One important thing to remember is that babies and toddlers are much better at regulating their food intake than we are. If they don't want to eat, forcing the issue or trying to cajole them into eating more food will solve the problem in the short term...ie, you might be able to stuff a few more bites in, but that may create other problems in the long term. Overfeeding can teach babies to ignore their "full" feelings and continue to eat after they ordinarily would have stopped, and that can lead to issues later on down the line. If they aren't interested in eating, your best bet is to say "oh well," take them down from the high chair, and try again later. Healthy babies do not starve themselves, and it's very common to have a few days where they eat next to nothing followed by a few days where they eat everything in sight. Respect your baby's appetite, and you'll find that it all evens out in the end.
Connor's mom - With finger foods, it's easy to offer only nutritious choices. Ripe fruit chunks and steamed veggie chunks are easy to do...often as easy as opening a can. Odds are that if you put cookies or treats down, they will get eaten even if your LO isn't hungry, but those are empty calories with little or no nutritional value. Your LO can learn to hold out for treats, and it can be tempting to give in just so that he'll eat SOMETHING. Big picture, he'd be better off skipping a meal if he isn't interested and eating later when he is than filling up on treats, KWIM?
