Reassure me about my son's eating (or lack of) habits

[Pascha]

He has, at the grand age of 2.5, forsaken all veg, all fruit except banana, most meat and pulses . It will come back won't it? Please tell me that if I keep offering it on the plate one day he will just eat it?

[Pascha]

He can't live on potatoes forever.

[Oopla]

One day! Others will have different experiences, our DD ate the same meal for two years then ever so slowly started reintroducing different things back into her diet, she's now 9 and eats very well. Found it incredibly frustrating at the time and think took longer for her to like some things because we just went on about it too much.
I have a 3 year old who's back in this stage and I'm biting my tongue

[Oopla]

DS is a fruit dodger too! Wishing you a speedy return to normal services!

[Pascha]

Thanks. DS is basically a carbivore I think. Oh well, on I will go offering food. He won't starve I'm sure

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

My DS lived on cheese at age 2. Literally just cheese. Oh and bread/toast/crackers.

He's 14 now and eats anything

[fertilityagogo]

Argh, I've got one of these as well (same age) - only eats carbs and meat. And the odd banana. Some days it doesn't faze me at all (as he's big, growing, generally happy and doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects!) and other days I despair of having a 'picky eater' for life (DH, DS1, and I all really enjoy food, restaurants, cooking, etc).

Watching this thread for reassurance from other experienced MN'ers....

[Pascha]

He is amazing open to cakey, mind you...

[Svrider]

I've had (and still got this with dd2)
It's really difficult, but I think you've essentially got 2 choices

1. Remain calm, keep offering a range of food, whilst allowing them to eat what they will eat, and wait for improvement
2. Get stressed out, pull yourself to peaces and generally be miserable, and wait for improvement

I try to stick to option 1

[FunnyBird]

If you want some lovely reassurance in book form, I recommend My Child Won't Eat. I got it after reading about it on Mumsnet, and it makes me feel much better about DD's diet.
Basically, no he won't starve himself and don't worry so much about variety.
And things are gradually improving. She will eat potatoes now. (Who doesn't like potatoes?!)

[Oopla]

Carbivore love it!

[Goldmandra]

You can sometimes redress the balance a bit with fruit smoothies, pureed veg in pasta sauce, home made ice cream or even fruit purees for dessert.

If these don't work get vitamin supplements from your GP, accept that you won't win any battles and wait it out.

It will get better

[LouBeee]

Don't panic. I ate sausages and NOTHING but according to my mother for 6 whole months. And then I ate normally. And now I'm a nutritionist and very very healthy !

[beela]

If you are worried about his intake of protein & vitamins etc, you can sneak quite a lot into cakes - for example, there is protein in ground almonds, and in eggs. There are lots of recipes around for cakes with fruit & veg in them as well - carrots, bananas, courgettes, butternut squash, beetroot...

[estya]

I'd add to Svrider:
option 3: turn it into a battle where you ask/beg/bribe/force him to eat. It'll become a power struggle between the 2 of you and he'll be picky for much longer because he'll have to regain control of what he eats.

[Pascha]

No battles I promise. He is currently picking and eating the pasta off his ravioli and leaving the filling, and the sauce. I do grate veg in where I can but it would be nice for him to eat it knowingly again. Even bloody bolognese is refused this last week. I thought that was the failsafe all kids eat it food!

Its only been a couple of weeks. Have I got a long hard road to travel yet?

[Pascha]

Oh he does actually like smoothies. He dips his toy car in and sucks the smoothie off it

[Purplecatti]

My mum has just been reading this over my shoulder and reminiscing about me at the same age.
I ate nothing but the whites of boiled eggs, smooth strawberry yoghurt, mashed potatoes and bananas. I would eat sweets but they were denied to me being so fussy!
She was so worried she took me to the drs who said I was going through a phase, that I was eating enough to keep me going and that I wouldn't starve myself. And I was and I didn't.

[Oopla]

Toy car covered smoothie!

Mine have never eaten bolognaise, that'd be the stuff of dreams. No food must touch on the plate, nothing in sauces, nothing mixed together. Freaky stuff.

DD has finally come around to tomato based sauces but baulks at minced beef. DS is currently eating fish fingers 5 days a week.

Could you be bothered!

[Karoleann]

DD today ate one blueberry, 2 shreddies and a smoothie. She's 2. Dc1and 2 qcan eat for England, both went through a really fussy stage at age 2. Although dc2's fads were spinach, hummous and olives!

[Pascha]

My mum said the same about my sister who lived on beans and marmite toast for months.

Might try chicken and rice again tomorrow.

[MyNameIsAnAnagram]

Mine is a bit like this, love the term carbivore!! it will pass. I am trying not to stress about it but it is frustrating. Apparently I ate nothing but primula cheese sandwiches, bacon or chocolate pudding from aged 2-7 ish. I'll eat anything now.

[wiltingfast]

Carbivore! Love it

I've a carbivore AND a carbiphobe...

[Harperseventy]

My dd age 3 is very fussy. This thread is making me feel much better! She was great up to about 2 and then stopped eating veg and fruit. She will eat chicken, eggs, fish fingers, spaghetti bolognaise and loves sausages which I hate . I try not to get annoyed but it can be soul destroying when u cook lovely meals an she won't touch it.
My tips are asda- mini carrot and potato waffles, I love watching her eat those unknowingly having carrot!!! I also roast a load of veg and blitz it down into a pasta sauce. Hopefully it will pass

[Pascha]

OK so today we are refusing omelette but yorkshire pudding is acceptable. Even with ketchup.

[Goldmandra]

Stick with it Pascha. It will get better at some point

I'm trying to work out if the ketchup is going with the omelette or the yorkshire pudding and I am not sure which would be worse!

DD2 likes it on strawberries