My daughter is almost 15 months old and has always been a small eater. She was breastfed for the first 5 months then solids were gradually introduced. It went okay for the first few weeks but soon it was difficult to get her to eat the recommended amounts and types of foods she needs. Since she turned 1 year old, she has become more and more difficult: slowly but surely I can see a trend over the last 6 months where she decreases the quantities she eats as well as the types of foods.
Her typical intake for a day:
- BF: 300ml of milk and a small handful of corn flakes
- Lunch: 200ml vegetables & fruit juice, 100g of yoghurt. Sometimes will nibble a bit of meat, sometimes will have just juice (not even yoghurt), refuses everything else (pasta, rice, vegetables, bread, etc.).
- PM snack: 100g fruits (puree or fresh), a couple of biscuits or small bowl of cereals.
- Dinner: half a dozen teaspoons of pasta or rice, a little milk, a yoghurt. Sometimes (say twice a week at the moment) will have nothing at all.
She is at 3% of her weight curve (always has been a small size). I don't mind she is a light-weight, she has a small body and that's ok. She is very active, in good health and generally happy. I am however concerned about long-term effects on her health given the limited food range she accepts and the fact she can go with very little food, and that this trend is worsening. I struggle to understand her behavior at the table and why she systematically refuses almost everything we put in front of her. We don't force her at all and are very patient, but we are not sure how we should deal with this as parents.
Paediatricians have been unhelpful about this (just saying she should eat more and more varied...). She has a twin sister who is a little bigger than her (but not much) but who does eat well and pretty much of everything.