My 2 Year Old Son Won't Eat!! HELP!!

My first thoughts are to stop giving him liquid nutrition as a supplement (still give him sippy cups and such like an average child would drink) but only offer him solid food. He will get hungry and he will eat. Otherwise you have a stronger case for taking him to the pediatrician. My son is 2 and weighs 24 pounds. He has his favorites, chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. He also loves fruit. See if you can find something he loves and start there. My pediatrician said that if they go more than 4 days without eating, then there is a problem, but that their bodies can handle up to 4 days without solid food.

Good luck..I hope you can find the right balance.

He's getting a lot of nutrition from the supplements but also a lot of sugar. I would agree with the previous commenter and take him off of the liquid supplements and keep a variety of foods in front of him. He will eat when he gets hungry. Try sitting down and munching on his snack with him so that he sees you eating, too.

Are you saying that he has never, ever eaten any solid food? If that is the case it is more than "he'll eat when he is hungry". You may look into having him evaluated by a speech or occupational therapist. He may have some delays or sensory issues that need to be dealt with.

But if he has eaten solids in the past then I would back off the heavy calorie drinks you are giving him and offer him breakfast, lunch and dinner along with 2 small snacks during the day. Offer him things like whole wheat pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, fresh fruit, low-sodium cheese, boiled egg, steamed veggies tossed with a little olive oil and maybe some grated parm cheese on top, grilled cheese sandwich made with whole wheat bread and low-sodium cheese, yogurt, peanut butter on whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce. Don't fall into the trap of offering what you think of as "kid food". Offer healthy choices to build healthy eating habits. Also, he need to be sitting at the table with the family during meal times and during snack times. No grazing or wandering around with food.

Just a hunch, but is your little guy pretty smart and stubborn?

If so, he's playing you like a fiddle, mama. Two year olds are notorious control freaks, it's just how they're built. Add in a mommy who begs him to eat and puts an endless parade of food in front of him, complete with swirly spoon and airplane noises... well, it's every toddler's dream! What's not to love?

Your doctor isn't lying to you. If he's hungry, he'll eat. Just put a plate in front of him that contains whatever the rest of the family is eating. If he eats it, great! If he doesn't, oh well. Don't make any commentary, don't threaten or bribe or beg. If he doesn't eat, just clear his plate from the table along with everyone else's and move on with your day. He can eat at the next meal/snack time if he so chooses, but not until then.

As an aside, my younger child has always been tiny for her age and eats about a tablespoon of food at a time (she's almost 5 and is 32 pounds!). I was very worried at first but then realized I was making a big issue of something that didn't require it. Now she has to sit at the table with the rest of us, but if she doesn't eat, I really don't care. She is healthy and active and bright, and that's all that matters. Kids are actually really good at knowing how much food they need.

No worries, mama. Just keep feeding him at regular meal times, and eventually he'll eat.

Lauren has some good advice. He may not be hungry. maybe too much liquid. Instead of his Carnation Instant Breakfast, fix him a bowl of Cheerios. OR try a yogurt/fruit smoothie and whoops--if it's too thick, give him some spoonfuls to get him going.....maybe cut the amount of liquid in half and give it to him after you offer solid foods.
Unless there is a physical reason that he cannot swallow solids, he won't starve and he WILL eat IF he is hungry enough.
Try to decompress a little, he may just like watching you get upset about it. My oldest brother did the same thing (my mom's ped said if he ate O. cracker per day--so be it!). He would wake up in the morning and tell my mom "I'm not eating ANYTHING today" and she would cry. He liked being able to do that. You're the mom. Take control!

Alway continue to offer him healthy food. Does he drink all of his calories? My daughters doc told me that at two she should only have about 16 or 20 ounces of milk a day. She was drinking way more than that and once I cut back on that she started to be more hungry at dinner time. If he is drinking alot of calories then he wont be hungry. You might try limiting the drink and say he can have more if he tries some fruit or veggies, (stand firm and he will at least try something when he gets hungry which might take a long time) then give him more of what he likes to drink. Also could it be a texture sensitivity? Maybe he needs some therapy to learn how to handle diferent textures.

Have you talked to the Doc about your concerns?
Good luck, Toddlers can be very strong willed.

He's probably not eating because he's not hungry - which is a good habit for him to develop.

I would stop feeding him the carnation instant breakfast and pediasure - he'll eat when he gets hungry....that's true - a toddler won't starve themselves

Feeding him those liquids is kind of like if you drank a couple slimfast shakes or other meal replacement shakes a day - you wouldn't be hungry either - he's getting filled up on the protein and liquids in the shakes...

Start with foods that are simple - bananas, peas, carrots, fruit, cheese - just keep experimenting and you'll discover something he loves - don't be surprised if he sticks with one food for awhile and seems to only eat that - just keep offering lots of other options

I agree with Denise you need to rule out any sensory issues that could cause this. I'm reading a book called Just Take a Bite which has some helpful information.

I'm confused.....he won't and never has ate solid food or he is just on a non eating phase right now??

If he won't eat solid food ever-get a second opinion! Something is not right with that!

If he is just being stubborn right now, then stop with all the liquid supplements and offer him only healthy foods. If he eats, great. If not, the he doesn't get offered anything till next snack/meal time.

I would have him evaluated at Our Children's House........just to see if it is sensory or Failure to Thrive or something.....early intervention works......

Updated

I would have him evaluated at Our Children's House........just to see if it is sensory or Failure to Thrive or something.....early intervention works......

It depends. Has he EVER eaten any solid foods? Not baby food, but soft foods like bananas or fruit, cheese, yogurt, etc. If the answer is NO, he's never done anything but drink, you need to get either a speech or OT consult for feeding issues. If he's just being picky and doesn't want to eat or is eating only small amounts or certain types of food, it may just be a phase. If you're that concerned, you could get an ECI consult. They come into your home and offer services up to age three, usually free or very low cost to you (government funded program). They can provide help for feeding, and even have a dietician help you out and do weight checks to ease your mind.

You had some great suggestions below, but I would like to add DO NOT feed him food that has no nutritional value just so he eats something! This will just make the problem worse. Food that lacks nutrients will actually steal vital nutrients from the heart, lungs, brain, bones, etc. for digestion. Only offer nutrient dense foods, like fruits, vegetables, peanut butter on whole wheat, cheese, yogurt, etc. Carnation Instant Breakfast and pedi-sure are loaded with sugar. If you want to go that route try Shaklee Meal Shakes, or other nutritionally sound drinks. I also agree with vitamin supplementation, even if you have to get it in liquid or powder form and add it to the shakes so he eats it.

You've gotten a lot of good advice already. It could be sensory issues, which an OT would diagnose. Feeding therapy can help, but takes a long time. Cranio-Sacral massage therapy can work wonders with sensory issues. My kids and I have all had it for various reasons at various times. It's super gentle and safe for everyone from preemies to the very elderly when done by an experienced therapist. The really good thing is that you should see some obvious result after just one or two massages, unlike OT which takes months of twice or three times a week to make a dent in the problem. It's worth a try in my opinion. I rolled my eyes when the OT suggested we try it for my oldest when she was 5 and starting OT for sensory issues. When I saw how fabulous it was for her 6 months later, I wished I had known about it when she was a baby. Our lives would all have been easier. My youngest had a cranio massage at 4 days old just in case. You sit in with your son and he plays with toys or looks at books while the therapist works on him (fully dressed). We see Ken Piercy (www.kenpiercy.com).
Good luck.
S.
SAHM of 3

Thank you for asking this question. My 2 yr old son will only eat a handful of things too. It is so hard!! My doc says the same thing and long as he gaining weight and he will eat when he hungry. Well the doc do not have to be home with me when my son is follwing me around crying cuz he is hungry and he doesn't want to eat what I make. I do the smoothie thing and it work but then I think that maybe I am enabling his problem. Reading your answers have made me wonder if there is more to it then just terrible two's which seems to be everyone answer to any problem you have when they are this age. My son is really hard to handle at times so it makes me wonder. He is not talking either very few words.. ugh. Your not alone girlfriend, def not alone.

I have a now 5 year old who did the same. He has a very small throat, which is an under development from birth which makes his gag reflex terriable so he does not like to eat a whole lot. I also was concerned because you could see every bone in his body and it looked like he was starving. I gave him things like yogart and cheese and vienna sausage and then found anything he would eat good or bad for him cause the docs told me the same thing he would eat when he got hungry but he never would. Also I took him to a gastro doc who gave us some liquid med that made him hungry all the time and we fed him all the time. It got to where his hunger over ranked his fear of gagging. After about 3 months on this we took him off but his body wa salready used to eating alot. I do not make him eat beef or pork and we cater to his desire but until the age of 4 he was so skinny no he is growing like a weed. He is still slim but looks alot healthier. We do feed him when ever he says he wants something and give him high calorie snacks right at bed time and he still goes through phases of not wanting to eat. I use kid essential for him because it also helps boost him immune system not getting proper nutrition and it cuts down on him getting sick. Hang in there and unfortunately cater to his eating neeeds and wants till you can get the appetitie up.

He has NEVER eaten anything? At all?????? And he is 2 years old, and the Doctor is not concerned????

He is drinking his food. Okay, better than nothing you're thinking, right?

Is he drinking from a bottle? Or a sippy cup? Or straw cup?

Just try to hold back on the liquids.
Put out a tray, of small cut up foods... soft foods, or well cooked foods. Things he can grab with his hands & not choke. Put the tray on the coffee table or wherever he plays. An assortment of foods.... then leave it there, so that he can, on his own, explore and grab it and perhaps feed himself, putting it in his mouth etc.
That is what I did with my kids. And it made it child friendly. My kids HATED being in a high-chair. If foods/things were at kid height, on a low coffee table, they ate.

Or, make him smoothies... or, make him home-made soups with things in it that are minced up real small and/or pureed. My kids LOVED my soups and smoothies. Much healthier.

Next, I would be sure to rule out any swallowing problems or dysphagia etc. or perhaps he is texture sensitive....
Your Doctor saying he will eat when he's hungry doesn't help... because he is now 2 years old... and ALL this time, he has never eaten anything. So that "theory" to me, goes out the window. Is the Doctor concerned about his weight? How is his growth percentiles? Development? Hitting proper milestones?

All the best,
Susan

I would go to a different pedi for a second opinion, and ask for a referral to a nutritionist and an occupational therapist (you may have to get the OT referral from the nutritionist). My son was the same - and he WAS starving himself because he has sensory issues and his physical need to seek out certain sensory behaviors overrode other physical signs such as hunger. He would eat just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to gain weight. He was above average in other developmental areas, but he was NOT being stubborn just because he could. There are a host of reasons that could be causing your son to not eat - sensory problems, sensitive gag reflex, GI disorders, etc. For the first 2 years we stuck with the same pediatrician who dragged us through every physical test possible, then changed pedis and had to fight to get a referral. Since this has been a problem since your son was an infant, it sounds like something is definitely wrong. Don't give up trying to find the cause. I think it's important to rule out a physical cause first. If you have problems standing up to your pedi, remember that they are generalists and DO NOT know everything. Also, a good Dr won't be offended if you get a second opinion - if you feel like you're being "disloyal" to your pedi, let them know ahead of time you're going for a second opinion, and they should be supportive.

I have had GREAT luck with smoothies...yogurt, fruit, and i sneak in chopped spinach and use a bit of whole milk to add fat...my oldest is almost 3 and not even 30 lbs...so he is little too. He crushes those smoothies...you can probably sneak in a ton of white beans to get protein in him too...if he drinks through a straw, you will be golden. I trick it up all sorts of ways.
ALSO, both my kids (2.5 yrs and 14 months (not even 20lbs) take Juice Plus Gummies. Not cheap, but it is a peace of mind that they are getting all their veggies and fruits in regardless of how they eat during the day. May be worth looking into. I think it comes out to about 22.00 a month. If your son is 2, you could give him 2 fruits and 2 veggie gummies a day. My pediatrician said one gummy of each per year, so my little one takes one of each a day.

i haven't read all your responses yet so sorry if I'm just repeating...

I'm making one assumption, that he will eat a few things on occasion, now if he has NEVER had even one BITE of solid food, he needs to be seen by a Dr, that can refer you to a therapist that deals with eating problems in children, they do exist, and they are good at what they do.

My youngest ate very little at that age too, he drank tons of milk, I don't like meal replacement foods so I did not use pedi/carnation drinks. but in our case the Dr was right, he will get hungry. you might want to add water and take away the milk/liquid meals. he will get hungry and maybe even a little cranky but it is worth it, have lots of food that he does like available for him to "graze" on, fruit veggies pretzels cherrios, chicken nuggets, what ever he will eat. and you have to slowly change the way he is eating, the water will keep him from getting dehydrated and eventually he will eat, my son is 4 now and I still have to watch to be sure he is not "drinking" his daily intake of food. ps I never fed him baby food, but that was by choice and it had no affect on his eating, ours was more situational that caused him to get used to liquid meals over foods.

feel free to contact me with any questions if you need help doing this.

Sounds like he's a normal weight and you are getting the carnation and pedi-sure in him. 2 year olds are "terrible" eaters. One of my kids ate only PB&J for months. Take him to the store with you and let him pick out what he wants to eat. Even if he only chooses Captain Crunch the first time, let him eat it. Also, try letting him help you fix his food. This may get him interested in eating it. Hand in there, he will grow out of it soon :)