Ms. Mary Silva
Specializing in feeding and nutrition.
|
|
 Ask Mary Silva
Picky 16-Month-Old Eater | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Ms. Silva,
I have a 16-month-old who refuses to eat a whole lot of anything, unless it is bananas or crackers, and then she will eat a decent amount. I have tried tons of different foods and these seem to be the only foods she really "likes." What do I do to increase her appetite for different things?— Furiously Cooking in Tiffin, Ohio | | | ANSWER |
March 8, 2001 | | | Dear Furiously Cooking,
This is a difficult, but not that unusual, situation. Sometimes 16-month-old children do refuse to eat and are picky about what they will eat. I think the best way to approach the situation is to offer a variety of healthy foods at meals and as snacks. To help increase your toddler's appetite at meal and snack times, try setting a schedule with set times for these feedings throughout the day. Five set meal and snack times per day is a reasonable number.
Also avoid giving food or beverages, other than water, thirty to sixty minutes before the scheduled feeding. There may be times when she will refuse to eat, but that's OK. Hopefully she will be hungrier at the next feeding.
Lastly, since you're concerned about the amount your child is eating, consult your pediatrician about her growth.— by Mary Silva, M.S., R.D. |
|
