Outside of being messy and usually pick eaters toddlers can also be prone to junk food, refuse to eat or refuse to eat all but one thing, and forget to chew among other things. As toddlerhood is just one step above baby many parents are also usually full of concerns about whether or not their toddler is eating enough and weight gain or loss.

A toddler who is hooked on junk food sadly is likely a result of environment around him or her. The first step to weaning a toddler on to a healthier diet is to start feeding him or her healthier. Make healthy snacks readily available rather than junk, example, replace a bag of chips with carrots sticks and the ever loved “dip it”. Remember that junk food every now and then will not hurt your child, just be sure it is less often rather than more.

If your toddler is not hooked, on junk food he or she may take being a picky eater one step further and not eat at all or just refuse to eat anything but say potatoes or some other odd selection. Sadly, you can’t force a toddler to eat, just continue offering food and make snacks and fluids available at all times and your toddler will be sneaking nibbles. He or she is just so interested in walking and exploring that food seems a whole lot less interesting. If your toddler is addicted to just one food, try cooking it in new ways and sneaking other foods in, eventually this phase too will fade.

Now a toddler not eating leads to the number one concern parents of these children often have, is my toddler getting enough to eat or underweight? First if you worry about your child’s weight consult your pediatrician. He or she will have been tracking your child’s growth from birth and can tell you if weight gain is off track as well as what to do about it. Chances are however, your child’s weight is just fine. As long as your child’s weight and growth curve is normal he or she is getting enough to eat, son addressing one concern eliminates the other. A pediatrician should also address a worry of too much weight gain. You should never put your child on a diet without expert advice. Keep in mind that toddlers often gain a good deal of weight simply to grow much taller and stretch out so to speak, and then will gain weight and grow taller again so there may be phases were your child seems chubbier than others.