Fussy Eater

[AderynMelyn]

My DS is 21 months and for nearly the last year (prob around 10months) he has refused to eat anything other than pasta, cheese, fish fingers, etc (around 8 different food things)

I have tried feeding him myself, letting him feed himself, talking to him whilst he is eating, eating with him, ignoring him, etc..
I am now at my wits end! I have spoken to the HV about it and she told me not to worry but as its lasted so long, I can't help but get concerned.

I weaned him on Gina Ford and he tried so many different purees, etc when he was a baby.He used to love soups and would eat practically anything (except fish ironically!) BUT now refuses to eat anything else. Its so frustrating. I have tried making him different meals which the dog ends up enjoying! I have tried feeding him our meals (again, the dog enjoyed them) ...all to no avail.

Any help would be fab.

[scurryfunge]

Put plenty of veg in the pasta sauces so you know he his getting some nutrients.

Leave him to it.....provide the (very small) meals and give him enough time to eat. If not remove without saying anything and do not give him anything else.

[HeadFairy]

Lots of children go through this stage, I have about 5 or 6 meals ds will eat that I rotate around. Try to make meals as nutritious as possible without letting on, as scurry says, hide veg in pasta sauces etc. When introducing things make sure it's a tiny amount, when he's hungry, alongside something you know he likes.

ds was begging for food the other day he was starving after a day at the park so I gave him some pasta in a tomato sauce and snuck in a teeny bit of tuna and a ton of cheese. Next time I will increase the amount of tuna a bit until he's having a decent amount.

The other thing is to not worry about it at all, he will get through it. For some reason toddlers have a magic ability to survive, indeed thrive on the most ridiculously limited diets. My friend's ds lives on olives, scotch eggs and cocktail sausages and is full of energy!

[SweetKate]

I sympathise but have no advice. DD is almost 18 months. Her diet today has consisted of: weetabix wtih a handful of cheerios; handful of raisins for lunch; handful of raisins for afternoon tea at nursery and half a bowl of spag bol.

She is not at nursery tomorrow so if she had her way would fill herself up with breadsticks and yoghurts.

We are going to start getting more disciplined and only give her proper meals and not give her another choice if she doesn't eat that.

I am at my wits end. She goes to nursery 2 days a week and eats nothing there and very little at home. DS is 5. He also went to nursery and always had seconds and even thirds if he could. He went though a phase at home of only eating fish fingers, chips and beans. But had such a fab diet at nusery that I didn't mind. He is now on school dinners as he doesn't like sandwiches. When DD was bawling her eyes out at the mere sight of food tonight he proudly announced tonight that the only food he won't eat is boiled egg. I think that is true!!

[primrose22]

My ds is 5 and has always been soooooo fussy. I have just learnt to be relaxed and as he seems a very healthy and happy little chap I try not to worry.
For the record he only eats shreddies or cornflakes, marmite sandwiches, chunks of cheese, yoghurts, rice cakes and 2 'meals' that are either lentil casserole (pureed!) or pasta with v.v.lump free tomato sauce with us many pureed veg in it as possible. Thats it. I try to limit treats, as it goes without saying that he loves all types of cakes, biscuits etc.
A wise family friend once told me that growing children are programmed to consume nothing but carbs and fat for growth! My ds is the living proof, he'd eat all white food given half a chance! How about giving him a daily multivitamin? Its something I do, makes me feel less guilty somehow! x

[AderynMelyn]

Thanks everyone. I know I shouldn't worry but he seems to becoming increasingly worse. Even our childminder has said he is now refusing pasta, sandwiches and fishfingers!

He is now only eating potato waffles, bananas but of course would eat any kind of biscuit, crisps, etc if he was given the chance. I actually made pasta sauce with hidden veg at the weekend (he refused it) as he tends to only like it with cheese! I also made macaroni cheese (similar, I thought!) but refused that too!!

I've just bought the Gina Ford baby book and ave decided I have to do something for my own sanity!! I am going to feed him small meals and if he doesn't eat what is in front of him, I will leave it until his next meal time. I always feel guilty and try and feed him up on anything he'll eat but I really want him to try and eat properly.

Unfortunately, he woke up last night and I ended up giving him milk at 3am...I'll probably crack before him and I haven;t even started properly yet! Lol...at least its half term and I can catch up on any sleep during his nap time!!

Fingers crossed... :)

[HumphreyCobbler]

this is the problem with just offering one thing and not anything else as a snack later - they wake at three in the morning, starving hungry.

DS was incredibly fussy. I never really tried to make him eat anything, I knew it wouldn't work and I couldn't face the stress. I would follow him around sometimes, shovelling baked beans in while he was playing, just to get something inside him.

He honestly didn't care about eating food, even if he would try it he would then give up after two tiny mouthfuls. Luckily he would always go for a banana.

I did everything I could to encourage him. He must be the only child in the world who would make cakes and not want to eat the finished result.

In the last few weeks he has suddenly branched out and started eating meals like the rest of us. The relief is enormous, he is starting to put on weight, which is also brilliant. I didn't do anything according to the book EXCEPT not get stressed about it with him. I think this is helpful although difficult to do as food is so emotional.

[AllOverIt]

Sorry for re-starting this, but I'm in the same boat with DD. She'll be 18 months at the beginning of Dec.

She eats such a limited diet. I'm at my wit's end. She's great at breakfast, so no worries there. She'll eat lunch as long as it's spoon fed and only a few lumps. She'll have fish pie, chilli and rice (actually has no chilli in it, but you know what I mean) Cottage pie and chicken pie with mash.

She'll only eat marmite on toast for tea and the odd lump of cheese. She'll sometimes eat tea cake, but 4 times out of 5 turns her nose up. Hates sandwiches or breadsticks, pasta. Tomato based sauces are a no no, though she will eat a spag bol if it's pureed to nothing...Picnics are a bloody nightmare

She HATES milk unless it's milky hot choc (I managed to get her onto this as this was a no no for ages but I've gradually decreased the amount of chocolate powder in it. It's only enough to take the edge off the taste of milk now)

It's all so frustrating as she was EBF for 14 months, weaned at 6 months with a fully varied diet. She ate well for ages, and the last few months have seen her gradually limiting her diet. I was so excited when I found that she liked corn-on-the-cob as it was another quick meal I could give her for tea. Only to have her turn her nose up at it.

She does like fruit so she has that in the day, I just don't want her to be too full and not be hungry at tea time, IYKWIM

I keep trying and trying and not get cross, I distract, ignore, keep offering, let her feed herself etc.

If she could live off cake, choc and biscuits she'd be happy