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2 years baby not eating food


Healthy food groups: babies & toddlers

What is healthy food for babies and toddlers?

Healthy food for babies and toddlers includes a wide variety of fresh foods from the five healthy food groups:

  • vegetables
  • fruit
  • grains
  • dairy
  • protein.

Each food group has different nutrients, which your child’s body needs to grow and work properly. That’s why we need to eat a range of foods from across all five food groups.

Going from drinking breastmilk or infant formula to eating family meals takes time, and your baby won’t be eating food from all five food groups straight away. Starting your baby on solids is the first step. Once your baby has started eating solids, try to include foods from a variety of groups at each meal.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables give your child energy, vitamins, anti-oxidants, fibre and water. These nutrients help to protect your baby from diseases later in life, including diseases like heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

It’s a good idea to offer your baby fruit and vegetables at every meal and for snacks. Try to choose fruit and vegies of different colours, tastes and textures, both fresh and cooked.

Wash fruit to remove dirt or chemicals, and leave any edible skin on, because the skin contains nutrients too.

Many children seem to be ‘fussy’ about eating fruit and vegies. You can help by being a healthy eating role model. If your child sees you eating a wide range of vegetables and fruit, your child is more likely to try them too.

Grain foods

Grain foods include bread, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals, couscous, rice, corn, quinoa, polenta, oats and barley. These foods give children the energy they need to grow, develop and learn.

Grain foods with a low glycaemic index, like wholegrain pasta and breads, will give your child longer-lasting energy and keep them feeling fuller for longer.

Dairy

Key dairy foods are milk, cheese and yoghurt. These foods are good sources of protein and calcium.

Dairy foods can be introduced from around six months of age. But make sure that breastmilk or infant formula is your baby’s main drink until around 12 months of age, when most children are eating family meals. After that, you can give your child full-fat cow’s milk if they’re eating a balanced diet.

Because children in this age group are growing so quickly and need a lot of energy, they need full-fat dairy products until they turn two.

If you’re thinking of feeding your baby dairy alternatives, it’s best to talk to your paediatrician, GP or child and family health nurse.

Protein

Protein-rich foods include lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and nuts. These foods are important for your child’s growth and muscle development.

These foods also contain other useful vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Iron and omega-3 fatty acids from red meat and oily fish are particularly important for your child’s brain development and learning.

Have a look at our illustrated dietary guidelines for children 1-2 years and illustrated dietary guidelines for children 2-3 years for more information about daily food portions and recommendations. You can also speak to a dietitian if you have concerns about your child’s eating.

Healthy drinks

Water is the healthiest drink for children over 12 months. It’s also the cheapest. Most tap water is fortified with fluoride for strong teeth too.

From six months, breastfed and formula-fed babies can have small amounts of cooled boiled tap water from a cup.

Foods and drinks to limit

It’s best to limit the amount of ‘sometimes’ food your child eats. This means your child will have more room for healthy, everyday foods.

‘Sometimes’ foods include fast food, takeaway and junk food like hot chips, potato chips, dim sims, pies, burgers and takeaway pizza. These foods also include cakes, chocolate, lollies, biscuits, doughnuts and pastries.

‘Sometimes’ foods can be high in salt, saturated fat and sugar, and low in fibre. Regularly eating these foods can increase the risk of health conditions like childhood obesity and type-2 diabetes.

You should also limit sweet drinks for your child, including fruit juice, cordials, sports drinks, flavoured waters, soft drinks and flavoured milks. Sweet drinks are high in sugar and low in nutrients.

Too many sweet drinks can lead to unhealthy weight gain, obesity and tooth decay. These drinks fill your child up and can make them less hungry for healthy meals. If children regularly have sweet drinks when they’re young, it can kick off an unhealthy lifelong habit.

Foods and drinks with caffeine aren’t recommended for children, because caffeine stops the body from absorbing calcium well. Caffeine is also a stimulant, which means it gives children artificial energy. These foods and drinks include coffee, tea, energy drinks and chocolate.

Healthy alternatives for snacks and desserts
It’s fine to offer your child snacks, but try to make sure they’re healthy. Fruit and vegetables are a good choice – for example, grated or thinly sliced carrot or apple.

The same goes for dessert at the end of a meal. Sliced fruit or yoghurt are healthy options. If you want to serve something special, try homemade banana bread. Save the seriously sweet stuff, like cakes and chocolate, for special occasions like birthdays.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating says that both children and adults should avoid or limit sometimes food. It’s best to save these foods for special occasions.

ARFID in children & teens

About avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder and a serious mental health condition.

Children and teenagers with ARFID eat only a small range or amount of food. This can affect their weight, growth, nutrition, and physical health, because they’re not getting all the nutrients they need. Children and teenagers with ARFID might also feel very upset while eating or find it hard to eat in social situations.

Children and teenagers with ARFID might restrict what they eat because they:

  • have a low appetite or aren’t interested in eating
  • are highly sensitive to the sensory aspects of eating – for example, the colour, smell, texture or taste of certain foods or most foods
  • fear that something bad will happen when they eat – for example, pain, nausea, vomiting or choking.

Unlike children and teenagers with other eating disorders, children and teenagers with ARFID aren’t trying to lose weight or thinking about their body shape. They aren’t unhappy with their bodies.

Some children or teenagers might develop ARFID in early childhood. In other children or teenagers, it might develop at a later age after a stressful or bad experience with food. ARFID can continue into adulthood.

Fussy eating and ARFID: what’s the difference?

It’s common for younger children to be picky or fussy eaters.

Most children gradually eat more types of food and explore new foods as they get older. This happens as children see you and other people enjoying different foods and try these foods themselves. But it’s common for children to try new foods 10-15 times before they accept and enjoy them. And it’s common for children to continue to dislike some foods.

ARFID is more than just fussy eating. Children and teenagers with ARFID need a lot of support to try new foods and to eat enough food for good development.

ARFID is a serious illness that can significantly affect children’s health and development.

Signs and symptoms of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

The signs and symptoms of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) can vary a lot among children and teenagers. Here are some common signs and symptoms.

Physical signs and symptoms
Children and teenagers with ARFID might:

  • lose weight or not gain weight as expected
  • grow and develop poorly
  • look pale or unhealthy
  • lack energy
  • be late starting puberty
  • have a slow heart rate
  • feel sick or have stomach pain when they eat
  • feel full after eating only small amounts.

Blood and other tests might also show nutritional deficiencies or poor bone development.

Behavioural signs and symptoms
Children and teenagers with ARFID might:

  • eat very slowly or not finish meals
  • eat only a very small range of foods
  • be easily disgusted by different foods
  • not eat with others or avoid social events or school because they don’t want to eat with others
  • avoid school camps because they’re worried about the food they’ll be offered.

Psychological signs and symptoms
Children and teenagers with ARFID might:

  • feel afraid or upset when trying new foods
  • feel upset by the sight and sound of others eating
  • feel very worried about pain, nausea, vomiting or choking when eating
  • have a lot of trouble eating in unfamiliar places
  • get very upset if food isn’t prepared and presented in a certain way
  • worry if food packaging changes
  • have childhood depression, teenage depression, childhood anxiety or teenage anxiety.

What to do if you notice signs of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

If you’re worried about the amount or range of food your child eats, or you’ve noticed a recent change in your child’s eating habits, mood or behaviour, get help from your GP as soon as you can.

It’s best to get early professional help for your child. Early assessment from a health professional might help your child avoid more intensive treatment and reduce their recovery time later.

Diagnosing avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

There’s no single test for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Your GP will talk with you and your child about eating behaviour, habits and thoughts. Your GP might also do a full physical examination and tests including a blood test, a urine test, an X-ray or an ECG.

Your GP might then refer your child to a paediatrician, a mental health professional like a psychologist, or a dietitian. These professionals can confirm your child has ARFID and recommend appropriate treatment.

Treatments, therapies and supports for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

Treatment for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) will depend on your child’s needs.

Psychological therapy
If your child has ARFID, your child might need psychological therapy. This can include family therapy sessions or one-on-one sessions with your child. This therapy aims to:

  • create pleasant mealtime experiences and family eating environments
  • gradually introduce new foods into your child’s diet
  • help your child learn to cope with their emotions while eating
  • help your child understand how it feels when they’re hungry or full.

Medicines
There are no medicines for treating ARFID. But if your child has depression or anxiety as well as ARFID, there are some medicines that can help with these other conditions.

Your doctor or dietitian might prescribe nutritional supplements if your child has nutritional deficiencies.

Hospital
Sometimes children and teenagers with ARFID might need to go to hospital to be treated for the physical effects of the disorder. This will depend on weight, symptoms and other health issues.

Hospital treatment usually focuses on supporting children and teenagers at regular mealtimes and encouraging them to eat and gain weight. Your child might also be given nutritional supplements.

With treatment, children and teenagers with ARFID can recover. They need a lot of love and support to get better and maintain healthy eating habits, and they sometimes get sick again. If you notice your child is showing symptoms of ARFID again, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Causes of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

Experts are still trying to work out what makes some children and teenagers more likely than others to develop avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Some children and teenagers might have genetic factors that make them more sensitive to certain tastes.

Other children and teenagers might have medical conditions that put them at risk for ARFID. These include conditions that affect the digestive system or conditions that require special diets.

Children and teenagers with ARFID are more likely than other children and teenagers to have:

  • an increased number of taste buds on their tongue, which means that bitter flavours taste stronger
  • past bad experiences with food, like choking or vomiting – either themselves, or seeing it happen to someone else
  • anxiety disorders.

ARFID can occur in both girls and boys but, unlike other eating disorders, it’s more likely to occur in boys.

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and autism

Some autistic children and teenagers have fussy eating habits. And there’s some overlap between fussy eating and autism and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

If your child has a diagnosis of autism and also has fussy eating habits, it’s a good idea to speak to your GP or paediatrician.

What to do if the child does not eat well.

Child from birth demands to eat instinctively . If the child is healthy, he eats as much as his body requires. Over the years, our instincts weaken and eating behavior begins to rely not only on the needs of the body, but also on:

  • socio-psychological environment
  • experience
  • emotional state

It is very important to be able to distinguish between a true decrease in appetite and a false one. If false, there are no problems with food or health, but at the same time, parents are unhappy with the amount of food eaten.

To diagnose a child's eating behavior, it is necessary, first of all, to clarify the general state of the child's health, his activity, growth and weight indicators and their dynamics, and especially the rhythm of nutrition.

Types of refusal to eat:

  • A child older than 1.5–2 years does not eat certain food groups. For example, refuses vegetables, meat or cereals.
  • The child bites and eats mainly junk food: sweets, fast food and processed meat (sausages, sausages).
  • A child older than one and a half years old eats only liquid, homogeneous food (for example, milk, formula or puree).
  • The child refuses any food and goes on hunger strikes
  • The child experiences fear when eating due to some trouble that occurred while eating.
  • For diseases of the oral cavity and disorders of the digestive system. The child avoids pain when eating or after eating.
  • The child may not eat well when he is not feeling well. This is a normal human reaction to the disease.
  • Increased nervous excitability. An excited child can hardly secrete the required amount of saliva, so it is difficult for him to have dryish food. If you are under a lot of stress, you may have trouble swallowing due to throat spasms.

Consequences of refusal to eat:

  • the child does not gain weight for a long time, growth and lags behind in physical development
  • chronic eating disorder, deficiency of vitamins and microelements layer is very thin. There is a decrease in immunity, a tendency to frequent infections and their protracted course; fatigue and general weakness.

    If diseases are ruled out, in most cases the problem of the child's selective appetite can be solved by parents on their own.

    What to do?

    Lots of recommendations. To normalize the appetite will have to spend a lot of time and effort. Therefore, be patient.

    • There is one simple rule that helps to determine the amount of food a child needs: the number of spoons of each meal eaten must be at least the number of full years0004 . You can conclude a kind of contract to comply with this rule. If the child understands the agreements, he can correctly calculate his strength and build expectations . Large plates can scare a child, as can huge portions.
    • Think about how a child usually eats. If it is filled with persuasion, quarrels, threats of punishment, then a decrease in appetite is quite natural. Our psyche is arranged in such a way that the emotional coloring of events occurring at the same time is mixed and attached to each other . If food becomes a cause of conflict with parents, the child experiences unpleasant emotions - resentment, shame, anger, etc. These emotions are superimposed on all meals. Try not to force him to finish his plate, do not threaten punishment. The more you force, the more the child will resist. Make your meal a pleasant event of the day in a warm family circle with a beautiful table setting.
    • However, the opposite situation also happens: the mother, on the contrary, does not offer food too persistently. There is an opinion: you need to make 8 to 15 unobtrusive attempts, preferably in a playful way, so that the child gets used to unfamiliar food. Use little tricks. Offer new foods to your child to choose from - for example, from 2-3 dishes. This will help him understand that his opinion is taken into account in the family. Replace products. Try different types of meat - the child will surely choose something for himself, because he needs iron in an easily digestible form, which can only be obtained from meat products. Add mince to vegetables. Use different cooking methods.
    • Selective appetite develops in children of parents who use food as a reward or as blackmail: "If you don't eat soup, you won't go for a walk." Pediatricians emphasize that food is a source of nutrients, fuel for the body, and not a means of manipulation.
    • You should not feed a child mechanically when he is engrossed, say, in playing or watching a movie - many children eat well under advertising or on a tablet, not feeling the taste of food at all, which ultimately only reduces their appetite.
    • Children are much more willing to eat what has been cooked with them, so feel free to involve them in the cooking process. Turn cooking into an exciting joint creativity, and you will see how the child gradually changes his attitude to food.
    • If a child does not want to eat, it means that he did not spend enough energy and did not have time to get hungry. To awaken the appetite, you need to increase energy consumption: walk in the fresh air, ride the slides or offer classes in the sports section. The more energy children expend, the better their appetite.

    Do not forget also that small children always imitate their parents, and if they are picky in food, their children will adopt this habit from a young age.


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    what to do at home and why it happens

    Mothers, fathers, grandparents experience great anxiety if a child refuses to eat, especially if this does not happen from time to time, but constantly. The fidget has to be persuaded to eat an extra spoonful of porridge, come up with new, unusual dishes and games so that the baby leaves the table full. "Komsomolskaya Pravda" deals with the expert, because of what you should and should not worry and how to increase children's appetite.

    How much a child should eat at different ages

    There are nutritional standards developed by scientists (1). It is important for parents to know the recommended numbers, but following the norms for grams will be a big mistake. It is better to focus on the common sense, well-being and mood of the baby.

    The volume of breast milk or formula for newborns in the first 10 days of life depends on weight. If the baby was born with a weight of more than 3200 g, he should eat a volume of milk per day equal to the number of days lived multiplied by 70 (2). A child 5 days old eats 350 ml. If the baby's weight was less than 3200 g, the number of days lived is multiplied by 80.

    From 1.5 weeks to 2 months: WHO recommends 1/5 of the baby's weight as normal (3). That is, with a weight of 4 kg, he should eat 800 ml per day.

    From 2 to 4 months, mother's milk and formula are taken in the ratio of 1/6 of the baby's weight. You can calculate according to the formula - weight in grams divided by height in cm and multiplied by 70.

    Babies from 4-6 months old eat 1/7 of their own weight. For 6-8 months, the norm will be about 1000-1100 ml of food per day, and for 8-11 months - 1200-1300 ml.

    From 1 to 2 years old, children usually eat 1300-1400 ml of food per day. After 2 years, the Union of Pediatricians of Russia advises parents to switch to a full three meals a day with two intermediate snacks (4). On average, a child of this age eats 1500 ml per day.

    After 4-5 years, the amount of food increases to 2000 ml per day. It is recommended to distribute the calorie content of food as follows: breakfast - 30%, lunch - 35%, afternoon tea - 15% and dinner - 20%.

    Nutritional norms for children at different ages according to WHO recommendations

    901

    Appetite in children depends on the state of health, genetic characteristics, maturity, growth phase, mood and even the time of day. It is necessary to distinguish between painful manifestations and cases that most parents have to deal with.

    Complete refusal to eat is called anorexia. If a child experiences a painful reaction to some food or dish, this is a state of idiosyncrasy. Most often, adults deal with hyporexia - a decrease in appetite. Let us examine in more detail each reason why a child refuses to eat or eats too little.

    Photo: pixabay.com

    No feeling of hunger

    The simplest and most obvious reason for poor appetite is that the baby is full. We try so hard to feed our kids that they just don't feel hungry and therefore have a hard time identifying it.

    What should parents do? Don't be nervous, stay friendly and let your baby get hungry. Remove from your reach any foods and snacks that can interrupt your appetite - sweets, cookies, sandwiches, buns, juices, compotes and fruits. Offer your child food, but be prepared for him to say no. Wait until the baby himself offers to dine or agrees to your offer.

    Interested in something or a game

    Often children are so engrossed in a new toy that they forget to eat. An enthusiastic fidget does not want to give up an interesting business and break for lunch, so the calls of adults can be met with refusal or even whims.

    Selective appetite

    If your child does not want to eat the main food and prefers to "bite", he may simply not like the taste and appearance of the dishes you prepare. Try to choose other recipes, experiment with salt and spices. Perhaps the child does not want to eat too hot or cold food.

    Intoxication during illness

    When children feel unwell, they refuse to eat any food. This happens with SARS, stomatitis, otitis and other ailments. In infancy, appetite may decrease during teething.

    When a child is sick, the body is not able to adequately perceive food. All forces are spent on eliminating the source of pain, so the brain does not send signals about hunger. As soon as health improves, appetite returns.

    Effects of vaccinations

    After vaccination, the child may lose his appetite. This is especially true in children in their first year of life. In preschoolers and children of primary school age, problems with eating after vaccination occur in 15-20% of cases. Don't despair - it won't be long!

    Allergy

    Appetite disturbances may be caused by allergic reactions. For example, babies with atopic dermatitis often refuse to eat. When skin itching bothers, appetite fades into the background.

    Few movements

    Children of the first years of life are very active physically and rarely sit still. Natural mobility and outdoor play are the best way to work up an appetite. Some, on the contrary, spend a lot of time in front of the TV and at the computer, move little, and therefore do not experience a strong feeling of hunger.

    Consequences of a child's poor nutrition

    Regular malnutrition leads to the fact that the child's body does not receive enough nutrients for normal functioning. The child appears lethargic, drowsy and lethargic. With poor nutrition, there is a risk of underdevelopment of the brain, decreased learning and low immunity. Improper nutrition in childhood can lead to serious health problems in adulthood.

    Parents are not in vain worried about the baby's poor appetite. Refusal to eat can be caused by serious chronic diseases, such as hormonal disorders.

    For which symptoms should a child be seen by a doctor? If loss of appetite is accompanied by high fever, vomiting, rashes appear in the mouth or on the body, urination and stool become frequent. When a child loses weight, does not want to drink, or does not sleep well.

    How to increase a child's appetite

    Everyone has their own appetite. Some children like to eat more often, others refuse to eat, even when it's time to feed. However, there are ways to increase a child's appetite without violence, lectures, threats and blackmail.

    Up to 1 year

    A newborn child is completely dependent on the mother and sensitively reacts to her mood. In order for the baby to grow up happy and active, the mother must feed him in a good mood. It is necessary to apply to the chest in a calm environment, without loud, annoying extraneous sounds that can distract from eating.

    There are many problems with breastfeeding that cause the baby to eat poorly. Causes of poor appetite can be improper attachment to the breast, inverted nipples of the mother, pain and excess gas in the abdomen of the crumbs. Sometimes lactation changes - there is little milk or, on the contrary, it pours excessively. From the mother's diet, breast milk can change the taste. When formula feeding, refusal to eat is sometimes caused by an incorrectly selected bottle or nipple.

    In the first year of life, it is important that the child is regularly monitored by a pediatrician. Some children eat poorly because they are lactose intolerant, so milk is removed from their diet as early as possible. Sometimes the appetite increases from the introduction of complementary foods or the replacement of formula.

    Photo: pixabay.com

    1-2 years old

    At this age, the child likes to repeat after others, so it is important that he observes how adults, older brothers and sisters eat. A good way to develop eating behavior is playing with a spoon and a plate. An active interest in food is caused by joint table setting, shopping trips and products that the baby can eat with their own hands.

    3-5 years old

    Younger preschoolers like bright and unusual dishes, because food is also a game. Liven up cereals, soups and salads to make them look irresistible. Put food on plates with beautiful pictures. The child will want to finish eating quickly to see the “drawn story”. An effective way of teaching is the example of a peer. Take your little one to visit a baby who eats with appetite.

    5-7 years old

    Older preschoolers are extremely inquisitive. Involve your child in cooking as early as possible. Children are happy to break eggs for scrambled eggs, make sandwiches, knead the dough and put it into molds. A dish prepared with your own hands is much more interesting and tastier!

    Over 7 years old

    Schoolchildren have many responsibilities during the day, so routine is important. A healthy appetite can be instilled as a habit. Remove all unnecessary snacks and set clear rules in the family when family members sit down for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is worth walking more in the fresh air, playing sports and avoiding negative conversations during meals.

    Popular Questions and Answers

    How to establish a child's interest in food?

    This question is answered by Natalia Pakholyuk, nutrition expert, naturopath, detox coach :

    — A child should be taught to taste a variety of tastes, shown and allowed to taste. For many parents, a bunch works in their heads: “cutlet-pasta-cucumber”. While children need fresh herbs, fresh vegetables and fruits, processed vegetables, cereals and legumes. Parsnips, beets, radishes, parsley, turnips, sweet potatoes - the younger generation has not heard of many cruciferous vegetables, much less tried them. But these vegetables are really tasty!

    A child is not born with an understanding of the principles of healthy eating. All knowledge about food comes to children from their parents through their own experience. Of the prerequisites - the child must have a correct daily routine, including full meals and snacks. Nutrition rules should be clear. It does not happen that “today you can eat at night”, and tomorrow “you can’t”. Or “today chips are allowed”, at all other times it is “forbidden”.

    I recommend that parents go shopping with their children and study in detail the composition of everything that is on the counter. Forming good eating habits is a process that never ends. Therefore, the child and the parent must be in constant communication: what can be eaten, what cannot be eaten, what should be added to the diet, and what should be removed.

    Can a child be forced to eat?

    — You can't force or encourage children to eat more than they want, you can't use food as a reward or make it a duty, you can't regulate a child's emotional state with food, says trainer-nutritionist Elena Kostyuk . “All this not only leads to overconsumption and is associated with weight gain in later life, but also disrupts the self-regulation of eating behavior. Children are not machines that require more or less the same amount of gasoline per kilometer. "Clean Plate Societies" should be a thing of the past. The right of the child is not to finish eating, to eat as much as he wants, and even to completely refuse food. If the child is healthy, active, develops according to age, has weight and height within the age norms, there is no reason to think that he does not receive enough food. For more complex cases, there is a food diary, nutrition structuring, consultation with a doctor (pediatrician or nutritionist), help from a child or family psychologist.

    When should I see a doctor due to lack of appetite?

    — If the child has no appetite, do not immediately run to the doctor. It is necessary to analyze the psychological component of the question: could stress, fear or resentment be the provoking factor? It is also necessary to exclude the factors of taking drugs and dietary supplements, illness, an abundance of snacks. And also do not forget that the lack of proper physical activity negatively affects appetite and metabolism,” explains nutrition expert Natalya Pakholyuk.

    Age Norma rate per day
    from 1. 5 weeks to 2 months 1/5 of the weight of the child
    Child
    from 4 to 6 months 1/7 of the weight of the child
    from 6 to 8 months 1000-1100 ml
    of 8 to 11 months 1200-1300 ml from 1 to 2 years 1300-1400 ml
    from 2 to 5 years on average 1500 ml
    older than 5 years in average 2000131

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