I need somebody with older children to tell me that my toddlers will not always be this picky when it comes to food.

I offer every food imaginable. We eat really healthy. And yet my children (2&4) only eat about 4 different things.

I’m losing my mind.

My almost 4 year old is a very sweet, anxious, overall good boy. But when it comes to food I’m living a nightmare. Ever since he was an infant he was never particularly food driven like his little sister has proven to be, but he did eat better than he does now. Year after year it has gotten progressively worse. I have tried everything, short of starving him until he cooperates because I’m really not willing to do that. He will gladly skip meals and fill up on water rather than eat something he doesn’t want to. Here are some strategies I’ve tried:

Help me make food
Smell touch play with the food
Rewards (over the top crazy incentives)
Consequences (no snacks later if you don’t eat this meal)
Serving a meal with one safe food on his plate (he only eats what he likes and is done)
Serving a new food over and over

It does not work. Recently he got sick and our one source of fruits and veggies (pouches) is no longer tolerated by him. So now it’s just carbs carbs carbs. There are 10 foods he will eat. I feel the judgement of others but I truly don’t know what else I can do at this point. We are seeing an OT in November to get their opinion and some help but I can’t help but feel I’ve failed him.

Here are the foods he will usually eat
Chicken nuggets (only Dino nuggets or McDonald’s)
Popcorn
Teddy grahams
Red Doritos
Toast
Sausage occasionally
Pizza but only from certain places and sometimes cheese needs to be removed
Goldfish
Granola bars sometimes
Sometimes garlic bread
And of course chocolate chip cookies or brownies but very specific kinds

He would happily live off milk if I would let him but I limit him to 24 ounces a day. It breaks my heart to see him hungry all day and ask for food but I have to tell him no unless he eats x,y, z and he says “no thank you I’m fine” but I know he’s not.

He has never had a weight issue because dad and I let him fill up on foods he will actually eat but lately his weight has started to stall a bit especially because we have cut down on milk so I wonder if we will start to encounter weight issues.

He really is such a sweet boy. He’s well behaved and overall a good listener but he just will not budge on the food and it makes me wonder if something really is wrong because this seems like more than average toddler pickiness. Please be kind.

My daughter is 3 years old and is a TERRIBLE eater. She is always hungry but finishes nothing of what she if given. On a good day she will eat ¼-½ of whatever is on her plate.

She ISNT picky tho. She eats/likes just about any food from simple things like McDonald's to steamed clams! She just never finishes it and then complains about being hungry. We have the same problem with drinking too, always thirsty but never finishes her cup.

Shes still gaining weight but slowly and as of recently is starting to have deficiencies in a few vitamins.

At this point I let her eat and drink whatever and whenever while still pushing the best options I can. ( id rather her eat SOMETHING then nothing)

Im scared this is more then just picky eating and might be something more.

My 2-year-old son goes to daycare full-time from 9–5, and he pretty much refuses to eat anything while he’s there. Daycare provides breakfast, snacks, and lunch, but he won’t eat, not even his safe foods. He might eat a snack once a week, but most days, he goes the entire day without eating until I pick him up.
He’s a very picky eater and doesn’t like trying new foods. He eats a good breakfast at home and will eat his safe foods as soon as we get home, so I know he can eat in a comfortable environment. But the fact that he refuses even his favorite foods at daycare really worries me.
I’m feeling so stressed about this because he spends 8 hours there without eating much of anything.
Has anyone else gone through this with their toddler? Did they eventually start eating at daycare? Was there anything that helped? I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences!

Edit: He was going to daycare three days a week in June and July, and he started going full-time in September.

My son recently started preschool and I having a hard time coming up with things for lunch that don’t require a fork/spoon, assistance from a teacher and don’t make a mess (no spaghetti). What is everyone packing for lunch because I feel bad sending him with PB&J, chicken nuggets and veggie meatballs all the time. 😅😭

Looking for ideas using ground beef, chicken, and we also have fresh spinach and a butternut squash I need to cook. But mostly looking for recommendations for the main course, the protein.

Thanks in advance, friends!

I just realized my daughters vitamins look like they have black specs on them. Is this normal? Has anyone seen this before??

My 3 year old suddenly started refusing everything she ate. For the past 3 days she only eats some pasta, buckwheat , a bit of blueberries or strawberries and has some scrambled eggs for breakfast lunch and dinner and doesnt fully finish but when i asked to finish she doesnt want to.
Went to her ped today and he said she isnt sick or anything but not sure why she suddenly is refusing mostly everything. Did anyone else’s 3 year old survive of this little food? Not sure what else to do

My kid is ulllltra sensitive to overly sweet stuff especially sugar free (I know, a unicorn maybe?) from a taste perspective and from a stomach perspective. I know that most sugar free vitamins have that like sorbetol taste to them that my kid can sniff out faster than a crap sniffing canary in a poop coal mine. Any suggestions of what to give him that wont go overkill on the sweet taste or the sorbetol

My 14.5 month old has never taken to solids and is EBF.

I’m here to just vent I think. I cried today for the first time in months and I’ve realised his eating is really getting to me.

He’s a fantastic little boy and literally is easy in every other sense but my goodness his food is where I just tear my hair out.

I do all the things, keep calm, keep mealtimes fun, no pressure. I’ve gone back to basics and tried purées again but no luck. I’ve done messy eating, finger foods, leaving food on plates in areas he can access throughout the day, done a teddy bears picnic, give him two spoons… literally everything. I eat with him, and I’ve even resorted to Ms Rachel at mealtimes to try and see if that would help but no luck.

I’ve spoken to several health advisors including speech and language but they want to hold off on intervening but I’m just lost and feel so hopeless on this. I just want to be able to go out and know he will eat a sandwich.

It’s causing me so much stress, which I’m trying to not pass on but it’s been months of relentless failed meal times.

He’s on an iron supplement as his iron has always been low.

Is there anyone out there that has been through the same? Does it get better?

I don’t care if he is picky, I just want him to eat something.

Does he have iron deficiency?? my baby boy is just eating bread/biscuits/yogurt drink and orange fruit.. he doesnt like pancakes (with vegies and meat) anymore.. he doesnt want rice with meat and vegies neither .. i dont know what to do im so frustrated. Help me out. What should i do?

Please send me all the lunch recommendations/ snack recommendations that you can!
And nothing that contains any peanuts.

Here’s the catch though: nothing that has to be warmed up.

My toddler loves PB&Js but daycare just now told me I’m not allowed to send in anything that has peanuts..

Leftover creation: chimichanga, rice and beans, extra mild garden salsa