fruit and veg refusing toddler snacks who is always hungry

[sharond101]

DS is 3 and always hungry. He has a not so perfect diet as he is so fussy and won't eat any fruit or vegetables. Currently he has,

Breakfast; 2 weetabix with pureed fruit and milk
Lunch; 2 sandwich thins with cold meat or peanut butter, small packet of crisps or a yoghurt.
Dinner; small bowl pureed homemade soup and 1/2 slice bread then dinner of either; sausage and beans, sausage roll and beans, chicken and chips/waffles, chicken and noodles, fish fingers and beans, pizza or pasta.
Pudding; yoghurt or angel delight

He keeps saying he is hungry between meals and normal snacks are a yoghurt, slice of cheese, dried fruit bar or a custard cream biscuit. He will not eat raisins or anything like that.

I don't believe he is overweight but don't want to lead to that and he definitely isn't skinny.

Does anyone have any ideas on snacks or alternative meals I can try. I cook all our meals from scratch and DH and I eat a really healthy diet. All he will touch though is the processed foods and I want him to eat better.

[Lottie4]

Wholemeal toast? Will he drink orange juice by the way, that would count as one of his five a day. Would he eat extra sandwiches and more bread with his soup, this would help fill him up a bit longer and maybe keep him going.

[Starlightbright1]

Your teas seem to be a lot of processed food. What are you doing about his lack of fruit and veg. Do you hide any in mash for example. My Ds used to love vegetable fingers which give a taste.

I would not introduce anymore junk food or processed food.. Can you try things like smoothies, apple with honey. Strawberries sprinkles with sugar

[keeptothewhiteline]

I would be concerned about the processed food too.
If he refuses fruit and veh then he needs to be eating some at dinnertime.
It's easy to hide veg unto home cooked food, veg can be grated into bolognese or mince for cottage pie. Root veg can be mashed down after cooking in a stew or casserole to form part of the gravy. Home made tomato sauce for pasta can contain lots of veg, red peppers etc and be blitzed before serving.
Try taking him to a fruit farm to pick his own.

[Starlightbright1]

I also think it is very easy to get into a habbit of not trying new foods. Give him a couple of peas , slices of carrot on his place to try, praise for trying new stuff.

What about things like Omlette, if he will eat mashed potato things like cottage pie, fish pie..

Will he want to try stuff on your plate? do you eat together so he see's you eating this stuff.

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

Try giving him picky meals of lots of tasters. Also agree about blending. You can hide healthy food this way.

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

Also if you let him help you prepare meals he may be more likely to eat it?

[SavoyCabbage]

If you are cooking from scratch for yourself and your dh then it seems daft for your ds not to be eating the same as you. The food you are giving him for dinner now might be ok a couple of times a week but not every night.

My snack strategy would be to say 'would you like sliced apple or a nectarine' and if he says no I would say 'ok well, it's lunchtime in an hour. Come on, let's finish that puzzle/putting away the washing'.