How to get toddler interested in meals...

[momma.bear]

My DD is 20 months and with the exception of some dinners, I can't seem to get her to eat without giving her toys or some sort of entertainment. Breakfast is the worst. I vary her breakfasts so that she isn't bored, but she simply has no interest in eating and would rather be playing. Lunch is the same... I end up giving her a few toys and she'll open her mouth for bites as she's playing in her high chair with them, but this is a bad habit! Dinner is a bit better. I normally sit down with her when she has breakfast, and lunch is always her and I and often my husband. Dinner is almost always all three of us.
Any ideas here? I know they won't starve themselves, but it'd be really nice if she was interested in eating! I'm not sure if I should keep giving her entertainment so she'll get some food in her, or if we should stick it out and let her wait until hunger overrules play.

[*Kara*]

Is she still BFing/having a bottle?

[momma.bear]

She has 8 oz. of milk when she wakes up, and 8 oz. after lunch. And there are times where she's barely touched the milk before breakfast. If I read a story to her, she'll chug it in no time. But if I let her play and she has it with her it could take her hours to finish it.

[*Kara*]

I would stop offering milk until after she has had breakfast and see if that helps her appetite.

She only needs about 12 ozs of dairy including cheese/yogurt etc to get her daily needs met. 

All that said, there is a huge drop in appetite right around 18 months... and I have found that toddlers really don't eat as much as you think they should for the most part!

What sort of things are you offering?  Sometimes it just needs to be a little more interesting to get their attention, KWIM?  Things like pancakes, but offer yogurt as a dip with them - toddlers love to dip!