Instead, the toddler enjoys a gradual increase in size,
accompanied by a decreased appetite and a ritualistic interest in limited types of food.
Toddlers also vary in their energy requirements, eating large amounts of food one day and very little food the next.
Food likes and dislikes also differ from day to day.
This period of decreased appetite as a result of decreased caloric need is often referred to as a time of physiologic anorexia.
Parents may need reassurance that this is normal.