Feeding FAQ: 18-24 months

I have a little boy, who will turn two next month. Over the past few weeks I’ve been getting concerned that he’s not eating enough. He used to guzzle every meal, no matter what was offered, but now he just picks at some meals and I can’t seem to do anything to make him finish what’s on the plate.

Fiona Hinton's Response

My son has always been a good eater - apart from when he is ill or has a tooth coming through. During these times he will rely on sandwiches, toast and yoghurts. Because I know that he has always got back to normal eating once he feels better, I have gone along with this.

However, about four weeks ago, he got a bad chesty cold. Now he still has a bit of a cough and runny nose, but he is pretty much better – the problem is that he is still not eating. He sleeps fine – from 7pm til 7/7.30am and has a proper lunchtime nap.

He eats a Weetabix for breakfast at about 8am, then on the days when I have him he pretty much goes through to lunchtime (12 or 12.30pm) - maybe with a breadstick in between. Lunch has become cheese spread sandwiches and an organic, child-sized yoghurt, then he sleeps from around 1pm for an hour or an hour and a half. Until yesterday he has been having a little cup of milk when he wakes from his nap, but I decided to cut that out today in an attempt to get him to eat better.

Teatime is usually at 5pm and at the moment he will only eat toast or crackers and a cheese dip. Whenever I offer him anything else he just pushes the plate away. I know that the childminder tends to give him snacks throughout the day so I have asked her not to from now on. I usually have his cup with water available to him when ever he wants it - but he doesn't drink huge quantities at once.

How do I encourage my son to go back to eating the variety of foods he used to? He hasn't eaten any fresh fruit or vegetables now for about 4 weeks.
I offer him a proper meal every teatime - but every night it is refused.

Help! I am getting really upset that after all my efforts to ensure that he doesn't turn into a fussy eater - he has done just that. What do you advise?

In the last 24 hours he has taken 1 Weetabix with milk, 2 mini breadsticks, mid-morning, offered cottage pie at lunchtime and refused. Given 2 slices of wholemeal bread with Dairylea cheese spread. Ate all of these and left the cherry tomatoes. 1 fruit yoghurt. Snack of raisins offered mid-afternoon. Tea: offered mashed potato, mixed vegetables and fishfingers. Refused them all so made toast which he ate. Refused sliced bananas. He took a cup of warm milk before bedtime.
Team Response

My son Daniel is almost 20 months and has become incredibly difficult at mealtimes over the last few months. I followed your Contented Feeding Guide from when I started weaning him and he used to be a great eater, eating anything in front of him. Over the last few months, he has got so fussy that the only thing he'll eat is spaghetti bolognaise, oat porridge and yoghurt. I am now at the point where he is refusing even these and he refuses to try anything new – I am at my wits’ end. Occasionally he will attempt to feed himself his yoghurt with a spoon but gets very upset if his hands get dirty. He has never been interested in finger foods as his hands get dirty and he doesn't like it. He also gets upset if he gets food on his clothes. I have tried to get him to play with playdough and get him to help spread butter and jam on toast etc to make it fun but he really hates being dirty. What am I meant to do? Are these two separate issues? I am not and have never been fazed about him making a mess – in fact, I would be so happy if he did pick up a handful of food and so don't know where it is coming from. Please help! Many people have told me it’s a phase and he’ll grow out of it but I am starting to think it's just getting worse and worse all the time.
Team Response

Grace is 19 months and we are having problems with food. On a Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday she attends nursery. She wakes at 7am, has a good breakfast and then a snack at 10am. Lunch is at 11.45am and can be meat, chicken or fish, potatoes, pasta and vegetables etc. There’s pudding of yoghurt, or banana custard plus a drink of water. She sleeps from 12.30 -1pm for about an hour in a bed with no dummy. Afternoon tea is at 3pm and a selection of sandwiches, quiche, fruit, cheese & biscuits, drink of milk. At 5pm she drinks some water and has a story. At home later on she has a proper tea at the table with us at 6.15 - 6.30pm. Bath and bedtime are no later than 7.30pm and she is always asleep within 5 minutes.
On Mondays and Fridays she is at home and gets up at the same time. Breakfast is Weetabix or porridge, plus a small plain pancake and fruit (either grapes or orange) drink of milk from cup. We attend tumble tots together on a Monday and Friday from 10am - 11am where she is learning to do forward roles and dancing etc. After this session she has a drink of water and a biscuit. Lunch is at 12pm and usually chicken, fish with pasta and vegetables in a tomato sauce or spaghetti bolognese and a piece of bread, or lamb casserole. She has a drink of water and, if she eats all her lunch is given a yoghurt or piece of fruit. She goes to bed at 12.45 -1pm for 1.5 -2hrs max - I wake her now after 2 hours (should I be waking her after 1.5 hours?). She has a snack at 3pm of cheese, biscuits and a drink of milk. Tea is at 6.15-30pm and she has whatever we are having or jacket potato with filling, sausage, mash and vegetables, meatballs, home-made ravioli (her favourite) etc. The weekends are very much the same.
The problem is that she is starting to refuse food at nursery and food I know she loves at home, so I have been throwing it away and giving her nothing else till next mealtime but this means she often stands and the fridge crying for half an hour or wakes early from lunch-time nap.
Team Response

Fiona Hinton's Response

I have an 18-month old boy who eats quite well and drinks water and milk. I try to feed him all the healthiest food, as I know how important it is. I’ve seen the advertisements for toddler milks – should I be giving these to him, rather than regular cows’ milk?

Fiona Hinton's Response

I was looking for an easy meal idea for my 1½ year old son last night and noticed a pack of vege sausages in the fridge. Are these okay for him to eat? And what about other ‘convenience foods’ like regular sausages and burgers, or are they too full of rubbish? Normally I cook from scratch but sometimes I just want to make something quickly.

Fiona Hinton's Response

My little boy has always been an extremely hungry baby. He has only slept through the night with out a feed since 18mths. Before that he would wake a couple of times a week starving hungry at any time between 2am and 5am.
He still has a feed at 10pm. I would like to drop this as I have another baby on the way and don’t want to be feeding two at this time. I know he shouldn’t really need it at this age. He still has 8ozs at 7am and 7pm.
He doesn’t wake for the 10pm feed. He just takes 8ozs whilst asleep, but if I skip it he wakes at 2/3am starving hungry. He still takes his milk in bottles.
I have been slowly watering down this feed so it is half milk and half water now but I am not sure how to progress. Do I keep increasing the water, or should I cut back the amount, or change the time too? I feel that sooner or later he will notice the taste change and reject it.
He eats extremely large lunches and teas compared to all his age mates. He will have a large bowl of risotto/pasta shepherds pie with veg followed by a piece of cheese and fruit: a whole pear, banana or large portion of grapes. However he is not a big breakfast eater; he will eat maybe a small yoghurt and half a slice of toast. This has increased since I started watering down his milk.
Do you have any ideas how to eliminate this feed completely? My son just seems to have a large appetite; he is average sized (27lbs) but very active.
Team Response