them decorate a cracker with sliced fruit. You will be surprised
how much a toddler is willing to try foods that they help prepare. Also serving pastas that have different shapes, for
example, shells one day and penne the next. Again, be sure the
pasta is small enough for the child to chew. You may want to
have the child eat the solids before offering the cup of juice or milk. Portion sizes should be small, so not to overwhelm th
toddler, however, the child can always have seconds. Finally,
it is always a good idea to look in the child's mouth as sometimes they may have a mouth sore or tooth problem. Even
verbal children often will not offer any complaints about
mouth sores. Instead, they will just stop eating. Don't get
discouraged and don't struggle too hard. Continue to supply
healthy balanced food choices and if you are concerned don't
hesitate to call your child's doctor for advice. Good luck
and keep up the good work!

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P.H.

answers from Denver on

Hi M.,
I went through that with my daughter. I used to make her a smoothie every morning, so I knew she was getting some good stuff in her little body. I made mine with banana, strawberries, yogurt, ice cubes, a splash of oj, and a scoop of protein powder. Delicious!
Good luck!

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J.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

I have a 14 yo step-son with ADHD and up until now all he would eat was chicken strips, bbq chips, and pop tarts. The doc said that was fine as long as he was eating something. As for your son's speach problem, how about trying putting a bunch of pictures of food together for him to look at and ask him which one's look good to him and what he would like to try?

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D.

answers from Phoenix on

My 2 yr old seems to want to be on a milk diet. So I give him one glass of milk in the morning and two at night. I think it's kind of a suppresant. He tells me he wants to eat and when ever I give him something to eat he doesn't eat it. It is driving me crazy. So currently his diet is snacks all the time. I'm blaming it on the two year old molars that are coming in. I don't know what else to do.

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R.

answers from Tucson on

M.,
You indicated that your son is speech delayed. Have you had him tested? He might be a picky eater because of sensory issues. I have a nephew that had a "high pallet" this caused him to be sensitive to different food textures and therefore a picky eater. My son was a picky eater, also speech delayed and was finally diagnosed with Apraxia which is a oral motor movement planning issue. It could be as simple as your son wanting to exert some control in his life.
In the meantime, try making a booklet that contains the things your son likes to eat, you would like him to eat and teach him to point to what he wants in his booklet. Thus facilitating his communciation skills. Also the use of sign language has been very helpful with speech delayed children. It gives them a means to communciation and decreased everyones' frustration. I know this from experience.
Good luck,
R.

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G.

answers from Reno on

When my daughter turned 2 she also became a picky eater. Now, I take her to the store and let her pick out the fruits and veggies, and other healthy stuff. She will try all foods now because she feels like she had a choice in it. Good luck
G.

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M.

answers from Omaha on

This might sound a little harsh but it totally works. Barring any food allergies, this plan worked for all three of my kids. Put the food in front of them for a set amount of time. Let them know he won't get anything else until the next eating time (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack)He probably won't eat, so take the food away until the next time. Offer him a healthy snack. Give him a chance to eat at every "food" time and no juice or milk, just water. Eventually, when he gets hungry enough, he will eat what is put in front of him. While he'll always like/dislike certain foods, he'll learn that he doesn't dictate the menu. Also, I took some nutrition courses and juice is really not necessary and can be harmful if given more than one cup per day.
Good luck!

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K.V.

answers from Albuquerque on

Rainey (our 2 year old) loves breakfast. Other meals are hit and miss. Eventhough she seems disinterested, we are sure to see her eat "something". We always try to mix it up - even grilled salmon, chicken, steak -- if we fail, there is always PB & J:)

The latest thing is her interest in cooking. We got her a little play set kitchen and when I do cook, I let her participate. She pulls a kitchen chair up to the counter... we wash our hands together, and she "helps" prepare the meal. She really seems to enjoy it - especially the sink play... but then eats at meal time.

Good luck!!!

Kurt

K.B.

answers from Salt Lake City on

M.:

First of all, I have some great advice on 'speech delay' as you called it. You and your son can learn sign language together-there are a lot of basic books and videos at the libraries now about baby signing (it works at any age, really). Start with food words...like apple, banana or something. I would try "jazzing" up the foods he likes. Maybe combine them with new types of food. Color, faces or patterns on a plate can sometimes help to make eating enjoyable. When you go the grocery store, have him help pick out the food-pointing would work if he couldn't verbally explain- give him a couple of choices. If he does enjoy more fluids/drinking...maybe try some nutritious shakes with fruit/yogurt/juic etc. in them (provided he likes those things)
I wish you the best,
K.

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T.D.

answers from Phoenix on

My son from 12 months to 2 years almost never ate. Try this smoothy. If he likes it thick, freeze the fruits first, if he likes it thin, don't freeze.

Blend the following;
Strawberries
Blueberries (some kids don't like the way these blend, you can try)
Avacado (you can't even taste it!)
Banana
Milk, (cow,soy or rice)
firm tofu (again, you can't taste this)
*peach flavored, kids cod liver oil (Sunflower Market)

I reccomend Trader Joe's for the ingredients. They even have frozen Avacados and passion fruit. They also have organic lowfat yogurt that's super runny, add cod liver oil to that too.

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A.P.

answers from Omaha on

wow i dont know about you but i got alot from all of these tips! my daughter recently has started being alittle picky so these new ideas are great! thanks and good luck to ya

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R.S.

answers from Albuquerque on

Check out Familyfun.com This site has tons of food ideas, and much of it are kid help meals, no matter the age, they have something. I have found that almost no matter the food, if my daughter helps make it, she will eat it. There are many more things on this site, from food, to crafts, activities, party ideas, and more. Enjoy it. It has helped me many nights, and days.

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J.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

Try www.wholesomefoods.com They are great and have great ideas - they even have a new link that specializes in toddlers - although their normal site has great tips and snack/meal ideas!

J.

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L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I have always found that giving them less options is better. They still keep their own choice, and you keep your sanity. Kids will do what they are allowed to do. One or two missed meals isn't going to hurt him and he will realize that you aren't going to play waitress/cook with him.

Good Luck!

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T.K.

answers from Phoenix on

Have you tried the sippy cup yet ?? Mine used to be the same way. But it is also a color thing. They go throu the stages where they don't like things of one color, like green things and then it will be yellow things, then red things. I use to mix up the food myself and give it to him. But I also started at that point to tell him that it was what was in the siipy cup and that was it, then he turned to the food and started eating more.

T. K

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S.P.

answers from Las Cruces on

Hello M.

I'm in the same situation as you and the worst (I'm a nutritionist). I never had a lot of experience at childhood nutrition. But I'm trying to learn more for my daughter. I tried almost everything I know and she only eats turkey hotdogs and cheese, she doesn't want any other kind of protein and it is extremely frustrated for me. Try different shapes even the same food can be more attractive to them. And play with him, they want to interact. If he has a high chair try a booster he wants to be part of the family meal and sometimes they feel like they are far away in that high chair. Colors are important red, oranges. My daughter loves frozen veggies (carrots, peas, green beans, corn) they are a little bit sweeter than fresh. I will try to photograph some samples of my daughter's plates so you can get more ideas. Iron is important in this stage if your son doesn't eat a lot of beef or chicken or fish. Try beans or another protein with iron (read labels). If one day your son didn't eat very well give him some multivitamin supplement drops. Enfamil has some with iron. You'll be more relax ;) Your son needs between 8-24 oz of milk a day. If he is drinking more reduce the amount. He will eat more for sure. I'll translate a placemat that I made with a balance meal for kids so you can check if you have most of the groups he needs. I hope you can understand my English because it's not my first lenguage as you can see... please e-mail me to: ____@____.com and I'll send you the photographs and the placemat that I told you... Good Luck! S..

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N.H.

answers from Omaha on

I had good luck with those "kids cookbooks"! My son loved them, like slicing a hot dog into an octopus, and then we played with the food, made it walk around, and then took bites till it was gone. Those books are great. So many great ideas. Also, my son loves spagetti, really anything with tomato sauce, I pureed veggies into the sauce, so he still got his veggies and just didn't know it!

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J.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

My 19 month old does the same thing so we just started to do what our doctor told us. We only give her water between meals and healthy snacks only if she eats meals. We fix what we would normally fix ourselves at meal time and if she eats great if not she knows she's not getting anything else. We also hold off on the milk at meal times until later so at least she will try the food on her plate and not be distracted by drink. I was worried before but she'll eat when she's hungry and so far it's seemed to work. Good Luck!

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A.N.

answers from Boise on

My son is the same way and will go through spirts of what he like. The best advice I have is don't push too hard give the food a break and try later. My son stopped eating meet no matter what so we waited about 2 or 3 weeks then made tacos with groung pork(softer to chew, not so much meat flavor, and high in protien and he loved it.

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K.

answers from Fort Collins on

I have three children myself and all are picky eaters. One of my children is almost 6 with a speech delay so I have been in your shoes.

The one thing I have found to work is to make eating fun. Try making food faces(spaghetti for hair, brocoli for eyes, carrots for mouth, etc) or cutting the food into fun shapes.

Also, kids love to help make food, let him help you make lunch, let him pick out what to make. What shape should we cut the turkey into? Should the cheese be round or square?

And I know this sounds obvious, but when making his plate, make sure the protions or small, and there is a variety. We sometimes forget that their tummys are tiny and fill fast.

Texture is another issue, does he prefer soft foods, chewy foods, easy to swallow?

And at two, they sometimes only like one or two foods, we may get tired of serving them but it's routine to them. Try serving his favorite along with something different.

HTH

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R.C.

answers from Phoenix on

Please have your son evaluated for speech therapy and for feeding disorders. A feeding therapist will work wonders for him. Often both speech and eating are related to sensory integration disorders.

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J.

answers from Omaha on

If he is not able to eat food presented because its too hard, etc. Check with dr or dentist to see if there is a reason why he prefers to drink over eating.

Actually, its common for 2 yr to go through this stage where all they eat is one or two things. The good news is that they will not starve themselves. Just keep presenting foods to them about 1 tablespoon per age and if they don't eat it, say, "ok, but it is a long time till (lunch, dinner, breakfast etc) and provide NO SNACK in between. Provide one reasonable size glass for the child's age with meal and if that it all they eat, fine. Don't make a big deal of it at all. Be completely neutral about it.

When they are hungry, they will eat or at least try it. Oh, and don't ask what the child wants to eat for the meal, they eat what everyone is eating. Don't make a separate meal. Even if they whine, squel, beg tantrum about being hungry, dont fall for it. Simply say, "oh, that is such a bummer that you are hungry! I bet that doesn't feel good, but I have good news for you. We'll have (whatever meal) at such and such time. You'll will probably want to make sure that you eat at (breakfast, lunch, dinner.etc) something then. In the meantime, how about some water?

Be very patient. VERY Patient! Because this will not be met with cooperation. Be strong and the tide will turn, be sure of it. You are not starving your child and he will not starve himself. You are presenting food to your child. If s/he doesn't eat it, that's fine, at least it is available to them. Expect to ride the storm for at least a week, but you've got to be consistent with what you expect because the kid will be waiting for you to cave first. Be ready to whistle the dragon.

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K.H.

answers from Rochester on

Hi M., I had this same problem with my daughter at that age. She would drink all of her milk, juice, whatever and then not eat anything else. I tried giving her plate of food to her first without her glass so she ate first then had the "treat" of something to drink. I also gave her all finger foods and her own plate/utensils to make her feel special and excited to eat. Good luck, K.

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J.

answers from Minneapolis on

A few things that have worked for me and my picky 3 yr old
choice between 2 veggies
Ranch Dressing
Cheese on top- shredded
Ketchup on top
We also have a food rule- parents get to decide what to eat and when to eat, kids decide how much. If you don't eat at dinner time, your food is kept for snack time or the next meal for that day. New day, new food.
Have you tried sign language to help your son communicate? At 2, he should be able to understand most of what you say, so he could pick it up quickly.

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E.C.

answers from Denver on

I struggle with this as well still and my daughter will be four in September. I would try to constantly re-introduce the foods he should be eating. Don't push him, but always offer it. Something that has really helped me is that she is in daycare two days a week and usually at my sister's once a week as well and she will try foods for them, but not my husband or myself. So if your child goes somewhere different once a week or once every other week have someone else offer him different foods. Also, do what his milk intake because for a while there my daughter would only drink milk and had severe constipation problems causing her to split open and be put on a laxative supplement. Make sure your are limiting his milk and making sure he drinks water the rest of the time. When they get hungry enough they'll eat. It will take time though, so be patient and consistant. And remember if it's only one bite or a taste it's a big step.

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K.R.

answers from Albuquerque on

Hi M.,

I have a good friend who is in the exact situation. It is hard for her to communicate with her son because he has a very small vocabulary. He too is a very picky eater and hardly eats anything. She took him to the doctor and was told if he were hungry he would eat! She said that allot of children go thru this phase and not to get alarmed. I hope this makes you feel a bit better.

One thing that I give my son just to make sure he is getting everything he needs is gummy vitamins (he loves his gummies each morning) and pediasure. They have some good flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Since he likes to drink, this might be a good supplement till his tastes change or you find another food he likes for a while.

Good Luck!

Kym

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S.

answers from Denver on

There is a great recipe book called "First Meals" by Annabel Karmel. The recipes are broken down by age groups and most are quick and easy to prepare. Each recipe also gives nutritional information. Both of my boys are picky eaters (also with speech delays) and we found quite a few meals from this book that they like.

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A.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I too have a two year old who is a picky eater and speeched delayed, so I try to make meal/snack time fun. I give food funny names.. green veggies are trees or green food(taken from Land Before Time movie) etc.. I name out choices of food and ask if he wants to help me make it and when I see him take a bite I tell him oh my your muscles are growing strong Let me see you muscles. He gets excited and eats more.

Sometimes it works and sometimes he wont budge so I make sure I give him a multivitamin every day as well.

Also since my little guy does not speak I ask him to point out what he wants or he will make is own sign for what he wants. Though we dont use the standard "baby signs" he makes up his own and that has really help out communicating with him.

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C.N.

answers from Denver on

If he would rather drink, try giving him that pediasure. Then at least he will get all his nutrients, then just ease into different foods, my daughter was and still is a very picky eater, and I just give her what she will eat,and then other things to fill in those nutritional gaps they get from being picky.

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G.O.

answers from Denver on

My 20-month old is the same! He prefers to drink rather than eat. I have limited his milk intake to 3-3 1/2 cups a day (too much can make him anemic) and will suplement one of the cups with Carnation Instant Breakfast. He sometimes gets Pediasure as well. He gets exposed to all of the foods we eat and will usually eat mac and cheese, pasta, pizza, certain fruits and vegetables. It is a difficult situation. Good luck! Sometimes your pediatrician will have some good ideas as well.

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B.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I would try sign language my daughter picked it up at daycare and it worked wonders when she couldn't quite talk yet she could atleast communicate some what. I would try and not offer anything to drink until your child eats a good amt. kids love to fill up on fluids. They also say it can take 11 times of trying the same food item before a child will like it. I would just keep offering a great variety. My daughter loves ketchup and will eat ANYTHING if she can dip it in ketchup especially meat. If your child loves peanut butter or cheese let them dip it even on the craziest sounding foods.

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P.

answers from Boise on

Keep trying everything. Eventually, they try it. My oldest (now almost 4) still is very picky. The more they see the food, see their siblings and parents eating it, the more likely they will be to try it. I've read that it takes at least 12 times of introducing a food before some children will even try it. I believe it!! Keep trying!! Good luck.

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H.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

I did at home daycare before moving to St. Paul. I watched 4 year old twins and a 1 year old baby. Don, one of the twins, would only eat non sweet, non salty things. He had a very bad constipation problem. Their mother would give them root beer and candy for breakfast, because that is what they would eat. (that was NOT ok with me...but thats a different story) He would eat like 1 fish stick and a handful of french fries (both baked of course) but he would not eat any veggies or fruit. This boy was 4, but because of his speech delay he could not tell me what he wanted, only no. I began giving him choices for lunch. Healthy choices, but he got to choose lunch 3 times a week and his sister the other 2. He ate much much better. After a while we found out he had severe thrush on his tongue, and was anemic on top of it. The mother didnt find it worrysome that he wasn't eating well and never took him to the doctor. Now that she knows, he is eating much better, and is actually putting on weight now.

Ok, my point here is give him a choice, he can point to the one he wants, and you might be amazed how much more he is eating.

H.

ps. Good Luck!!

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B.L.

answers from Omaha on

My baby girl is two and she was really picky about what to eat or drink. I bought her two special plates "Dora" "Sponge" and little containers in diferents colors and for lunch or dinner I make like a little buffet for her (carrots, peas, corn, french fries. beans, piece of bread (I cut it in little shapes) rice, soups, fruit, meat or chicken. And I put her in her high chair and she eats first then I gave her the drink later. About the drink I have to use special bottles because she is really messy, sometimes I use a cup fron MacDonalds and she love it. When she is eating I put a big towel that way I do not have to pick up piece by piece. She does not talk yet but she let me know what she wants. After she finish eating I gave her a treat like a little ice cream cone that I show to her but I do not give her until she finish. Other treat are the frezzer pops with real fruit and carrots.

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S.W.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I have a 20 month old who will not eat meat but loves breads and pastas. I don't try to force him to eat other things but, i do give him choices at lunch and dinner. I don't believe in forcing them to eat other things, 2 yr olds are picky. If you force them, they might end up not wanting to eat them in the future. Just my opinion! :-)

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S.I.

answers from Flagstaff on

my son is almost four...he has a speech delay as well...question. did your little guy get real sick when he was a baby?
anyhow...zack just began pronouncing words together about 6 months ago with the help from preschool and a speech therapist...for the longest time sister would talk for him, being that she could understand him most...but he had this nasty habit of stuffing his face and sticking a straw in the middle to soften the food and swallowed...has your son seen a speech pathologist at all? if not it's a must...they will have him tested for ear problems as well...but the food thing could be due to being babied too long...from personal experience..he may be frustrated because he's hungary, but his muscles on his mouth won't work like he wants so he self-fufills his hungar with liquids...when you go to the store, give him choices of food, let him pick out certain foods that he wants...he can't say words right now, but he certainly knows what he wants...try not to show frustration..or that he may be different...we just have to watch the way we are with these ages...we tend to think that because they can't speak like us, that they are still infants, and begin to lack on disclipline and choices. the most important thing to remember is the independency they really are demanding...if you have given in before, take note that it'll be harder later to break the habit..don't allow him to fill up on liquids if he won't eat solids...also..eat with him..make sure he isn't slouching while sitting...those muscles in the shoulder and neck support the throat and jaw...they are probably weak...if you can, get some fun straws that swirl and make it more difficult to suck, that will work the muscles...at least always have a straw that is very short...if you just give him a cup then no muscles will develop and the condition will worsen...

good luck M.,let us know what helped you k??

S.

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M.

answers from Santa Fe on

Hi M.,

Your son's pickiness with food and his speech delay are probably connected. Have you asked his speech therapist for suggestions? My daughter (almost 4) has sensory processing issues and has always had food problems. She refused most solids until she could self-weaned at 18 months. Now she eats lots of different foods, but refuses certain textures regarless of taste and all hot food. You just need to experiment until you find out what exactly your son has a problem with.

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P.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

I think that baby's go through that stage where they have favorites. All you can do as a parent, is offer them the right food choices. We have found that if we can get our 2 1/2 year old to try something new, more times than not, she likes it. Then it's good reinforcement for her to try something new the next time. We also know that if she says she doesn't like something, we say, "o.k. you don't have to eat it, but thanks for trying it, now you know what you like and don't like. It's good to try new foods." She feels rewarded with praise just trying something she didn't like. We've also found that she goes through stages of eating really good, to seeming to eat almost nothing. Perhaps your 2 year old is going through a stage. If he's hungry, he'll eat, even if it's not his favorite.

You could try just going without his favorite food, and see what happens. We did that with my daughter. She LOVED noodles, and after a while, we decided just to not make it and see whatelse she liked. We were surprised at what other foods she liked. We were just used to offering her what she liked because it ensured us that she would eat a good meal. Little did we know, she was actually getting sick of it. The food battle is never ending, I've been told. Good luck.

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J.

answers from Denver on

M. ~
I have 3 children, 11, 8 and soon to be 2, so I have a bit of experience...finding food that is appealing as well as nutritious is always hard - but I have found that if you give your son(s) the same thing that you eat, they tend to like it. Or if you do up a plate of fruit, cheese and lunch meat that is cut up for tiny fingers, they love that as well.
My children have all loved pasta - spaghetti, mac-n-cheese, noodles from chicken noodle soup, etc, so that could be something to try as well.
Another possibility is scrambling up some eggs in the microwave with a little bit of milk and some shredded cheese. The texture is a little more to their liking than if you did the eggs on the stove, and the cheese adds a little bit more protein.
I hope this helps! And if you would like to hlep your son with his vocabulary - you could try baby signing with him so that he will at least communicate in some form. A great book is Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk.

J. T.

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L.

answers from Denver on

Hi M.,

Here's some stuff my 2 year old likes:

--macaroni and cheese mixed with frozen mixed vegetables
--frittatas and quiches (especially the spinach kinds)
--frozen organic spinach munchees. I think Amy's makes them.
--chili con carne served on brown rice with cheese
--scrambled eggs

Good luck!

L.

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N.F.

answers from Las Cruces on

maybe he has the same thing like my daughter the SPD. try visiting the following site: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/ and check out the checklist and see what you think. this is both my husband and daughters problem with a lot of foods. if he does maybe have it, then it at least gives you something to go from and they even have suggestions and a email group that i belong to as well that is more than helpful to help overcome the frustrations at times.

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L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Hi M.,
We went through a non-veggie time with our kids and what worked really well for us was to make smoothies. We would start by grinding up some flax seed in the blender then add, frozed fruit, yogurt (for protein), and veggies. We did carrots and sometimes broccoli. They loved to drink them with a straw and I knew they were getting several servings of fruits and veggies at one shot! Good luck!
L.

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L.H.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Ok- well there is already so much great advice on there about this - I will just give some ideas based on what i feed my 2yr old (who only gets milk with her meals and water through the day):
Breakfast = fun (novelty) cereal (even the fun ones are made from whole grains these days), oatmeal (the flavors can be very tasty) novelty waffles (skip the syrup), whole grain cinnamon toast.

Lunch/Dinner - Morningstar Farm "chicken" nuggets and dip (these are vegetarian and better for you), Annies MacNCheese (all natural), Pizza, Natural Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Morningstar Farm spinach nuggets, Veggie dogs (again, you don't have to be vegetarian to get the benefits of these healthy alternatives to what kids love).

I get my daughter to eat almost anything if I cut it up really small. Dip is also a great mommy secret.
Bananas with a small amount of hersheys syrup to dip them in.
Sliced apples, skin removed with a small amnt of cinnamon sugar to dip them in.
Any vegetable served with Ranch!
Nuggets, hot dogs etc served with Ketchup.

Ok - so some of these things seem like a treat but really the small amount of sugar is no big deal compared to the benefits of a whole banana or 5 carrots!

Good luck!

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S.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi M.
If he would rather drink have you tried smoothies? Also do you sign with him? I teach sign and it has helped me a lot and I have a friend who's daughter has a speech delay and it has helped her and her daughter communicate. If you would like more info e-mail me
____@____.com

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S.

answers from Phoenix on

> I have a two (almost 3, in Sept) and a 16 month old. My younger one would rather drink than eat too. I try to limit his drinking so he will get hunger and eat. My mother and doctors have told me that a child will not let himself go hunger. Don't go over board in trying to make expensive meals...just as long as they eat. They eat what ever I make the whole family for dinner. Chicken, potatoes, veggies, pastas....my little one likes his spaghetti noddles with a little butter and garlic instead of the tomato sauce. When I'm just feeding them I'll make hot dogs, corn dogs, mac & cheese, slices of cheese-cold cuts-crackers, all kinds of fruit, they also like slices of carrots in the can because their soft. And believe it or not they like shrimp. I'll buy a bag of shrimp and thaw a little bit at a time to snack on. They also like the battered shrimp that you heat up in the oven.

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M.O.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi M.,
How are you with your 2 yr. old? I hope this time from the great advices that you got, he is not as picky anymore.
I do have a 2 yr old as well.
with all the hard work that we do(job, cook, patience in feeding them)... i want to share with you a secret.

If you want to have the peace of mind that your child is getting the right, complete, balanced nutrition, what I do is I give him a nutritional supplement drink everyday. It is specifically made for kids, same scientists that formulated Enfamil. It even comes with nutrients that continue to get the brain developed. ( who knows if this helps the speech delay) It is in a powder form, chocolate or vanilla flavor and shake it up with his 2% milk. so simple and easy. no fuss. He loves it, he thinks it is his treat - chocolate milk.

Let me know if this is something that would interest you. I'll give you more details. You can call me at ###-###-####.

cheers to better life,
M. O.

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E.

answers from Omaha on

Hello M., I always found (and still do) that if let my children help me prepare the food and give them lots of positive reinforcement about how well they cook, they will eat anything as long as they "made" it. My kids are now 9, 8 & 5 and anytime I want to serve something new that is questionalbe that they will try, I have them help me prepare it....even something as small as them stirring, measuring or getting things out of the fridge/cupboards. Hope this helps!
E. :)

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