Toddler Eating Disorder

Before you get all CPS on me because of the title, I'm just whining that my 3 year old daughter only eats a few bites of each meal and claims she's done.

This morning I caved and gave her a strawberry Pop Tart for breakfast, as a "treat" for going #1 AND #2 on the potty voluntarily (we have been struggling for months with this). After preparing healthy homemade breakfasts for the past week, I was happy to take a break and thought she'd gobble it all up.

Nope.
As usual, she ate a very small few bites and claimed she was done & ready to play again.

Such a slow, picky, pokey eater.

She takes the tiniest bites ever (just like me as a child according to my mother). She gets distracted and plays with her silverware and hair and clothes and buttons. She has to mess with everything around her EXCEPT her food. If not encouraged to stop playing and keep eating, she will MAYBE finish HALF her meal in... oh... 2 hours.

No, I'm not exaggerating.

I don't even give her huge amounts of food. I think she's served pretty reasonable, healthy servings of everything. If anything, we skimp because we don't want to waste what she doesn't eat.

Snacks between meals have been greatly reduced, and I've started giving her a time frame in which to eat her meals. I remind her a few minutes before her time is up. If she's not finished, or hasn't had enough, too bad. She should have eaten when it was in front of her. Whatever's left will be eaten for her next meal. I don't care if she has to have macaroni & cheese for breakfast.

The problem is, even with the small portions we serve, she STILL works on the leftovers from 1 meal, for 3 consecutive meals afterward.

I suppose we are lucky she does like somewhat nutritious foods - fresh fruits and veggies and the like. And she gets plenty of liquids - usually milk, water, or healthy juice (she really hates like pop or those fake, sugary drinks).

But she can't just have apple slices at every meal.

Any suggestions?