How do I get my toddler to eat???? HELP!!?

I never thought I'd be in this situation w/my 17.5 month old. She was such a good eater, not a big one, but a good one. There was no fruit or veggie that I put in front of her that she wouldn't eat. Now, thats a totally different story. In the past month she has fought me tooth and nail about food, she got sick this past week and is now feeling better. Since then she has barely eaten a thing. I refuse to give in, and feed her sweets or bad food. I've always been against it. I don't mind giving her wheat cracker or bread, but I can't seem to get her to eat anything except cheerios and milk or a couple of pieces of apple. Does anyone have any fast, easy, healthy food or meal ideas for my 17.5 month old...by the way she has 4 full teeth and a couple just poking thru so I worry about choking hazardous foods.

How do I get my toddler to eat???? HELP!!?
Kids go through phases where they eat all the time, to refusing to eat. Dont worry, she wont starve. My son does it all the time. Worried me at first until his doctor reasured me that its normal. If you really want to know, go to this site, http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler... it is a great article and should help you.
Reply:I don't have meal ideas, but here is an interesting article I found when searching for an answer to my 2 yr olds lack of appetite.


EATING


Parents of two-year-olds frequently complain that they can't get their children to eat. The fact is, however, toddlers generally manage to take in enough calories and nutrients to grow and gain weight at a normal rate, and often want to be in control of what they eat, not to mention the actual process of feeding themselves! Here are some examples of what a typical toddler eats in a day:


One pint of milk. While whole milk is generally recommended for children under the age of two, you may decide to use 2 percent for your two-year-old. If you are concerned about your child gaining too much weight, however, be sure to discuss with your pediatrician before switching to low or non-fat milk, since fat is considered to be an essential part of a healthy diet for young children.


Four servings (total) of fruits and vegetables. Remember that a serving size for a toddler is not the same as for an adult. For a toddler, a serving is about a quarter of a whole piece of fruit or two tablespoons of canned or frozen vegetables.


Four servings of bread or cereal. A toddler serving is about one-third of a slice of bread, one cracker, or one quarter cup of cereal or pasta.


Two servings of meat, poultry, or another protein source. Each serving is only one-half ounce, so a tablespoon of peanut butter or a few bites of chicken or hamburger should be sufficient.


On any given day, a toddler is likely to fall short of the ideal listed above. One day he may devour two or three slices of bread and a few ounces of cheese in one sitting. Another day he may want only fruit, and on the next he may seem to eat practically nothing. Over several days, however, a two-year-old's intake generally balances out. In the same way you approach toilet training, you should remember that the goal is not to force-feed your child, but to help him develop healthy eating habits while keeping power struggles to a minimum.
Reply:First, toddlers will do this all the time and it is amazing how little they need to keep going. What I do with my daughter (who is not the best eater) is: make the food fun. Babies love anything with a face, so I put faces on her food: apple sauce in a small bowl with raisins on top in the shape of a smiley face; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut with cookie cutters to make animals (you can go crazy and pipe designs with jelly); baked sweet potato fries made to look like fish with peas for "eyes"-- just about anything can be used to make faces, animals, or people.
Reply:Reading through the answers given I see all the bases are covered. One thing I do for my son is give him choices (ie banana, apple or orange)... he thinks he's choosing, but I'm still in control of what he gets.


But, overall, as long as the things she is eating are healthy for her, you shouldn't worry. She's in a slump now, but next week she may eat you out of house and home.
Reply:Just keep offering her stuff you know she likes...kids go through these stages where they eat non-stop and then they just quit...she's probably in between growth-spurts...don't worry too much over it, she will eat when she's hungry...at that age, kids don't eat for "pleasure" as we adults tend to do...kids eat to survive!!! Keep up the good work, stay strong, don't give in to giving her sweets!! Try offering her cheese (cut up very small), yogurt, and keep giving her the cheerios and milk...she will come out of this and be eating like a little piggy before you know it!!! Good luck, hang in there!
Reply:I've been through this too. My daughter is constantly changing what she'll eat and what she won't. One week her most disliked food was her previous favorite food. The one thing with her that was always consistent was cheerios, apples, and milk so I always had those on hand and if I could get her to eat anything else, it was a good day. I always offered her whatever the rest of the family was eating and if she refused I'd get her some cheerios and milk. I also noticed with her that she was a huge milk drinker and that fills up those little bellies fast. As she grows her appetite will increase and she'll be more open to trying new food.

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