Lunch ideas for young toddler?

[Chocolateismyvice]

My son is 16 months old and has always been a great eater. However, he's recently become a little bit fussy and refusing food he's previously enjoyed. I'm now starting to struggle with lunch ideas for him.

Bread/toast is quite hit and miss
Doesn't like wraps/bagels/rolls/pittas but am going to try some of these again soon
Gone off crumpets
Doesn't like eggs so omelettes/frittata/boiled egg/etc are out

Will eat jacket potatoes and pasta but we have pasta several times a week for dinner.

He loves Fishcakes and chicken nuggets (I make my own to freeze)

I'm seriously running out of inspiration on what to give him for lunch. Any suggestions?

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

I know you say pita and wraps are out but would he eat them if used like a pizza base?
Cheese and crackers
Falafel
Breadsticks and houmous/guacamole/cream cheese
Soup (maybe less so in summer)
Cous cous with chopped chicken, peppers,celery etc

All served with whatever veg, carrots/cucumber pepper sticks all go down well here

[Otterseatpuffinsdontthey]

My Granddaughter is also 16months old. She's not a big lunch fan - however, she loves soup. Bowl of soup + slice of lightly buttered, wholemeal bread (this has to be cut into thin strips for dipping!). Fresh fruit and/or small yogurt.
Current favourite soup is Brocolli & Stilton

[Otterseatpuffinsdontthey]

Baked beans/toast
Sardines/ toast
Roasted cheese/toast
Mashed avocado/toast
Mashed banana/toast
Toast is the best invention since sliced bread!

[Otterseatpuffinsdontthey]

Notice you say bread/toast quite hit and miss - toppings (for toast) baked beans, sardines, mashed avocado, mashed banana.
Bought "Rumbledethumps" from Sainsburys (potatoes, cabbage, turnip) - added butter and shredded ham hough = demolished!
Mince, potatoes + veg.
Hope this helps!

[Otterseatpuffinsdontthey]

Slight cross-posting

[CaviarAndCigarettes]

I have three kids who are each fussy in their own way. Lunch time is a bloody battlefield!
My greatest success comes from picnic type lunches. None of them eat sandwiches, two eat toast, two eat fruit one won't, they all like pasta but one will only eat it every other day... that one likes soup but the other two don't.. gah it's hell!

I either do a big dip type platter of mixed fruit, cheese in cubes, crackers, veg etc and give them a plate and let them help themselves. Or I do an individual plate per kid with what they like

So 4yo would be a couple of crackers, chicken, Melon, grapes, blueberries, carrot sticks.

2yo crackers, chicken, fruit pouch (only way fruit can pass their lips) cheese cubes, yogurt, smoothie

1yo toast, chicken, grapes, blueberries, yogurt.

I've tried serving them all the same and it resulted in the fruit avoidant child having awful guts. I've decided it's a battle I can't win and I've got it all in anyway.

Dinner for us is the non negotiable meal. I serve a family meal (slight adjustments here and there) try to make sure there's something everyone likes. I don't mind doing different meals at lunch because everyone eats the same breakfast (scrambled egg, beans and toast for the toast eaters) and the same dinner. I couldn't do it every meal time without going mental

[Ricekrispie22]

Mini homemade sausage rolls. I also used to make these as a variation www.recipetineats.com/spinach-and-ricotta-rolls/
Falafel
Cheesy porridge - my LOs love this and I add bits like chopped ham, chives, mushrooms, tomatoes etc...
Cheese scones
Savoury flapjacks.... yes really! www.british-leeks.co.uk/recipe/leek-cheese-flapjacks.php

[elQuintoConyo]

He ate what we ate, in smaller portions. Yes he was a fussy eater, he's 6yo now and not a fussy eater.

[Chocolateismyvice]

Loving the suggestions so far. Okay, in the next few weeks I will try:
Pitta pizzas
Cheese + crackers
Bread sticks and veggie sticks with dips (this should go down well)
Falafel
Sausage rolls
Cheese scones
Savoury flapjacks (very interested in this!)

He loves soup so do a lot of that in the winter but guess I could do make a more 'summery' one such as fresh tomato soup as they now in season.

Thanks for these :)

[iklboo]

We got some funky cookie cutters and used them to cut up DS's sandwiches when he went through a phase like this. It made them more interesting for him.

[PasstheStarmix]

Ds who is also 16 months seems to be having a similar problem but he is teething so I’ve put his fussiness down to that. He was such a good eater and used to eat such a variety of foods I can only think it’s teething to blame as he does also have other symptoms too. Could your little one not be also?
At the moment my little one is refusing pasta and rice when he normally loves it and wants everything with potatoes. He will eat fish in butter/cheese sauce with potatoes and veg or fishcakes/cod fishfingers, beans and cheese. He also likes mackerel which I add tomato passata and diced veg too and he will eat this with potatoes or on toast. I had to give him his homemade chilli with sweet potatoes and rice as he’ll no longer eat the rice on own with it. Sugar free ketchup has also helped him eat more of his meals.

[PasstheStarmix]

Or reduced sugar rather*

[April45]

Can you give smaller portions of things you'd have in the evening, then try again a bit later on and see if he'll accept them.. especially when he starts pointing at your sandwich.

I find DS goes of bready things when teething as they take a bit more work.. if that applies?

[mrsoutnumbered]

My toddler loves nibbly bits for lunch, like cubes of cheese, grapes, tomatoes, ham, crackers, French bread, that sort of thing. She also loves eggy bread.

[PasstheStarmix]

Op just and update to say my ds’s fussiness has def been down to teething because he’s been eating great again today. Hopefully may be similar for your little one.