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Offline caseyb

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Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« on: July 21, 2010, 13:37:41 pm »
Hi everyone!

My nearly 3yo DD eats like a bird.  She typically has a smoothie with milk in the morning for breakfast, nothing for lunch - maybe a piece of cheese on occasion and then picks at dinner.  Really, right now dinner consists of a couple of chunks of feta cheese, some olives, a tomato and a few slices of cucumber.  She will drink several cups of milk a day.  How is she still going on so little?!?!?!?!?! 

I've tried to make everything I know and some days she'll eat it and other days I end up feeding it to the dogs (i.e. breakfast - scrambled eggs, french toast, waffles, lunch - grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, etc).  She will eat some of what we have for dinner, but not much.  I try not to giver her the same thing more than twice because if it was a hit the first go round, it's lackluster the second and won't be touched the third. 

Anyone else have a kid go through this?  I've even offered rewards for "cleaning our plate".   Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Any ideas?

Thanks!
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Offline Mom to M&M

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2010, 14:44:36 pm »
How much milk is "several cups"? At her age you don't want her above 16 ounces/day or it will really hamper her appetite. And I assume some milk is going into her smoothie as well?
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Offline caseyb

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2010, 19:31:22 pm »
Yes, she's drinking about three 9 oz sippy cups full of milk, on average a day.  1 of those is the smoothie mixed with milk.  Never thought that the milk could be keeping her from eating.  She's REALLY small for 3, barely 23 pounds and has always been a really small girl.  No issues, she's just petite!
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Offline ~*Nicole*~

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2010, 19:39:21 pm »
Also, if you keep changing up foods so often and never offer them to her as staple items she may be waiting for you to "jump through hoops" so to speak for her meals. I'd make the things you like to make and the things kids generally like to eat, limit her milk a bit and offer her water or something less filling if she's thirsty and just continue offering foods when you or the rest of the family eats and if she eats it, great, if not, then oh well. I wouldn't make a huge deal, I wouldn't offer her rewards or anything special, I wouldn't offer her other foods, as a matter of fact, if you offer her lunch and she doesn't eat it, you can offer her the SAME thing at dinner that night. Just wrap and store in the fridge, reheat later and that's it. Don't drive yourself nuts. If she's liked it before she'll probably like it again IF she realizes that that is what her choice is.

Has she always eaten like this? If she has no health issues, she will regulate how much food she needs as long as you are consistent and offering a balanced variety of foods.

Also, steer clear of too much snacking. If she doesn't eat "meals" and is getting a hold of snacks throughout the day she will be less hungry for meals.
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Offline Mom to M&M

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2010, 20:03:13 pm »
27 ounces of milk is a LOT. Is that full-fat milk or skimmed? I'd definitely cut it back to eventually 16 ounces of lowfat milk, more at night IF she's had a good dinner/meals for that day.
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Offline Texomamama

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2010, 03:11:10 am »
Like others have said, cutting down on the milk might be a good place to start.  I also have a petite little one.  2 y 10 m and about 26 lbs.  I think that is about 5-10% ile of the range.  She was below the charts for almost 18 months.  To answer one of your original questions, Yes, she has ALWAYS been this way.  When she was breastfeeding, she ate about 5-6 mins on each side.  When she started solids, she could take them or leave them, to this day, she gets easily distracted by other things and shows little interest in food.  She is healthy and happy, and I long ago stopped worrying about this.  I will occasionally offer rewards if she eats a certain amount of something, but I would definitely not call it a "clean your plate" philosophy.  Oh, and another term I like to avoid is "Bad eater".  How about just calling it a "light eater" or something.  Why is eating little a bad thing?
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Offline First Time Mom

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2010, 03:18:15 am »
FYI, it doesn't change as they get older, LOL. My 4.5 year old is like this, she will make up any and all excuses to not eat. Some days are worse than others (like today, she barely ate all day). I try to keep calm about it (today was hard!). I think she will always be like this and I know she got it from me, it's in the genes. I totally remember as a child my mom freaking out because I wouldn't eat! The good news in all this? She will more than likely be slim her entire life :).
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Offline joho74

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2010, 13:24:28 pm »
Same here- my 2yo hardly eats, loves milk. My 5yo also shows little interest in food and frequently I still have to feed him the remainder of his meal in order for him to eat more. And I give him a very small portion to start off with.

I think its in the genes. I am very slim myself always have been and so is one of my brothers (the other one is overweight wonder where that came from!!) and my husband and his siblings are all very slim too. My nieces and nephews are also poor eaters and very slim.

I try not to worry but it's hard when they have not eaten anything the whole day!
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Offline First Time Mom

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2010, 18:35:04 pm »
So true!

I have to keep reminding myself of what a nightmare I was for my mom! Picky was an understatement! I remember not wanting to eat if there was a balloon or elastic band in view (and hey, it was the 70's- all clothing had elastic bands), or if I saw a bug (picnics were OUT!). Or if my food touched each other, or if I had both hot and cold foods on my plate, oh the list goes on! I guess I wasn't picky, I was neurotic! Glad my dd can't read this ;D.

Come to think of it, I still don't like hot and cold food on the same plate... hate a cold salad on a plate when it touches hot food...
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Offline caseyb

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2010, 21:20:08 pm »
Thanks ladies!  I'm just glad to know that I'm not alone!!  I feel like some days it's just a battle for the kid to eat anything at all!  She's perfectly healthy, just a petite thing!  Clothes last a LONG time in our house!!! :)

Firsttimemom - I was also a terrible eater for my mother and I'm sure it is payback!  Can't wait to see how DS will turn out in all of this!  Maybe as he gets older he'll give her some competition.  Or at least eat her leftovers so I don't have to feed them to the dogs... ;D
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Offline DanRan

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2010, 18:49:35 pm »
I have the same situation. It is driving me crazy everyday.
I have a 2yrs and 5 months old. 3'2 and only 27pounds. There was a brief period that he showed interest in food. Very short time and now we are back to "I don't want anymore" at the second teaspoon. No matter what I give him. It has been 3-4 months and he has not gained a pound over 27. I do not understand how, why.....what do I do?
I know I am not alone! Thanks to all that shared.
If anyone has advice i will accept. I have tried sooo many things-I feel exhausted.
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Offline Texomamama

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2010, 21:23:50 pm »
I am not sure there IS anything you can do.  My advise is to not worry.  My DD1 will be 3 in two weeks.  On Monday we were at the doctor for DD2's 2 week checkup, and my DD1 weighed 27.5 lbs.  However, she was at a friend's today for lunch and ate 3 chicken nuggets, 2 servings of string cheese and a handful of grapes.  That is a huge meal for her.

Incidentally, if your LO is your only one, other children you have may not be like this.  DD2 is almost 3 weeks old and has a hugte appetite compared to DD1 as a newborn.  She eats like 3.5-4.0 oz of formula and EBM in a bottle jat 2.5 hour intervals.  I hardly know what to do.....:)
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Offline We Three

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Re: Almost 3yo eats like a bird!
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2010, 00:22:50 am »
That must be really worrisome, but my advice would be to leave it to her for the most part and try not to let it become a power struggle. At that age there are really just two things they have complete control over, what comes in (eating) and what goes out (potty)...so it's no wonder that these can be 2 major power struggles!!

Maybe look at what she *does* eat and try to expand upon it. For instance, if a lo likes toast, try french toast (the egg makes it full of protein), you can do it in a frying pan, let it cool, then put it in the toaster so it is cruchy like toast.  If she will munch dry cereal, get the healthiest you can find.  If she likes macaroni, get the whole grain type. 

Dipping can entice them...so maybe offer her some dressing for her cucumbers.  Also, presentation is everything...sometimes my dd would refuse toast, but if I cut it in strips she would eat it....things like that. 
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