Ideas for 16 months old

[Em32]

My son has been refusing to have anything fed to him for a while now - which is fine - but we seem to be rapidly heading down the path of 'typical junk food' He will only eat with his fingers except yoghurt, rice pudding or fruit puree which he manages to spoon in if you hold the pot for him. At the moment the only things that go in apart from this are omelette, toast, sausages (meat or quorn), baked beans, chips (when he's out, he doesn't get them at home), fishfingers, spag bol but with shells not spaghetti (won't eat any other type except bolognaise type sauce), raisins, organix goody bars or eggy bread. He won't eat sandwiches. He used to eat boiled potatoes, fish pie, risotto, mini sweetcorn and carrots, meatballs etc etc but not anymore!. I'm not stressed about it but would like some ideas of things to try instead as I can see he's beginning to get stuck on a few things. He goes to nursery three days a week and tends to eat better there (including cereal which he won't touch for me!) but I don't think that's unusual. Any suggestions would be very gratefully received.

[Pomi]

Em32 My ds 17 month is almost the same. He wants to eat himself and i just let him what he likes by putting things infront of him. When comes to spoon feeding i use toys or some thing different from the kitchen (in other words i distract him while feeding). Sometimes I distract him by showing him telly though I know this is not a good thing to do.

[SenoraPostrophe]

ds is a bit fussy (doesn't like lumps and won't eat pasta) but will always eat:

-porridge
-Spanish lentils . It's much nicer than it sounds: fry some garlic, onion and another veg, eg carrot, chopped up small in olive oil; add rosemary or thyme (rosemary is nicer) and lots of puy lentils (the small green ones). Add water and boil up like you would a risotto. Then add some chopped ham and/or chorizo.
-bananas
-my special vegetable soup (similar to lentils recipe but with fewer lentils and lots of veg - blended afterwards)

• a small bit of pretty much anything that I'm eating, even pasta.

[DissLocated]

Em - my dd is going through the feeding herself phase, I've found she'll eat small things she can pick up herself such as blueberries, peas, sweetcorn and chick peas.

I made her some baked butternut squash mixed with creme fraiche and fresh mint - we thought it was delish but she refused it point blank until Daddy decided to eat it, then she changed her mind when she saw it rapidly disappearing out of her dish!

btw - I don't think his diet sounds too 'junky', my dd has a very similar diet. I make my own chips for her by cutting up potatoes (and sweet potatoes) into chips, putting them on a baking tray covered in baking parchment, spraying them with spray oil and baking them on high for about 25 mins. She loves them and a bit healthier than normal.

[Em32]

Thanks - I'm not the only one then! He's now given up on milk as well today (bashed the bottle away - yes I know he shouldn't be having a bottle - laid on the floor and had a huge paddy) and was the same this evening. Don't know what is going on with him at the moment!

[knat]

Hi my 20 month old dd still has a bottle so don't worry!!! She won't touch sandwiches either very frustrating! He seems to be eating ok to me. DD eats pesto pasta with pancetta always goes down well, baked potato with cheese and beans or tuna or pesto and cheese. Bolognaise usually ok, a white sauce with tuna and cheese which you can do with potato or pasta. I find toast a problem as with sandwiches just tends to pull them apart and eat bits. She does eat hot dog sausages with mash potatoes and veg. Not tried "proper" sausages yet. Don't know if this helps at all.