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Toddlers That Just Won't Eat
Handling Picky Eaters, Light Eaters and Appetite Slumps
By Jacqueline Bodnar
"He refuses to eat vegetables and meat. He likes to eat fruit and bread, and he used to like to eat yogurt, but even that has become hit or miss," says Sara Krull, a mother of two toddlers in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. "People always say that if children are hungry, they will eat, but it is still worrying to have your child eat so little, and not eat from all of the food groups."
Krull shares the same nutritional concerns about her 14-month-old son as many other parents do. Toddlers can leave you wondering how they have the energy to keep going all day and yet eat only a few bites of food. The more you know about why toddlers have the eating habits they have, the better you'll be able to handle the situation.
"Picky toddlers are an interesting but complex topic," says Lucille Beseler, a registered dietician, president of the Family Nutrition Center of South Florida and co-author of the book Nurturing with Nutrition (DMI, 2003). "Toddlers normally will go through periods of being picky eaters."
Beseler, who specializes in pediatric nutrition, points out that children's appetites usually decrease after they turn a year old. Because of this, people often think they just aren't eating. One major concern is that parents often evaluate a child's eating habits based on their own. This can become a problem because adults are often used to eating by the clock, out of boredom or for emotional reasons.
Toddlers, on the other hand, are still in tune with their body's hunger cues. They are more apt to skip meals if they aren't hungry. Parents often mean well, but in an effort to make sure their toddlers get sufficient nutrients, they ultimately teach their children to ignore the hunger signals and simply eat by the clock, or by how much is on their plate. Experts today are urging parents against this, as it may lead to weight management problems later on.