Dinner for a Toddler

It looks like you have gotten a lot of good advice - I will just add one thing, as my daughter also is asleep often before i finish dinner. I have started putting up a child size portion of the meal we are having, and heating that up the next night for Abby. She is always a day behind, but she gets the same food we eat, and I don't have to think about what to make for her.

Good luck,
Sherri

He's still a baby. Fish sticks and veges in the last afternoon/early evening is a meal. If he sleeps all night and doesn't wake up in the middle of the night hungry, then he is satisfied. Don't worry about it. If you know he eats well at school and other times you are with him, he's OK.

As long as the food you are giving him does not contain empty calories (like cookies, etc - no nutrition) then let him be the judge of when he is hungry. As long as he is eating a variety of foods that are nutritious, then don't worry about it.

Hi M.,

I'm a working mom too and I totally know how hectic it can be between pick-up from daycare, to dinner to bath to bed... I make my 26 month old about 2 cups (16 oz) of a yogurt smoothly each night for the next day. I give her one first thing in the am, the other as soon as we get home (while I'm making dinner) which helps alleviate any tantrums due to after-school hunger. If I was really organized (?!), I suppose I could take the evening smoothie with me to work and keep it in the refrigerator there, and then give it to her on the drive home from daycare... that way she would have more time to digest it before dinner.

Really simple recipe: 3 normal adult size yogurts, mix in enough milk to make it drinkable; in total the mixture usually amounts to 2 1/4 cups (she won't drink it with fruit pieces so I strain out any chunks). Put it in her plastic cups with straws... (straws seems to work magic by the way! Keeps her interested in it, especially if she can be the one who puts the straw into the cup...) Each yogurt carton says it equals 5 grams of protein. So, I know she's getting at least 7 grams of protein (plus calcium, iron, etc) in each... which totally relieves me on those occasions when she's too picky or tired to eat a substantial dinner.

I guess you could buy pre-made yogurt smoothies and use those... My DD is allergic to cows milk so I make hers with goat milk yogurt. But the idea should work for any working mom and small child...

I was told by my doctor and a childs stomach is the size of the childs fist, therefore it is small. You are smart to feed him those snacks which seem to be healthier then some moms feed their children. Keep up the good work.

I was always concerned about that to; however I was told that my daughter would eat when she wa shungry and not any other time. If your baby wasn't beinf feed enough trust me he would let you know he was still hungry. Just make sure that when you do give him snacks they are healthy ones like fruit or veggies, maybe even yogurt. so that you are able to help aide in teaching him good eating habits. I hope this helps. L. Freeze

M.,

I went through the same concerns with my son, who is now almost 4.
He also doesn't always want much in the evening.
As I've come to understand, kids are much more aware of their dietary intake needs (quantity, not necessarily quality) than we are. If he's not losing weight and you know you are providing him with nutritious foods for breakfast and lunch, I wouldn't worry about it.
Fruits, veges, and some healthy grains at some time during the day. He'll get the rest throughout his week in the amounts he probably needs.

my 21 month old has good days and bad days too - and he eats with my 8, 10, and 12 year old, so it's not that he doesn't have the chance - don't force him, and as he gets older, his eating habits will match yours. I'm not ever worried about mine because I know he'll end up like his brother and sisters and us. 21 months is still pretty young to be set in his eating ways.

Everything you are doing sounds good. Kids have a great way to let you know if they need food or not. My friends little boy is a little over 2 and some nights he doesn't want to eat at all and he is perfectly fine. He is growing and doing very well. If he is a good eater then I wouldn't worry about it.

It is amazing how toddlers eat (or do NOT eat) and still grow to be so big and strong. My, now 15 y.o. had stomach issues when he was little and honestly did not eat ANYTHING but peanut butter and jelly and canned goats milk for 3 - 4 years. He is big and healthy now, was always in the 99% for height and 50% for weight. I guess my point is that they will NOT starve theirselves.

When both parents work long hours getting a meal on the table after work is NOT easy. Have you thought of using your crock pot during the week? That way dinner is ready when you get home. Or pre-prepare a lot of your weekly cooking during the weekend. That way you can throw a casserole together in 5 minutes and have family time while it cooks. Just plan your menu for the week over the weekend and pre cook the meat, chop the veges, anything that you can do ahead of time - do it. Also make enough on Monday for leftovers on Wednesday. That will save some time too. That way instead of feeding him a snack you can pop those leftovers out and he has a meal in the length of time it takes the microwave to heatit up. hope these ideas help some. I know it is not easy.

Ah dinner issues with an almost 2 year old...I remember them well...I call them fondly the "days of milk and air"...it seemed like my son lived on milk and air...he just didn't eat very much. These were some of the foods that worked for us.

I pushed protein: peanut butter on anything he would eat it on bread/crackers/veggies/apple slices etc., Barilla Plus pastas (they have extra protein and Omega-3's in them) I would put a little butter and Parmesan cheese on it, cream cheese on graham crackers, yogurt (lots of yogurt), cottage cheese, chunks of baked chicken, cheese cubes, steamed broccoli (I called them "dinosaur trees").

I hope this helps, if your son seems satisfied try not to worry.

{{{{hugs}}}}

Hi M.
Children are the best eaters they eat when they are hungry not out of bordem sadness stress.You could always give him a flinstones vitamin.Check with your doctor as long as he is the right weight for his age and height I think you are good to go.

Hello.
My daughter is 32 months. Our pediatrician said that at this age they get most of their food during the day. Not to worry if they don't want to eat much at night. They know when they are hungry and not to push it on them. Bre

I wouldn't worry. I have three boys ages 20, 16, and 12years old and i went threw it three times and my boys all are healthy and tall. I had them take vitamins since they were babies. I learned to never make food a big issue because it will make you and your child miserable.

O. O

When I worked in day care we had several children with similar issues. The kids usually get a late afternoon snack after nap, but some of these kids will literally STARVE themselves from lunch to save up room for the juice and cookies at snack time!! Then they gorge themselves.

Some of the parents solved their problems by declining the "normal" afternoon snack and sending a nutritious snack (whole wheat crackers w/ milk, or slightly cooked carrots with dipping sauce or somthing similar). At daycare, we didn't always give juice and cookies, but "snack" seemed to be enjoyed much more than the steamed broccoli for lunch!! LOL

If this is the case with yours, you can also substitute the juice for water or (depending on the time you pick him up) decline him the snack all together. Then, he'll have more of an appetite for dinner.

As far as what to feed them, I have two kids, 4 and 2. 2 is a tricky age no matter what. My son would literally fall asleep on his plate EVERY NIGHT and I would have to stay up and feed him dinner around 9 pm. With my daughter, she stays awake just fine, but get's picky about some things. Sometimes she wont eat her favorite stuff, sometimes she will. With her, it's really a shot in the dark!

Bottom line is that if they are not loosing weight, I wouldn't worry about it from night to night. Sometimes they eat, sometimes they don't. With toddlers, it all seems to just balance out from day to day.

Do you live in my household and I'm not aware of it? My son is identical!!!! Anyway, I just make sure he is on a good vitamin faithfully, and I've quit fretting. It varies on what he eats and how much for dinner. We just kind of roll with the waves.

M.: I'm sure what I'm going to suggest is not what
you want to hear. Your son is 21 months old, time will
fly by and you'll turn around and he'll be 21 years old.

You can improve his eating habits by making him the priority
over the "hectic life." You know what time he gets hungry and what time he goes to sleep. My advice is to give that child a schedule he can depend on. Choose your priorities and stick to them.

We all have times when we have to do things during the
week but your letter suggests this is all the time during
the weekdays. If you're busy, maybe Daddy needs to pick
up the slack. It's a hard job but not a hard decision.
Good luck!

I wouldn't worry about him not eating enough. My doctor told me that when my kids were little that some days they will not eat very much, then others they will eat more. Just wait till he hits his teenage year, that will all change. Mine eats like a horse!! Seems like I can't keep enough food in the house for him to snack on.

My 2 year old did the same thing a few months back. She would eat tons for breakfast and lunch. Anything I made for her eggs, toast cereal sandwiches....anything! Then dinner time came and she ate NOTHING. I talked to her doc at a checkup and he said this was very common. So we eliminated the afternoon snack and it got a little better still not like I thought it should. So I started fixing her dinner for lunch and lunch for dinner. She got a warm meal in the afternoon and the fruit and sandwich offered in the evening. It worked for me, and I know she got more nutrition this way. I even sent it with her to MDO 2 times per week. She got over it, but some days still not interested in dinner! Doc said no biggie, they regulate themselves and take what they need and leave the rest....now if I could only do that!!!!

I used to tell my Doctor that I thought my daughter must be ordering pizza in the middle of the night, because she never wanted to eat, yet kept getting bigger! Toddlers are amazing with the amount of food they can sometimes put away and then the lack of food they can some times live on. One thing is for sure, they will tell you when they are hungry. If he is not waking up in the middle of the night then he is eating enough.

Give your son his meal when you get home and give him a snack when if he is awake when you normally fix the family...That way he gets the meal you desire him to have and a bit extra if he manages to stay awake...

Good Luck... ;-)

Do not worry about him getting enough nutrition each day...of course offer it, but kids have an inate ability to get what they need for their growing bodies over the course of a week... ;-)

i also try to never force my son to eat, but i do make it clear that what little he does eat must be worthy, so when he's in a nibble mood, i only offer healthy stuff. he used to refuse, but when i didn't give him anything else he's gotten used to eating only good stuff, so i avoid 'filler' like cereal, packaged snacks, etc.

children eat what they need in 24 hour cycles, not by the meal...i.e....maybe they'll want all fuit one meal, all protein another, all carbs another but they don't eat "balanced meals" by the meal, they do it by the 24 hour period. This is what a peditrician explained to me when I fretted about one of my toddler's eating habits. Hope it helps you as much as it did me.
L.

If he is falling asleep and staying asleep, he is full. I am betting he would wake up if he were hungry. I agree with you about not forcing food on him. It is your job to offer healthy meals and his job to eat.

He sounds just fine, mama!

You have nothing to worry about. My daughter's pediatrician said that toddler's don't eat like adults and they are picky eaters. My daughter was only eating cheese and crackers for some time and I was concerned. But, her pediatrician comforted me by telling me that they will tell you when they are hungry and they don't need much to eat when they are toddlers. And, so far she's been healthy. So, if I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Hi M.,

I have a ten yr old son and he used to do that when he was around that age, and the pediatrician always told me just to give him his vitamins and that he should be alright for the times when he doesn't eat. said this was normal and that he would eat when he's hungry. I wish you the best of Luck with everything! and God BLess You!

Maria

Very normal - my daughter did that and she is now 4 yrs old. and my son does that now and he is 23 months. I had asked the pediatrician when it first started happening, and she said that if they are hungry they will let you know. They would be extra fussy etc., especially if they are going through a growth spurt. Their stomach is only as big as their fist. In the world of supersizing, its hard for us to know what is the right portion size and food intake for our kids. They wont be eating us out of house and home until they are teenagers...hopefully not until then. Hope this helps.

Hi.

It is true that children will not starve themselves, but it is also true that you need to manage what he eats. It is never a good idea to give him a "snack food" when it's time for a meal. Kids need good calories for healthy development. Don't count on day care to accomodate your childs nutritional needs. You are "training" your child on when and what to eat and giving him "snack foods" at random times is not a healthy way of life. Do not offer alternatives during dinner. Make it a habit for your family to sit down and eat the same meal together every night. You can't force him to eat what you're eating so make something you think he'll enjoy. Also have him try new things. It may take several attempts at different meals but eventually he may like it. The most important thing you can do for your child is make time to have dinner as a family and talk about your day. Turn the TV off. Prioritize this family time. Begin preparing your meal at the same time each day. Make it a routine. Your family will succumb to this schedule and appreciate you for it in time. There are a lot of things you need to be doing. But they can wait. This is 1 short hour out of your day that you owe to yourself and your family. When your son is a little older, cut the veggies for him but let him toss the salad. Drain the potatoes but let him smash them. By getting him involved, your also getting him interested in the process of the meal which is very rewarding for him. Most of all, embrace this special moment with your family. You don't have to prepare a 5 course meal. Put something in the crockpot. Just enjoy this time that has become lost to the present day family.
HTH

I wouldn't be too concerned as long as you know that the food he is being offered is nutritious. I would also recommend vitamins when he turns 2. A rule I adopted from my sister is that they have to have so many bites of each food as per their age. (age 2 = 2 bites of each) That way I know they are at least getting a little of each food group. There is no need for counting when it is food they like, or they are really hungry. My doctor says that a child who is offered food will eat when they are hungry. They won't starve when there is food to eat, even if they skip a few meals. Just make sure you are offering good food and snacks.