Help My 2Year Old Eats, Cheese and Maccaroni Only

Hi A.,

I'm not judging you but you don't seem to understand that as long as you allow him to have a bottle, he is getting his way. The same is true for getting him to eat other things. He is way too old for a bottle and he's at an age that he clearly needs to know that YOU are the parent and he is the CHILD. As long as he doesn't see you as the "enforcer," he will continue to be defiant. Hence, he will refuse to eat anything but the things he wants. It's a battle that any parent would agree should never be lost to a child. Good luck.

Like other's said, it's normal. Pediatricians will tell you not to worry about it and just give him a multivitamin. What I did with my 4 kids is give them whatever we were eating, I never made anything special just for them after they were 2, at dinnertime. If they are hungry they will eat, if not, they won't. My kids have an "eat one bite of everything" rule. After that, if they choose not to eat, then they just have to wait for us to finish. My kids range from 3-9 and eat pretty much anything, but it wasn't always like that. I just continued to serve what we were having and over time they will eat more and more foods. As for lunch though, they could eat mac and cheese as much as they want! I just add things in, like meatballs or hot dogs, veggies, pieces of chicken etc.
As for the bottle, it will start to mess up his teeth after awhile. Try offering him spill proof sippy more and more often and then one day offer only that, even if he protests.

Depending on how MUCH he loves his bottle (how many calories he is consuming via the bottle), it might very well be affecting how much food he is eating. So in order to encourage eating actual food, you may HAVE to cut back on the bottle.

That issue aside, offer something new every day.. alongside his favorites. Just don't give him enough of his favorites to satiate him. (Leave room for the new stuff in his tummy).

Try scrambled eggs. If he likes cheesy stuff, stir some shredded cheese into the eggs when they are just done... it will melt almost immediately. Have you tried fresh whole blueberries? What about fresh strawberries? My daughter LOVED strawberries, and you can put a "shot" of reddi-whip on the plate for him to dip them in if you want to. My kids also love fresh raspberries... I must say that it took my kids a while before they ever enjoyed any of the citrus fruits... so I'd skip the oranges for now. But, you can slice apples into wedges for him to dip in peanut butter.
My kids loved olives, too. Regular pimento stuffed green olives. Later they tried the black ones and like them even more than the green...

Most kids like regular old spaghetti. Maybe put a tablespoon of spaghetti sauce (the kind without meat or a lot of added stuff) on one side of the plate, and let him figure out what to do with it...
Most kids also like pizza. You can make your own at home with a Mama Mary's crust and some Pizza Quick sauce. All you really need after that is some mozzarella cheese (and whatever you like on YOUR pizza... just leave one little section of it that is relatively plain for your little man).
Have you offered him yogurt? There are so many varieties out there, in every flavor imaginable...
Seems a lot of kids like to eat corn on the cobb... something about biting it right off the cobb must to appeal to them.
The best plan is to have him sitting WITH you at mealtime and just put a teaspoon of whatever you have on your plate, onto his. Pull that high chair right up to the table... if you can remove the tray and let the chair be a "booster" chair, do that--- have him eating right off the same table as you.
Let him decide what to try while you are all enjoying the meal. During the meal, you will want to put a cup with water in it for him to drink from -- not the bottle.
Hope some of these ideas help!
P.S.
FWIW, my kids have never liked foods that have a lot of sauce or melted cheese on them. Plain eggs, green beans, broccoli or noodles are eaten, but ones with cheese or sauce on them are left on the plate. They also prefer a lot of RAW veggies. Won't TOUCH a cooked carrot, but like them raw... with ranch dressing for dipping...
So offer a particular food one way one meal, and another at another meal.. you might get different responses depending on how they are prepared and your little one's personal preferences.

I've done mac and cheese with corn and cut up hot dogs mixed in. It tastes pretty good. My friend makes chicken nuggets. She buys ground chicken, scoops it with a cookie dough scooper, dips it in egg and milk and then in breading. Her breading is finely chopped up pecans and parmesan cheese, but you can use whatever you want. Then she puts them on a cookie sheet, flattens them just a bit, and puts them in the oven for 30 min. I can't remember what temperature though. Quesadillas are a good variation. Also, maybe you can put peanut butter and bananas on a tortilla or bread or something.

About the bottle. I have a friend who has a 2.5 year old and 18 month old, and they both still take a bottle. The older one only gets it at night. When I broke my daughter, she was 15 months. I just took away one bottle feeding until it was just at night. Then, I took that one away. You can give him string cheese or yogurt if you're worried about his calcium. He may throw a fit, but stick to your guns. Maybe put the milk in a sippy cup in place of the bottles. I sometimes hold a sippy cup of milk like a bottle for my 13 month old, and that works. Good luck. Don't feel too bad. You're not the only one. Just don't let him take advantage of you. Keep trying, he'll eventually like something.

don't worry about it; he's not going to starve! At least make sure he gets a multivitamin....they come in gummi chewables and all sorts of creative forms. Soon he will outgrow this phase and switch to something else. Just continue to offer a variety of choices and reward him for trying a bite of something new.

elbow maccaroni with row cherry tomato cut in halfs, salt and olive oil. they use to love it.......

Hey, A.. My daughter went through that phase. I added other foods to the macaroni and cheese. For example, drain the juice off of a can of peas and carrots and mix it in. It may not sound very appetizing at first but you could slowly work up to making chicken maccaroni and cheese with a mixture of vegetables. Maccaroni and cheese is great because you can get very creative with it. After a while, switch it up and use a different kind of pasta and then different sauces. As he grows, so will his tastes. Just be patient. Good luck to you.

I am probably repeating what a lot of the other posters said. They will not let themselves starve, so only feed him what you are making for yourself, if he eats it, great. If he doesn't, oh well, there is nothing else. If he is looking for something to eat about 1/2 hour to 1 hour later, offer the untouched food again. He will learn fast. If he is hungry, he will eat it.
My kids have gone to bed without dinner many times, they are not malnourished and in fact are growing well. I will make some slight concessions, like if I make spaghetti - one of my boys does not like sauce on it, so i will take some aside and put butter instead. If we do stir fry, one of them does not like vegetables, so he only gets just the meat (patted dry because he doesn't like any sauce!!) with some white rice. But he is still eating what I make for everyone.
If your son learns that you will make mac and cheese or whatever he wants for each meal, he will get used to it and expect it as he gets older. Don't set yourself up for that!!!

TJIF has a great spinach dip, my kids love it. Try a bean burrito. We do something called DAB DAB, they love the freedom of dabbing their things in dips. Grilled cheese with ham or turkey, cut in small triangles. Scrambled Eggs and spagetti sauce, with toast. Meatballs. Gyro meat is now my 11mth olds favorite meat. Soft in small pieces. Uh, zucchini fritters, shreaded zuchinni with egg and flour and seasoning fried and red sauce to dip. If you do the dab dab, do it with grilled cheese and cheese and broccoli soup. Try slicing sweet potatoes, and drizzle olive oil and season with salt, garlic powder and pepper with sprigs of rosemary and then roast it in the oven. Egg and sausage with cheese and potatoes are a favorite as well. Hummus, with pita. My kids love mac and cheese too, but you know, this isn't so nutritious. Add meat and veggies to it. It will be a different taste but hey it's good. I used to slice turkey and add softly cooked brocolli to it. Also, puree tuna salad and put it on a bread and cut it in small squares, they love that here. And fish that's seasoned well and baked or grilled. Good luck! Jen

I like the idea of still presenting food items to your child, even if he doesn't eat it. My son is presented what I am eating, whether he likes it or not. I don't make him anything special because I don't want him to think I am waitress. But I also usually include something like mac and cheese (whole wheat) as our starch and sneak veggies (pureed) in with the cheese. Carrots, and/or red, orange, and yellow peppers work really well. You have to be really careful in how you do it though. If they can tell, they usually refuse the item. Clever little devils. But, Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook has all sorts of great "sneaks" for getting more nutrients into your child's (and your own) diet without sacrificing general yumminess.

Best wishes!

I fed my kids real food very early (12 weeks) and the rule was the same then as now. Here's dinner, eat or not, its your choice. Both my kids eat anything I put in front of them. Try not making food really bland. I think alot of moms over compensate and think its taste that is the issue, when for some kids its not enough taste that is the issue. As far as the bottle goes, you do what you do. We all have some weakness with our kids. For some its the sleeping issue, for some its the bottle for others a different issue. Try to cut it down though. Start with only in the house, then only before sleep times, then only at night, etc. Some say the cold turkey method is best and if he has a birthday coming up, you might try to start warning him now that at three the bottle is gone. Remind him almost every day and make a big deal about the big boy thing and then at 3 take it away. My son took a bottle at night until 3. We almost had him off it, then he regressed when his sister was born and I had second child guilt so I allowed it. He's off it now, as your son will be soon as well. Good luck.

Hello,
I also have a 2 year old. Kids will try and get what they want, our job is to train them to obey what we ask of them because we know what is best. I have had many friends in your situation and I have talk to my doctor about it- the doctors say that no child will stave to death by choice! You make your child's plate with exactly what you and your family are having for dinner and that is the only choice. You may put on his plate chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. He won't eat everything, but he'll eat some of it (probably not the vegetables)he will learn to eat new things and eat as a family. I don't give "snacks" or desert after dinner, if you do they will simply wait for that time to eat. My 2 year old eats lamb, ribs, steak, fish,everything! I trained him to do that. Obviously if you are having something for dinner that he is unable to eat (allergic or can't chew it) then make him something different than the family, but try to make that very rare.
Good luck.

My 22 month old son loves his mac and cheese too...and occasionally goes on strike against other food choices. We've had weeks where it was only mac and cheese for dinner every night. Several months ago I started making homemade mac and cheese so I knew at least he was getting quality ingredients instead of powdered cheese sauce. It made me feel a little better to use whole wheat pasta, real milk and real cheese. It also gave me the chance to add in other ingredients like broccoli or little bits of chicken. I also get the chance to change the type of pasta used (elbow noodles, bowtie and wagon wheels are favorites here) so he's still being exposed to new textures and shapes.
Also, since my little guy loves cheese I can use that as a base to expand his food preferences. Grilled cheese sandwiches, string cheese, cheese covered broccoli, etc...all stem from his love of mac and cheese. While I don't want him to be a cheese addict his entire life, right now it's a vehicle to get him eating other items...plus he doesn't drink cow's milk so he gets his calcium from the cheeses.
Good luck. I'm sure this is just a phase that will pass with time. :)

Try to mix in veggies or grounded meat in the mac and cheese. My daughter only wants mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. Introduce everyday some fruit and if they don't eat it, just leave it there for him to view (everyday, for two weeks). He'll eventually be familiar with it and eat it in the future.

About the bottle, my little loves her warm milk there too. :o) Let it be. They are only little once. The days are long but the years are short. :o) Good luck. :o)

not judging you on the bottle- you might want to try nuby soft spout sippy & then move on to a 'take n' toss' sippy after that...

as for mac n cheese- I mix in canned organic peas and also you can mix in spinach and also broccoli...

toddler might refuse, but eventually will eat it!

just keep offering new foods.
and offering.

so much you can try: quesadillas w/ veggies in them
meatballs with veggies in them

try cheese sauce on veggies
parm cheese on veggies- let him shake it himself

give cheese sauce on side in little dish to dip veggies

Try to include your 2 year old in the preparation of the meals. Tell him he is going to make dinner tonight. Give him all the credit. He would be more apt to try out his own creation. But be sure to hold your ground and let him know Mommy knows what is best for him. If you lose control on this issue, it could turn into a pattern for other issues as he gets older. He needs to know that you make the rules on things that are important for his health and safety.

I would not worry too much about the bottle. Once one of his little friends makes fun of him for still using one, he will stop all by himself. I say let him use the bottle whenever he wants and then point out that you think people are staring at him.

He's carbing out...He needs the calories. That's ok. Is he taking a vitamin/mineral supplement?

My kids would not eat whole fruit, so I chopped and bagged and froze fruit, made "smoothies" with yogurt and a bit of any healthy addition: mega 3, flax seed, aloe, vitamin/mineral supplement, ...the stuff noone wants to drink straight...yuck!
take the rest and make popsicles. The kids love them! And they are consuming fresh fruit (and carrots and celery are sweet and great in the blender, too) with no complaints.

My daughters ped told me kids go through phases, she went through one where she only ate cheese hotdogs for weeks! Just keep introducing other foods and he will soon expand his diet. You know about the bottle thing so I will not comment, but the milk intake may be a problem. At your sons age he should only be taking in 16 ounces of milk a day. To improve his appetite you need to make sure you are limiting his milk to that much, and avoid giving it during mealtime as this reduces his appetite further. I give it in the morning after breakfast and at night just before bed.

My 18 month old is picky too... he loves the mini lunchables with cubed turkey, cheese and crackers... he WON'T eat mac and cheese!
I have found that he will be more adventurous when given a fork and spoon and a variety of food on his plate to "sample". I make sure that I always offer just a bit of what we are eating so that he has an opportunity to try it. (He loves feeding himself yogurt, applesauce and eggos now)
As for the mac n cheese, I still buy squash baby food and mix that in with my childrens' mac and cheese. While my 18 month old won't eat it, my 3.5 year old does and I know I'm sneaking in a vegetable serving there. It makes me feel better about serving it to her. I also add the squash to spaghetti sauce. (My husband is horrible about eating his veggies too! LOL)
The dippy (dab dab) is a great idea, too. from another Mom. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into shapes (we have heart shaped pb&j sandwiches here). Be creative and make food fun ~ maybe your 2 year old will enjoy that.
I once read never to make food a battle and live by that.
You might also try cutting back on milk (at least before meals) and offering more water. This might make your son hungrier for his meals??? You know your son best in this case.
Good luck!
T. B.
Mommy to Katie 3.5 and Matthew 18 months

My girl is two and a half loves mac and cheese and her bottle :) She's eating other things now but before when it was only mac and cheese I'd hide other good stuff in there. I'd mix in an egg, or boil vegetables and squash them in there. I knew she was getting more of a balance that way and also introducing her to other tastes. Her palette is much wider now. Good luck.