My 18-month-old son has always been a healthy eater. He loves every single vegetable (will even eat them raw) and almost always cleans his plate. (I got him a cute kitty cat plate) But lately, he seems to be less interested in the meals/snacks I am making. I have tried making them cute, making the food different shapes, and putting out a variety of different things on his plate to pick and choose from. So my questions are, what are yall’s go-to snacks and recipes? (Accepting all recipes, not just the healthy one’s because kids deserve some junk every once in a while) What do you do to make your child more interested in dinner?
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Ants on a log, celery with cream cheese, I do carrots, broccoli, snap peas and cauliflower with ranch dip, peanut butter toast (with or without bananas cut on top), apples and peanut butter.
I’m not a mom, but I work with kids and we do a bunch of snacks like hummus and crackers or cheese and crackers, sunbutter and crackers, chips and salsa, applesauce and crackers, cottage cheese and crackers and we did like a fruit salad type mix with blueberries, strawberries, melon, watermelon, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, ect
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Just keep offering healthy food. Toddlers go thru this stage! They eat something then do not. As long as you keep giving him healthy options he will eat when he is hungry.
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When he has another growth spurt, he will eat.
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Toddler appetites come and go, as do their favorite foods. Don’t stress, it all evens out.
He is most likely going through a growth spurt they tend to slow down eating right after or just before. Just keep offering healthy foods he will eat when he is hungry.
My boys still even at 8 and 6 still do this. They go through days where they cannot get enough to eat and days where they barely eat. I was just keeping things that can sit out easy to grab to snack on.
My kids are 9 and 11 and they have always gone through “seasons” of eating. Today my younest at 1.5 sandwiches and a serving of chocolate icecream, last month he was eating bigger serving than I was, 3 meals and 3+ snacks a day. I have never forced my kids to eat, we just offer food and let them decide if they are hungry or not, that way they’ll have healthy eating habits in the future
Finger foods with diffrent dipping options. My mom also use to do fondue then melted chocolate with fruit and finger cookies to dip for dessert. We loved it.
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Also home made personal pizza. Let them top and design thier own.
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Would he be able to help you prepare his food? Where safe for him. You can buy special knives for littles. My 3yo can cook Mac n cheese by herself now (with supervision) and she makes pizzas, can use the toaster and prepares her own brekkie every morning.
She also loves our family dinners (when all our family get together) and we have all the food options on the table. She loves to serve herself.
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I don’t think it’s your food, it’s more than likely a food regression, as they go through this stage a few times in young age, just means they just don’t want much, or nothing at all, then 6 months later they are back eating like a horse! Plus back teeth will be coming and this puts them off food! If your baby wasn’t happy with your food, he’d of never been a good eater, fact he’s always eaten and now not so much it’s more than likely what I suggested! X
My 16 month old daughter is going thru this thing where she only eats off my plate. Will eat anything but has to be off my plate.
Just keep offering good momma 
but I’ve also noticed that during growth spurt times my children wouldn’t be eating as much as just before they have a huge spurt. It would be a few weeks of stuffing their faces like a starving person then eating next to nothing for a couple of weeks while they’re growing right outa their shoes 
I used the pediasure drinks whenever I got worried and then in a few weeks they’d be back to eating me out of house and home
My daughter will eat just about anything with Nutella. But she goes through spells of not eating much. Goldfish has a veggie cracker that’s made from carrots and tastes like a regular Goldfish! My daughter also loves freeze dried fruits. It simulates chips. She’ll be 2 in October.
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Food ideas (some are dinner ideas some are lunch/snack ideas)
-Mac and cheese
- Buttered pasta (they also have veggie made pasta)
- Co cuts
- fruit salad
- string cheese
- scrambled eggs
- cabbage
- gram crackers
- golf fish
- pretzels (they have soft ones you can buy in the freezer section)
- sweet peppers with cream cheese
- French toast
- grilled cheese
- spinach
- stuffed shells
- spaghetti with meat sauce
- stuffed peppers
- yogurt
- yogurt dipped pretzels
- granola bars
- Honey Nut Cheerios
- soft tacos
- crackers (ones with or without filling)
- teething wafers
- meat loaf
- pumpkin bread
- banana bread
- pudding
- jello
Also let him pick between two different options for meals and snacks if you’re able too
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I’ve noticed as my son approached the age of two, his taste for food just depended on the day! One day he was eating everything I put out for him. Then one day he only wanted goldfish!
I was giving him only things I thought he would like then I just started to give him everything that I was eating, steak, ground beef, ground Turkey! He saw it and wanted it too. He even eats Caesar salad! So maybe let him eat whatever you eat and he will want to eat that too!
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i make sure to involve my daughter in the making of the food. she loves to help so it makes her happy. like if i make her oat meal i let her pour the oats in and then the milk. or if it’s something she can’t help prepare i put it in the microwave and help her press the buttons (even if the food is already cooked i’ll just put it in for 2 seconds) then when the microwave goes off she feels like she cooked her food. it worked wonders for my picky eater!
I follow a page on fb called kids eat in color…it’s really helpful and has a ton of ideas!
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Our pediatrician straight up warned us around that age that my son’s taste palette would change, most toddlers do. Nothing to worry about but keep trying with everything. They’re hate carrots one day, then love them the next 
My 18 month old likes hot dogs and popcorn
Honestly he’s only 18 months, old you could be giving him to many options on his plate so he doesn’t know what to choose to eat. Our 5 year old hates veggies so we give him pouches with fruits and veggies pureed and just tell him the fruit flavors but our 8 month old eats anything not nailed down. She loves food. Her favorite veggies are butternut squash and broccoli florets.
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Honestly my almost two year old doesn’t want to stop to eat a meal but likes more snacks he can eat while playing and staying busy. Mashed avocado with everything seasoning and diced tomatoes are a go to… also peeled cucumber slices, veggie chips, Hawaiian rolls and scrambled eggs are all favorites right now
My son use to eat anything and everything at that age. Now? Won’t touch a vegetable haha. He’s two
He will eat when he is hungry…offer what you want him to eat, but not pushing the food, bad habits linger for a lifetime…if he is not hungry, he will come to you when he is…just make sure you are offering what you want him to eat…not filler junk. ( I agree some is great, but not often)
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When my daughter was little she loved walking taco salad made in the little Doritos bags, she got the biggest kick out of eating from the bag. She also lived wraps and pinwheels I used to make the wraps with raw veggies and grilled chicken and her favorite pinwheels were peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and banana
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My little one loves little smokies (he calls them baby hotdogs? And he eats way better if he gets to help cook- he’s 4 but has been “helping” since he was 2 at least. Usually helping looks like pouring pasta into water or stirring vegetables after they’re off the heat
If he loves spaghetti, you can make the sauce out of carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli.
Completely normal for his age. My bow 2.5 year old used to eat anything we put in front of her, now we’re lucky if she takes 3 bites when we give her a meal.
Also the more snacks you give the less likely he will eat the meals you’re giving him. He really can eat anything at his age just cut it up small enough for him.
My kids love chicken parmesan. I bread chicken tenders with Italian bread crumbs. Bake those on a cookie sheet until done. Then just make spaghetti the regular way. Put the chicken on top of the spaghetti and eat. Can also make coconut chicken …bread chicken tenders with shredded coconut. I usually serve with rice. The kids love dunking it in sweet and sour sauce.
No specific food ideas (I agree about kids eat in color!) Other than just keep offering whatever you guys are having. But wanted to say I noticed kids kind of ebb and flow with their appetites. My kid for sure went through phases where she barely ate and I was worried then other phases where she was insatiable. Try not to stress too much- keep offering a variety of food at regularly scheduled times but don’t stress if they seem not to be eating much.
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His metabolism is probably slowing down as his growth rate starts to decrease- I find the best way to get kids to eat more is to have them more involved in preparing meals
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My son turned 2 last month and only wants to eat french fries, soup and sometimes pizza
I wouldn’t worry too much, I feel like that is super normal. 18 months is around the age my kids started being picky eaters
I’ve been making a “fruit salad” with cut up fruit and vanilla yogurt for my boys, adding cheese to a lot (tater tots with shredded cheese is a favorite) and making sure their plates are colorful. I recently got them their own special super hero lunch box sets, even though they’re 3 and 5 and not quite in school (5 year old starts Kindergarten in September). Popsicles made with fruit juice and fresh fruit. I tell them their favorite characters eat broccoli (for example) and it helps them to be the super hero they are in the show. Good luck Mama!
Have him help fix it… Arrange on the plate… “Cut”/tear things…mix/stir… ECT…
Our babies are always growing and learning. Each day is a brand new adventure for them and some days they just are not hungry. That’s fine too!
Mine eats what’s cooked🤷♀️I do use pinterest for alot of meal ideas. My kids also aren’t picky
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It’s the 18 month not interested mama Jennifer Greene Laura Greene
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I have lots of healthy, toddler approved recipes on my Instagram @little_foodie_diaries 
Get him checked by Dr., you want to sure he isn’t anemic or some illness
Just make a meal, they will eat when hungry. Especially since you didn’t make him a picky eater to begin with. 95% of children’s attitude is learned behavior! Whether eating habits or conduct.
PRetty normal, kids go through phases, some weeks he will hardly eat and other he will eat everything and more. YOu are doing great 
Snacks foods cheerios, apples and peanut butter & a few chocolate chips, watermelon, yogurt , apple sauces, pretzels and guacamole or hummus. Smoothy bowls with sprinkles…
Meals I find my kiddos eat more when they have either been included, with prep, or have a few options- I always save left overs from the night before… I also find letting them make their plate at dinner helps too.
I think kids go through odd phases where we worry they aren’t eating enough or it’s the total opposite and they never stop eating.
Portion sizes are quite small, they say a child’s stomach is the size of their first, so keep that in mind too 
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Depending one age
My 5yr old likes to pick the items I put in dinner when she can.
So for spaghetti I let her pick the pasta, sauce and veggies (within reason) sometimes I say no to things or pretend to add them when they are strange requests.
She also loves to help cook or prep things
Typically she is excited to eat it then too.
Sometimes I’ll even ask what she wants for dinner or give her a this or that option for me to make.
Lately for snacks I’ve been doing platters and smoothies which is a hit for my littles.
Like meat, cheese, crackers, assorted raw veggies, fruits with dips.
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I let child choose something for the meal. Have her stir things
They all have their picking stage try to get different food groups like PBJ they are getting protein yogurt they are getting milk group berries or any fruit people will say where’s his greens that will come in time as long is he isn’t getting straight sugar OJ who cares if there is dome sugar he’s also getting Vit C so what I’m saying is see if therecus something good about what he wants to eat
I’m a firm believer in ‘if they are hungry they will eat’. My kid went thru a few phases of not eating a thing and also eating everything. Don’t stress out too much. All kids go thru this, even as an adult I go thru not feeling like eating.
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One of the coolest ideas I’ve ever seen: use whole foods (fruits, veggies, meats, etc) cut up into small finger-bite sizes and separate them into ice cube trays, and serve just like that. Some of the sections can be used for dips or sauces as well. This serves as small portions and a good variety.
Ants on a log (celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins)
Apple mouths (apple slice smeared with peanut butter, put marshmallows on the peanut butter and top with another apple slice)
Homemade lunchables where you cut up different cheeses and meats and serve with ranch
Macaroni and cheese with hot dogs in it
Dirt cups (chocolate pudding with smashed up oreos mixed in it and top with a gummy worm)
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into shapes using cookie cutters
Taco in a bag (doritos nacho cheese mini bag with taco meat, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream all mixed in the bag together)
Fruit pizzas (pizza crust with cream cheese as the sauce and add fruits he likes to it)
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Following my almost 2 year old is SO picky 
one day she likes something the next she seems to hate it lol
Kids go through different stages and maybe he just isn’t as hungry
It’s a phase. It will pass
You are asking the wrong people ask your son what he would like
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I have 3 kids, 8, 4 and 3 and for some reason about 18 months they just like stop eating! It was so scary my first baby but now I just go with it. Fighting and getting upset over a meal is not a battle I’m willing to engage in. So we keep yogurt, string cheese, slim Jim’s, tons of fruit and veggies for snacks. Occasionally fruit snacks or cheez its. But if they don’t eat a meal and they say they’re hungry two minutes later, banana yogurt or cheese so I know they are getting something lol good luck!
My 18 month old used to love vegetables and ate all his dinners but for the past month or so, he barely touches anything. He’s gone off his veg and doesn’t seem to like much but I think its a normal phase. I’m hoping anyways. I’m not putting much pressure on him. He’ll eat if he’s hungry so I still do the food and let him eat what he wants. If he doesn’t eat…depending on how he goes, he doesnt get anything else unless he’s actually crying because he’s hungry, in which case I’ll do something else like beans on toast later in the evening so he doesn’t go to bed hungry but I won’t do anything different at the time of dinner.
90% of the time though, if he hasn’t eaten dinner, he doesnt want anything else and goes to bed fine.
I’ve heard a lot of toddlers go through it so I just follow his lead as such while still sticking to normal dinners he would usually eat.
Kids naturally drop food from their diets. My daughter adored everything ( excluding fish ). Fats forward 8 years and we’re celebrating that she now eats pasta, popcorn and jelly ( not all together 
).
Just take note of what he does like, and try variations of it
Toddlers go through phases. They grow and change, don’t always feel like eating. Then he will seem like he is always starving. You will see. It’s OK for him not to eat.
At this stage their growth slows done , so they do not need as much food. This is when parents mistake that for picky eating or interest lost in foods. Just keep offering the same things as always and when they are hungry they will eat !
Following cause my 20month old has a strict diet of mainly tomatoes and pasta 
send help
Welcome to the rest of your life
They make those green noodles that are a combo of veggie and traditional pasta carby ingredients… I used to cook a whole box of the rotini noodles and keep them in the fridge for my kids. Some times they be cold, warm, with butter, a random sauce, etc.
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