How do toddlers survive on so little food?

amother

Salmon

Tue, May 10 2016, 10:16 am

In a good day, my toddler eats:

- Small bowl porridge made with milk, a small banana

- A yogurt and half an apple

- A few slices of cucumber, some hummus and maybe a rice cake

- A few bites of whatever is for dinner.

- Half a cup of cow's or goat's milk 30 mins before bedtime.

He isn't thin at all, although not terribly chubby. Healways seems to say he is hungry but doesn't eat more than a bite or two of whatever he's given, unless it's yogurt or fruit which he would eat unlimited amounts of if I let him.

Normal?

observer

Tue, May 10 2016, 10:19 am

Mine eats a lot more, but If he is gaining, I think it's fine.

amother

Green

Tue, May 10 2016, 10:35 am

mine also eats nothing and I wonder how he survives. the dr says if hes gaining and in general happy then I dont have to worry.. so I dont. or rather try not to.. Smile

esther11

Tue, May 10 2016, 12:04 pm

My daughter says she's hungry all the time (because she loves the fridge!) but never eats! I was totally getting nervous about it so I spoke to my ped and he says toddlers are fine with the equivalent of 7 full meals a week. That could mean 1 a day or however ur child's body wants it.

OP, definitely ask ur ped, but from what u wrote is a good day and what our ped said, ur child is eating enough in my mind!

bluebird

Tue, May 10 2016, 12:25 pm

Try logging the food he eats for a few days then adding up the calories. Include everything--every snack, every juice, every milk, everything he eats or drinks even if you think it can't count. Also weigh all the food so you get an accurate count (we tend to over- or under-estimate, a bowl of porridge probably has more calories than you think it does!). You might be surprised to find that he's really eating the 1200-1600 calories recommended for toddlers.

black sheep

Tue, May 10 2016, 12:47 pm

totally normal. toddlers' fuel comes from the energy they pull out of you, so they don't need a lot of food.

littleprincess

Tue, May 10 2016, 12:56 pm

My toddler also doesn't eat much and I'm always worried that he might be hungry. Some days I'm busy trying to feed him all day. I just wanna know he had a good meal and can play happily, especially before bedtime.
He's gaining weight and is a very happy child bh.

Blessing1

Tue, May 10 2016, 1:13 pm

My doctor told me that 1/2 a chicken drumstick is enough for a toddlers dinner!

abaker

Tue, May 10 2016, 1:38 pm

amother wrote:

unless it's yogurt or fruit which he would eat unlimited amounts of if I let him.

Let him eat all the fruit and veggies he wants. And even yogurt too as long as it's not full of junky food coloring or artificial sugars or flavors. Nothing wrong with fruit and yogurt.

flowerpower

Tue, May 10 2016, 2:06 pm

My pedi told me that a half peanut butter sandwich a day is enough for them. I never run after kids to eat. As long as they had a good breakfast I don't worry. If they aren't undernourished and losing weight then I don't care. I put their food on the table at meal time and encourage them to eat along with the rest of the family. More than that I don't do. My toddler eats extremely little. He can go by the day with a small bowl of cereal and milk and not eat for hours. Later in the day he may eat an egg and a half cucumber. No lunch. No snacks. Barely touches dinner...

FranticFrummie

Tue, May 10 2016, 2:21 pm

My mom was brilliant about our food. She grew up with a horrible eating disorder, and she was determined not to pass it down to us.

She kept the bottom drawer of the fridge stocked with pre-cut fruit and veggies, and cubed cheeses. Anything we could eat with our fingers. She let us graze at will. She said I could go days without eating much of anything, and then the third day I'd stand at the fridge all day and eat to my heart's desire.

Carbs and sugar were strictly limited, I'm sure, but I don't remember every feeling deprived. Cookies were definitely around a lot, but kept up high, as a treat. Everything was home made, because mom loved to bake.

She never enforced strict times to eat, and only fed us meals if we said we wanted them. We were always encouraged to try the adult's food. The rule was "you don't have to like it, you don't have to finish it, but you do have to try it." We didn't even have to swallow, and could spit it into our napkin if we found it really gross. We were never shamed or pressured.

As long as the pediatrician was happy, she was happy. I'm raising DD the same way, and I still eat the same way. It helps your body recognize when it is full, and helps you realize when you are snacking out of boredom.

Tue, May 10 2016, 2:32 pm

The pediatrician logs height/length and weight on growth charts...as long as the child's growth is appropriate over time, you can feel reassured that he is naturally eating the right amount.

amother

Salmon

Tue, May 10 2016, 2:48 pm

Yogurts are expensive so we have to limit them to once a day, and fruit I'd rather he has more savory than sweet food. I guess it's not too bad then after hearing what others have said. I suppose occasionally he does have a day or two where he will eat more. I just feel guilty when I make something and he doesn't eat it and I don't offer him anything else (milk is the only thing I would give him after dinner if he hasn't eaten well). I do offer him things he has previously liked, even his favorites he sometimes gets stubborn about.

yamz

Tue, May 10 2016, 3:07 pm

OP, you didn't say how old your toddler is, but I wouldn't worry. I find that most little ones go through stages. Sometimes they eat very, very little for weeks on end, and then suddenly they have huge appetites for a few weeks. After which time they go back to eating less..... As others have said, as long as your child is maintaining his weight, he is probably fine.

Also, you didn't mention how much your toddler drinks. Sometimes they fill up on milk or other beverages. You might try to cut back a little bit on bottles or sippy cups and see if that helps.

FranticFrummie

Tue, May 10 2016, 4:02 pm

yamz wrote:

Also, you didn't mention how much your toddler drinks. Sometimes they fill up on milk or other beverages. You might try to cut back a little bit on bottles or sippy cups and see if that helps.

Excellent point. OP, are you giving juice during the day? Juice will kill his appetite, and fill him up with sugar. If he's craving sweet, give him whole fruits, not juice. He needs to develop a taste for plain water. It's super important.

Also, no drinks in bed, EVER!
/pet peeve

amother

Salmon

Tue, May 10 2016, 4:11 pm

He's 22 months.

We don't have juice at home - the only liquids he has is water during the day and milk half an hour before bedtime.

We eat very healthily in general, with plenty of protein/fruits/veg/healthy fats - we only have wheat products a few times a week, so sandwiches/crackers are out as an every day food. And no beans/legumes except green peas - no one seems to get on well with them.

He does like pureed vegetable soups in general, and sweet potatoes, I should probably make more of those foods.

He's obsessed with dairy. I don't even eat dairy at the moment as it bothers my stomach and I'd rather he didn't have it in huge quantities but he wouldn't eat much if I didn't give it at all.

So my question is developing now... should I be giving him a meal if he picks at it and only eats a few bites, or should I always be giving him just the foods I know he will eat a lot of? Is it wrong to offer a non-favorite meal if I know it means he will eat less that day?

FranticFrummie

Tue, May 10 2016, 4:22 pm

amother wrote:

It sounds like you are doing a great job so far! What does your pediatrician say about dairy for him? I had such a hard time with DD, because she was lactose intolerant for the first 9 years of her life, and she craved it! Not only that, the food she loved/hated changed daily, and made shopping for the week nearly impossible.

If it's OK for him, I don't see why one day a week of whole wheat mac and cheese would be so bad, especially if you hid pureed cauliflower in the sauce. You can make a batch and freeze them in small portions. Muffin tins are great for this.

I would give him two foods I know he'll eat, and one food he "might" eat, at dinner time. That way you can be sure that he'll eat something, and will expand his palate at the same time.

Kids do need more carbs than adults, because they burn off that energy. Oven baked potatoes with a tiny bit of olive oil "french fries" are a good option. Whole wheat crackers with cream cheese spread are not the end of the world. If he's not allergic, nut butters are an excellent source of protein.

Make whole wheat muffins, low sugar. Fill the batter with as much flax, oats, chopped nuts, chopped dried fruits, shredded zuccini, and shredded carrot as you can. The batter is just there to hold all the healthy stuff together. Add an extra egg for more protein, and to bind it all so it doesn't fall apart. (If adding zuccini, reduce the amount of liquids, or add more oats.)

Again, ask your doc about what proportions of carbs and dairy are good at his age. A lot of it will depend on where he's holding on the height/weight chart, and can change over time.

flowerpower

Tue, May 10 2016, 5:33 pm

For sure offer him meals that he only nibbles a few bites too. You want him to live on certain foods only? Expanding his taste buds is a good idea. For breakfast offer his favorite foods. That's when they tend to have a big appetite.

chanee

Wed, May 11 2016, 11:56 am

All my kids in general ate very little as toddlers. Their menu daily was less than the whole slice bread for breakfast, little yogurt, cup whole milk then snack on some pretzels. Light lunch of again 1/2 bread or cereal, another snack like rice cake and a bit of everything of what I made for supper. Also drinks and more drinks but only after I gave up with the actual meal. They never wanted anything fruits or vegetables only soup until around 5 years. They all did fine but are skinny

Chayalle

Wed, May 11 2016, 2:43 pm

My petite little DD's lived on love and air as toddlers. Your job as a mother is to offer healthy food. It's their job to eat what they need. They don't starve voluntarily, so don't drive yourself nuts about it.

(wish I had taken my own advice here, as a young mother. Would've saved me alot of stress and worrying!)