I find this is a typical age that changes come up in childrens eating habits. I think in addition to them being at an age of being more aware of different textures and visually recognizing foods they like and dislike like mom-in-alberta says, theres often huge changes in behaviour in other areas too. This is ,give or take, the time for terrible two's after all. Maybe the child isn't misbehaving in other areas and even the not eating isnt really bad behaviour ,but one thing 2 year olds tend to go through in different ways is a power struggle. At this age they are really coming into their own more and tend to protest and test the boundaries. I have found more often than not at age 2 they dont eat aswell. They dont necessairily display dislike to the food though. I dont often see kids put the food in their mouth and suddenly spit it out in disgust. Sometimes there can become a texture issue but otherwise I think its about them realizing they have the choice to eat or not so they suddenly test you to see what the consequences are. Maybe at home this child is able to do this and he can manipulate mum and/or dad and they will give in and give him crackers or other favourite foods as a substitute which would explain why at daycare when you dont give him an alternative he gets upset. This is just my opinion based on my experience. We all know how clever these little ones are.

When I am faced with this situation. I tend to offer smaller portions so as not to overface the child and also to save me the daily waste. I dont make an alternative and I dont withhold other food like carbs as this can make the situation worse. Thats my personal opinion from having this done to me as a child and also having a fussy eater in my family. I find that consistancy is very inportant with this so if parents arent onboard it is very frustrating as it can seem like for quite some time I get nowhere. I try to have daily talks with parents either at drop off or pick up, which I know sometimes is almost impossible, but it means parents need to be accountable and voice what they have been doing at home to back you up. I know a parent can say they do everything right but most people can tell if they are lying or not. If you are both on the same page it should work itself out even though I know sometimes you wonder if the child is getting enough nutrients I just tend to agree with what others have said and the child WILL eat when they are hungry. Other alternatives are to make something that is a little different. If making food from scratch it can sometimes be a little easier to smuggle healthy food in to dishes. I am a fan of the sneaky chef as you can add allsorts to everyday dishes. My daughter who is now 11 hasnt eaten veggies since she was about 4 or 5 and she is perfectly healthy. I sneak stuff in all the time Shhhhh lol

I have a child who Ive cared for for 2 years now and literally just in the past month she is now eating a full size portion for her age, 3 yrs, and mum is very pleased with this but cant believe it took her so long and doesnt quite believe me when I tell her the food she eats. I have been to their house for lunch on a weekend with my kids and I have seen her feed her children microwaved left over mcdonalds from the day before and I have also collected this child from home one day and she was eating doritos for breakfast. Its not for me to lecture parents on what they feed their children but its no wonder when they are fussy eaters and it just proved to me that you really dont know what kind of eating habits are being drilled into these children. Good Luck with your fussy eater. Hopefully this phase will pass soon