DS will only eat fishfingers for his dinner - help!

[ODearMe]

DS is 22 months old. Bit of background - he was exclusively breastfed until 6 months old. He was weaned on food I would spend a long time cooking (Annabel Karmal), and he would eat anything I put in front of him.

Once DMIL started looking after him 2 days a week, she offered him fish fingers and he has not looked back. His enjoyment for other foods has diminished, and now he will not put anything in his mouth unless it is fishfingers.

He will eat a good healthy breakfast, bananas, raisins, sandwiches etc but he is now now incredibly fussy at dinner time..

I have tried going cold turkey with the fishfingers and offering him other food such as shepherds pie etc etc but he screams and wont even put it in his mouth. He is then sent to bed without anything else. He doesnt care - he would rather just go hungry!

Is there anything else i can do? I know I am perpetuating the problem by giving in to him, but if I do not - he goes to bed with an empty tummy, and surely it is better to give him something than nothing?

HELP!

Thanks in advance.

[IloveChristmasandsodoesmydog]

It is better to give him something than nothing. So let him eat fish fingers. It won't kill him, they're full of omega 3 and it will be a different fad soon. Don't worry. I'm sure he won't eat them for the rest of his life. Will he eat other things with them?

[Tinselandchocolates]

Ah welcome to 2 year old fussiness!!
My DS was similar at a similar age and only just starting to break it now, age 2.5. My rule was if it was a new food then I would replace, otherwise nothing then and a slice of toast and butter before bed. (Unfortunately DS rather fond of toast!). I too tried cold turkey and just ended up with a skinny boy.
My advice fwiw is to keep offering a range, make as little of a big deal of it as you can and replace with something at least half an hour after the planned meal.
Also, lunch always easier here, so however much of a pain it is maybe try cooked lunch and snacky tea.
Home made fish fingers (or the fresh ones from the supermarket) are really not bad. Maybe try pan fried fish? Or, "if you eat this mummy will make fish fingers after..."
We still haven't got it right yet, but I do my best every day to not let it become a battle. You're not alone in this. At least he eats something! It'll stop eventually.

[Piemother]

I knew he would be 2ish! Dd1 ate pouches for every meal for a few weeks once! Let him eat them it could be worse at least it's proper food and not treats!

[ODearMe]

No, he doesnt eat anything else with them - just fish fingers. We tried the fishfingers you can get with potato and veggies in - didnt work.

He has even got to the point where if i give him baked beans on toast (which he used to love) he will pick the baked beans off the toast and eat the toast.

Hopefully it will pass soon - it is so frustrating he is not getting a nutritious diet.

We are supplementing with vitamin drops and offering him what we eat every eve fyi

[Tinselandchocolates]

And, though I'm sure I'll get shot down for this, but have you tried ketchup for temping to other things? DS had it with every meal for a couple of months! Hardly at all now.
I know how frustrating it is but it will pass.

[zapotek]

Please don't send him to bed hungry. This is a normal phase. Some fussiness is a throwback to when wandering toddlers might have wandered off from their "tribe" and eaten something poisoness. Thus the rejection of vegetables and fear of new things (neophobia).

He's not being difficult or "naughty". He is eating a good breakfast and lunch. Vary the sandwich fillings and give with salad and fruit. Give him Dairy products 2-3 times a day/ eggs perhaps in various forms and he will be getting a fairly nutritious diet.

My two are never very hungry late on in the day as they are two tired. I give them their main meal at lunchtime and a picnic style tea later on or an omelette with fruit/ raw veggies, a yoghurt. They are perfectly healthy.

Sometimes they eat like sparrows ( and of course I do worry and encourage them to eat/at least sit at the table till everyone is finished and try to eat something with them)

Other days they eat well. There's no rhyme or reason. Look at what he eats over a week or a month and you may be surprised at what he is eating and that his diet is more varied than you think.

Be careful you don't make food a battleground or make him frightened- that way food phobias can lie.

I myself find my DD (5) will often say "I won't eat anything then" as a way of manipulating me to do something she wants. Even though I have tried to be relaxed, I have still taught her that food can be used as a powerful weapon/ bargaining tool.

Don't let that happen to you.

[susanann]

my daughter had a thing for fish fingers too. It will pass. My health visitor said dont make food a battle ground cos you may cause her to have food issues when shes older. Shes now 21 and doesnt like fish fingers! Let him eat his fish fingers

[AppleOgies]

My DS is going through a beans and sausages on toast phase. I'm hoping it is JUST a phase.

He eats brilliantly at nursery, just not for me. :(.

[yousmell]

Ban fish fingers at your MIL's house and your house. Keep serving him the food you normally eat. You could cook fish pie or salmon if he likes fish. Don't make meal times a battle ground. He either eats or doesn't eat. Accept what ever he decides to do and don't pass comment unless it's to praise him for eating. Don't offer alternatives

My boy was like this but eats anything willingly now.

[exoticfruits]

It is nothing to do with MIL and the fish fingers-they realise at that age that they have choice and exercise it!
yousmell, has it right. Take all attention and emotion out of it. Serve up the dinner-don't discuss or comment whatever he does. Definitely don''t offer alternatives. If he says he is hungry say in a bored, slightly surprised tone, 'well you would be-you didn't eat your dinner'. He won't starve.

[ConstantCraving]

They may not starve but can lose weight dramatically. In most toddlers this is about exercising choice - but some become 'resistant eaters' around this age and treating the behaviour as naughty or attention seeking is counter productive. Paediatric advice is to give them what they will eat (even if that is fishfingers every night) whilst continuing to offer a small seperate plate with what the rest of the family is eating. Also good to involve them in food preparation. As exotic says keep it calm and neutral - no fuss if they don't eat and equally avoid excessive praise if they do. This article is good www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=a9fbda7a-8d4c-4faf-8cd5-2764796f81f6&groupId=11803 and there is a thread on resistant eaters in behaviour and development that is full of good advice.

[SpectresandSpooks]

My DD is exactly the same age and came back from 2 days at her grandparents with a sausage obsession. I bought vegan organic sausages so she was still getting the protein with none of the crap and it was vegetable matter. They also taste lovely. It's worked a treat and tonight, after 5 days of vegan sausages, she also had some pasta......with cut up vegan sausage...

I am currently researching other vegan sausages available! I have found goodlife Glamorgan sausages which are cauliflower, potato and onion which you could squash down to resemble a fish finger....although it sounds like your DS will not be fooled!!

Good luck. It's depressing isn't it?! I've been looking for vitamin supplements but cannot find ones without cod liver oil in them.