Toddler Not Eating

Question: "For about a week my daughter hasn't been interested in eating lunch or dinner (she does okay with breakfast). She will take a few bites of food at best and then play with the rest. Is this just a phase? Should I be worried?"

Ask Heidi Murkoff

Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters, and you can look forward to your daughter going through all kinds of phases when it comes to food (let's see, there's the "only beige food" phase, the "no foods that touch each other" phase, the "one food only" phase, just to name a few). As for the "one meal a day" phase you're experiencing, it's pretty normal and usually nothing to worry about. That's because most parents don't realize how little toddlers actually need to eat (those tiny tummies fill up fast) and also that toddlers actually eat more than their parents think (a handful of Cheerios here and a few cubes of cantaloupe there add up!). The bottom line: If your child is thriving, she's probably getting what she needs.

How should you handle your child's food strikes in the meantime? Offer food, but don't push it (parental pushing may lead to future eating problems), and try not to send the signal that her not eating is stressing you out (even if it is!). Make sure you're offering her healthy food choices, so that when she does decide to nibble she's getting the nutrients she needs. Also, be sure there aren't other things sabotaging her appetite. Too many calories from liquids, for example, be it milk or juice, can definitely keep a toddler's tender appetite satisfied, leaving less room for solids. Finally, find out if she's teething: Molars, which usually make a painful entrance between the ages of 13 and 19 months, can also stand in the way of a toddler and her interest in food.

Good luck,

Heidi Murkoff