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[quote=Anonymous]Echo others. Serve a meal with a carb, a protein, a veggie, and a fruit. Make sure at least two of the items are things she will like. You don’t have to be so rigid at this age because she is still learning to expand her palate. And every dinner does not have to include a brand new food she’s never had before. You can do something like offering two new foods per week and see how that goes.

If she doesn’t want milk, add a tablespoon of ovaltine or strawberry syrup to it, or blend it into a smoothie with fruits and veggies. Have her help add ingredients (I have found my toddler is much more apt to eat something if she has played a role in making it). If she’s getting enough calcium from other sources, don’t push her to drink the milk. She can have water if she’s thirsty.

If she doesn’t want broccoli or green beans or whatever veggie you are serving, offer a dip (hummus, ranch, even ketchup) or add melted cheese. And if she’s hesitant about a new fruit, offer a dip (peanut butter, yogurt). If she’s not crazy about the meat on her plate give her a protein alternative (hard boiled egg, black beans).

A trick we use with a new food is having our child smell the food, then lick the food, then give it a tiny bite. A decent amount of time she realizes she does want to try a bigger bite and does so. It still gets kids used to having different foods on their plate and touching and thinking about eating them, even if they aren’t actually consuming at the first, second, or 10th time.

If she truly won’t eat anything on her plate, you can make a rule about alternatives. The one in our house is that she has to try a little of what is being served and if she still doesn’t care for it, she can choose to eat a banana, and orange, or a small bowl of Cheerios. Only one of those options.

Lastly, as adults we often presume that toddlers need much much more food than they really do. My pediatrician says if she is eating two out of three meals well, that’s considered a win. Unless your child is losing weight or is underweight, I would not be too concerned. By dinner time, most kids are tired and cranky and become more argumentative. My daughter is 3 1/2 and dinner is still the meal she eats the least amount of.[/quote]

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