They ate it yesterday and refused today
Toddlers change their mind. A food that worked yesterday can be a no today without meaning it is gone forever.
Yesterday is not a contract
Serve the familiar food, keep the portion small, and try again on another day. One refusal is not a new rule.
Spinach on Monday and a no on Tuesday is ordinary. The food is still in the house. The child is still learning it.
What to put down tonight
Lead with the food that is a yes today, not with a cross-examination about yesterday. The yes is what gets them to the table.
Keep a little of yesterday’s food on the plate. You are offering, not staging a rematch.
What you can drop
Drop “but you liked it yesterday.” They do not owe you consistency. Drop the bigger portion meant to prove the point.
If a food is always refused and meals are becoming distressing, talk to your child’s doctor rather than pushing that food harder.
A sentence you can say
“Your rice is here. Spinach is on the plate too.”