doesnt like food

[ela35]

please help me understand why my 2 year old baby girl doesnt like food  especially veggies -she always refuses that- she doesnt like fruits and i tried bananas, apples, pears , grapes strawberries , kiwi, apricots, etc  . sometiomes she eats a large quantity of  fruits and then she doesnt want to taste the same fruit for a month. there are long  periods -weeks- when she asks for milk and bread only , and if we bring anything else she refuses and throw the food away .
i try to change the menu every day to keep her interested but she doesnt prefer any aliment . im afraid to give to much bread and milk cause she is constipated all the time. she was infested with giardia  but i gave her the medication prescribed and her appetite didnt changed.
thank you ,
ela-bucharest, romania.

[Renee Radenberg]

For her weight and height you stated, she is normal for her age. This age some children start to become 'picky' eaters. Unfortunately, one of the first foods they stop eating are fruits and vegetables. Introduce fruit in initiative ways, such as, blended fresh strawberries and / or bananas with yogurt to make a smoothie or with ice cream to make a milkshake. Vegetables can be added to the smoothies / milkshakes, too. Sometimes children will eat food they normally do not like when combined with foods they like, for example, peanut butter sandwich with apples or bananas on it. She does consume milk, and I suggest a nutrient dense drink such as Pedisure or milkshakes. Engage your daughter with preparation of food. Have her help you set the table or do something for the meal. Children love to be involved preparing their food and it may help them to eat different foods, however, introduce new foods slowly. Try not to get upset if she refuses them. Meals need to be joyous for you and your child. If she will not eat a certain food, do not make a fuss over it. Let it go and enjoy your meal.

[Renee Radenberg]

If she is drinking milk, then she would probably drink milkshakes or Pedisure that are more nutrient dense then regular milk and she would be getting vitamins and minerals she needs. If you are concerned about her physical health, then have her checked by her MD.

[ela35]

thank you
i must add other information about my daughter's eating problems....she never wanted to drink tea or juice not even if she was very thirsty . i use to give her some milk in her sleep , at night , cause she still drinks from the bottle, but she knows when i replace it with juice and spits it. and about food , usually she doesnt want to know what the food tastes like , says NO and hits my hand if i hold a spoon or a cup with food. she clearly asks for milk and can wait for it the entire day.  can it be something else? should i check for a mega colon or other gastrointestinal problem?  i remember when first introduced different foods as mashed potatoes or cream apples or soup , she was 6 months old and let the food drop out of her mouth , didnt want to eat it. so , she never liked them.  sometimes , as i told you ,  she eats bananas, apples , chicken meat, fish but it is once a week or less.
she was born premature , but she is bright and curious . im so sorry i cant feed her   properly, especially because she lacks vitamins and she is very constipated.
thank you again,
ela.