Ds will not try new foods

[Thegreatunslept]

Hope the wisdom of mumsnet can help. My ds is 3 he will be 4 in June. He has a very limited diet. He is healthy and a good weight and height.
The problem we have with his eating is that he will not try new foods, he will physically not put them in his mouth. Anything he has not had before or had in s long time will be met with tears and he becomes very upset.
His diet is very limited to 4 breakfast cereals, toast with butter, pizza and skinny chips. He does also eat yogurts and bananas. Sweets, chocolate and biscuits are generally all eaten but he does stick to the same things and rarely try's new treats.
As he has not grown out of this 'picky' stage I am starting to worry.
How can encourage him to actually taste a new food. Please help.

[tiktok]

Hi - I think you'll be helped more in another thread, OP. Try this one www.mumsnet.com/Talk/behaviour_development

The one you have posted on is really about babies still on milk feeding.

Toddlers with eating difficulties are really common. There's a really good book on this which has been around for years and which has helped loads of parents:

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00785YLYG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[CarolineMumsnet]

Hello. Thanks for suggesting the behaviour_development board to the OP. We are going to move this thread over there for her shortly.

[Thegreatunslept]

Thanks for moving thread hoping to get some help

[pointycow]

No advice but solidarity- my ds was 3 in November and has a very similar diet to the one you describe. He will eat no fresh fruit or veg at all- only cereals, porridge, bread based stuff, cheese and yoghurt. Obviously cake and chocolate but like your son, is even picky with his treats. The only "proper" meal he will eat is quesadillas and I can hide very small amounts of tomato and avocado in these.

He will absolutely not try anything new- can't be bribed with chocolate buttons, doesn't care if there's no alternative offered. We feel like we've tried all the standard advice. The only thing I haven't yet tried is some kind of sticker chart so that's my next move! I go through phases of being really anxious about it but at other times just accept that there's not much more I can do besides put the food in front of him.

I'm following for advice really but you have my sympathies. It is my most hated part of parenting!

[Closetlibrarian]

I'm just posting for solidarity too. My nearly-4-yo won't try new things either. It's beyond frustrating. She's always been quite picky, e.g. it's only in the last 6 months or so that she's eaten potato in any form.

Dinner (evening meal) is the worst for us - she hardly eats anything. But, again, she's never had a bit appetite at that time of day.

I try not to worry about it. She's got this far and seems healthy enough. We just try to offer her things consistently and hope that one day she'll try them. DH does the whole 'one more bite and I'll read the next page of this story' thing, or 'have two bites of x and then you'll get pudding', but I don't think that's generally a good tactic as I don't think it helps her develop a healthy relationship with food.

Sigh - I've read so many threads on fussy eating and there just doesn't seem to be a miracle answer. One thing I read that helps me relax about it, when I remember it, is that if they're eating foods from all the major food groups over a 7-day period then they're ok.

[Closetlibrarian]

big appetite. Not bit!