Offering alternative foods

[BabyHaribo]

DS 16months has always been a relatively picky eater. A favourite one week may be a no no the next etc.

If your lo refuses lunch/dinner what/do you offer an alternative? I usually offer fruit, yoghurt, or cereal but as DS has such a sweet tooth I am not sure if he thinks this is a treat.

I am worried that I am setting a precedent that if you don't like something mummy will give you something sweet. However, he hardly has any milk only about 5oz a day and this is in the morning. So if he doesn't eat dinner I am worried he will go to bed hungry and wake mummy up

Anyone experienced similar and have any advice?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

If they don't eat they don't get an alternative unless they are quite unwell (dd survived for 3 days on fruit strings recently but ignore that ).

Would it help to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks? It might help you to see that over a week Lo has had enough and focus less on one particular meal.

Also at this age they only need 300 ml of full fat cows milk if you aren't bfing and that quantity includes milk used in cereals and cooking.

I'd just serve the food and if he doesn't eat assume he's just not hungry. If he does wake he'll get the hang of it soon.

[5madthings]

What jilted said, no alternative offered here, if they are hungry they will eat, they get usual milk ice milk before bed but if they don't eat their dinner etc then they just don't eat it.