21 month old who won't eat

[triple3]

One of my girls who is a triplet that is 21 months old has always had feeding issues.  She had EGD when she was 11 months old and they found nothing, swallow study was fine.  She will not eat any meats, no veggies.  She loves most fruit, and cheese, yoqurt and pudding.  SHe will eat pretzels and goldfish.  She does drink some milk, but not more than 8 oz a day.  She drinks harvest juice but I limit that to about 6 to 8 oz a day,and she drinks some water.  Meal time is a battle.  We try not to focus on food, and just let her try, and pick at it, but she usually will not try anything new.  She refuses to eat any type pasta.  She was 9 weeks early, but all of her other developmental screenings all 3 are ahead at 22 months.  I just don't know what to do.  I do give her vitamins every day.  Is there something else I should be doing?

[Renee Radenberg]

Her weight is below the 5th percentile and her height is just above the 50th percentile for her age. It is frustrating when a child does not want to eat certain foods. You are doing fine by giving her foods she likes. Suggest giving her all the protein foods she will accept at all meals and snacks (cheese, yogurt, pudding, and milk). Since she likes fruit and yogurt, you can try fruit smoothies (yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit, and ice cream blended) to give her for extra calories and protein in place of milk at meals. Hopefully she will accept it. The most important thing is to RELAX at meals. If she will not eat a certain food, do not make a fuss over it. Slowly introduce new foods, and if she does not want it, do not make a fuss over it. Sometimes it takes 5-9 times to introduce a food that they will accept, however, if they do not want it and let it go. Try again in a few months. Hoped this helped you.