Getting a Picky Toddler to Eat

I am only speaking in my experience.
With two boys both going through the picky eating stages of toddlerhood, I have had more then a few nights of frustrations. Dinner time is melt down time for all of us. Hubby is working most nights through dinner and I have the wonderful task of fighting with my boys through the worst meal of the day.

This stage for us started about 16 months for each of them. My oldest started compromising and will SOMETIMES eat some meat or veggies without too much struggle (I am emphasizing "SOMETIMES") once he turned 3. My soon to be 2 year old will not budge.

I tried reverse psychology, letting them not eat if they don't want what I have cooked or at the end would find something else to give them that was semi healthy.


Here is a small list of what they would not eat. Anything green, anything orange, tomatoes, potatoes, Let's just say anything vegetable. Melons, peaches, nectarines, oranges. blueberries and raspberries, steak, turkey, chicken (unless shaped like a dino and covered in crunchy coating), meatball meat loaf, one won't eat burgers, sausage, pork, fish, soups, stews, casseroles..... You know what it will be easier to tell what they will eat.


Fruit and Nut- apple, banana, strawberry, watermelon, sometimes blueberry, orange juice, cashews, peanuts.
Meat and fish- Chicken nuggets, the occasional fish stick and one will eat burgers with cheese
Grains - cereal, waffle, pancakes, bread, some rice, some pasta.
Dairy - Milk, Yogurt, cheeses
Other - pizza, JUNK FOOD OF ANY KIND

After months of basically cooking 2 meals, one for adults and one for kids and still needing to find something they would agree to eat I have had enough.

There are new rules in our house and they have not been implemented without a tantrums.

Now we sit down to dinner. I give the boys their dinner. It includes a meat of some kind and veggies. I don't give them drinks or any extra sides like cheese or bread unless it is part of the main dish. They sit at the table until they have eaten some dinner.

The 3 year old has caught on quickly. With some fussing and a time out or 2 he will eat part of his dinner, smile, say it was good and gets down to play.

The 2 year old is another story. They most stubborn child I have ever come across. he will pretend to eat something and wait till I look away to spit it out or feed the dog. Then he will lie to me and say "Yaaaay!! I did it!" He will watch us eat dessert and forgo it to avoid eating th3e dinner in front of him. He will sit at the table for an hour or more refusing to eat. He will go to bed rather then eat a peice of meat and a bite of veggies. But we are getting their because a few nights he did have a bite or two;)

We have eaten stews, soups, casseroles, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli and some chicken and steak. Not large amounts but enough for me to know they are trying and tasting.


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