How can I improve my 18-month old toddler's appetite?
By ip5217
@ip5217 (1655)
Philippines
May 31, 2012 9:54pm CST
My baby is a year and a half now. Looking at her built you can say that she doesn't look fat nor underweight. My worry nowadays is making sure she gets the right nourishment for her age.
During meal time she is not really in the mood to finish her meal. She would only have 2-3 tbsp- just tasting the food. Then, she would run around and play. So, the last option which my husband and I really rely on is her milk. At the moment she probably consumes 4-6 (6oz.) bottles of milk a day. Is this enough? Is she safe?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@psychoartist (756)
• United States
1 Jun 12
hi ip5217! i had the same concerns about my youngster when he was that age. he was a very peculiar eater but drank a lot of milk always, and i think that was what kept him healthy. i think it is just a developmental stage that children go through. later, he was on a kick where he only ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk for quite some time but it passed as well. as he grew older he ate anything and everything and now is a very healthy twenty year old. the daughter of one of our friends had a stage in which she would imbibe nothing but chicken fingers and sprite, but she outgrew it too. like another of your friends here said, if the child looks and acts healthy, everything is okay...in the words of stevie winwood, you gotta roll with it baby....
1 person likes this
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
1 Jun 12
Yes that is pretty normal a child should cousin up to 32oz of milk a day. My daughter is 2 months younger then yours. She doesn't eat a lot either but that is because we adults have to remember a child of this age there stomachs are only as big as one of there little hands. If your child's doctor isn't worried then you shouldn't be worried either. But it never hurts to add on something like a pediasure which is a little kids protein drink to fill in the gapes of what they don't get every day. We do Kid essintional because its a cheaper.
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
11 Jun 12
No it's not an assumption. My daughters doctor and a growth specialist want her to drink about 32oz of milk every day because she is like me. We both burn off more calories quicker then our bodies can intake. So we both have to eat high calorie and proteins such as red meats but she doesn't like read meet which is normal for a child her age. Most all children that are my daughters age and up like white meat. The amount of drink she takes doesn't mean she doesn't like to eat. She loves to eat and is lot like her daddy and will eat and eat when she really likes something. Also she snacks through out the day which isn't bad for her but I do notice a change in how she eats when she drinks her protein drinks she doesn't really want to eat because she is full for longer.
Every child is different so they need different diets that fit there bodies. children that lack the want to eat need to fill in those gaps in the same way my daughter has to but drink protein drinks suck as pediasure or what ever brand you want to go with.
Toddlers are know to be stubborn when it comes to eating and its every normal you can't force a child to eat something they don't want but I also wouldn't make different meals for and given to what they do want because when you give in to what they want all of the time it teaches them no matter what when you make a meal they don't ever have to eat it they can always get what they want.
Now you don't want to give a child too much milk because it can cause some health issues that is why you should always talk to your child's doctor about problems even eating ones at this age. There Pediatrician should be able to find away to make sure your child is getting what they need with out losing the weight.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
1 Jun 12
Your child has a tiny stomach and you can't expect her to be able to hold much in it. Babies and toddlers will eat only as much as they need unless they are ruined by parents urging them to eat more. They might only eat one or two foods or they might eat a variety--it depends on what their bodies need. I myself would only eat cottage cheese and toast for a time when I was your baby's age and the doctor told my mom not to worry. He was right. Babies eat what they need and how much they need if we just let them do as their bodies are telling them.
Don't worry! She seems to have plenty of energy so unless she shows signs of illness or fatigue let her listen to her body and give it what it needs to grow strong and healthy.
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
1 Jun 12
You should look at how kid looks. If she looks healthy, acts healthy and is alert there is nothing wrong with her. Esp. not if she is seldom sick. I think it's way enough milk you give (I assume it's not cow milk, milk for todlers is different as the one for just born babies). I would go on feeding her bread, hot meals, even if it's only a few tbs since she needs to get used to the taste as well. Keep in mind that we mostly feed our kids way too much food, she is able to feel/tell herself when she had enough (don't spoil that otherwise she have weight problems for the rest of her life because she keeps eating). The older she gets the more she will eat. BTW it also might be you have your meals at the wrong time and she is not hungry yet.
