Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, FAAP

Dear Dr. Gwenn,

My son is turning 18 months old this month. All of a sudden he will not eat anything nutritious like he used to. He spits out his vitamins, and if I put liquid vitamins in his drink, he refuses to drink it. He used to love bananas, carrots, lima beans, peas, mashed potatoes. Now it seems like he will only eat pasta. If I try to hide his veggies in his mac and cheese, he spits out the pieces of vegetables and chews up the noodles. How can I make sure he is getting proper nutrition? Any suggestions?

Signed,
Teresa

Dear Teresa:

This is a common toddler power play. I'd suggest you back off on the vitamins short term. They do taste lousy. Growth slows during the second year of life and kids don't need to eat as much as you think they need to eat. Their tastes become very simple which is why kids menus have the same few items.

This is a phase that will pass. I'd suggest you offer the few foods he will eat all the time to deescalate things then start adding back new foods for him to try. Kids this age do well with choice and don't do well will power plays.

All toddlers seem to eat the same few foods and come through it just fine! The key to sanity is not making it worse by creating a food struggle. He'll get more flexible as he gets older!

Best,
Dr. Gwenn

© 2005 - 2007 Pediatrics Now. All rights reserved.
PEDIATRICS NOW™ is a trademark of Pediatrics Now

Read more articles from Dr. Gwenn on FamilyCorner.com

What's Related
My Child is Obese: What Can I Do to Help Her?
Are You Raising Fit or Fat Kids?
Healthy Eating For Life
Helping the Overweight Child


About the Author
Pediatrician, Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Gwenn is an experienced columnist, educator, and practicing pediatrician. Dr. Gwenn strives to write as if she were talking to a parent. As a parent herself, she knows how important it is to obtain information but also understand how precious little time parents have to find that information on the internet. Pediatrics Now was developed to fill that gap and provide a bridge between the parenting and pediatrics worlds.

Did you enjoy this article? Rate It! | Tell A Friend