My view on this has changed a bit the past few months. I never really thought food could be such an issue. I assumed if kids were hungry they would eat. But last month Megan wouldn't eat most foods. She refused everything but yogurt, pudding, ice cream, milk, pediasure, and apple juice. She wouldn't even eat applesauce. I would make her favorites and bought her junk food like cookies and candy and she wouldn't/ couldnt eat them. I stopped offering ice cream and pudding and all she ate those days was yogurt and milk. I stopped the pediasure wondering if she would be truly starving would she eat... And she wouldnt. And she wasnt even having lots of yogurt and milk. 2 oz of milk and 2 oz of yogurt and then 2 oz again at the next meal... She was barely eating for weeks. She did start eating again after a few weeks, But it's been VERY slow going. She says "I'm eating again!" with the biggest shocked look ever on her face. I havent offered her the junk food after the first few days of her refusing that as I realized that it wasn't pickiness going on but something else. she still isn't eating things like bread, noodles, lunchmeat, etc. Wont eat hotdogs or cereal, chicken tenders, etc. Things that were a normal part of her diet before. And she will say in the evening sometimes now that she is hungry. Once last week she said she was hungry and we only gave her milk and said well then eat more at breakfast tomorrow. She woke up at 4 am saying she was hungry. I gave her a bit of milk and told her it was time to go to sleep and I went back to bed. 1/2 hr later she called to me and I went in. And she said, "mommy, I really am hungry" in a very sincere voice. I gave her some yogurt and she then went back to sleep.
When growing up I had to sit at the table until my food was gone. I said I would never make my kids finish their food and if they don't like something then they don't have to eat it. I was very picky as a child and really would have preferred to go hungry those nights that I didn't like dinner. But I never thought about the possibility that my kids might be not able to eat certain foods and what would I do when they were hungry later. Megan used to love crescent rolls, pork roast, etc. ( dinner last night) She still is not eating them. She still isn't able to eat apples or blueberries which used to be some of her favorite things. But she is willing now to eat cheese, rasberries, and applesauce. I really don't care anymore if she is picky. As long as she is eating something. I try to include things that she might eat during each meal. If she doesnt eat then I'm not bringing more food out as an alternative. But later I am offering her something else like bananas and yogurt.
So besides not making my kids finish their food at meals I'm now offering other foods later. Megan never sleeps well when she is hungry. It's been proven many times over the past few years. I don't know if my approach is right, but it was my gut tells me is the right thing to do.
