1yr old not wanting to eat dinner anymore - suggestions?

[NobbyD]

Hi,

My ds has just turned 1 and suddenly started a protest at dinner times where he doesn't want to eat anything.

He started similar a couple weeks back but I gave him a spoon and he would try to eat it himself and I could shovel in some spoonfulls in between his attempts.

But last couple of nights he doesn't even want to do it himself and will just throw the food around.

He'll start to have a bit of a tantrum and be pointing to the fridge where he knows his yoghurts are. If we give him yoghurt then he may eat that - but not everytime.

Could this be fussy eating? He has even done it with meals I know he has really liked before so am unconvinced its because he doesn't like it. Plus he eats everything they give him at nursery.

Anyone had similar problems? What did you do? Should I try giving finger foods at dinenr time and see if it makes a difference? How do I know what is the right amount of finger food?

Advice welcomed!

[RGPargy]

Hi NobbyD

DD is/was going through a similar phase (which is what it is!) and she is 19 months!!

A couple of things were recommended to me. One was to just give them what you would normally do for your dinner and if they dont eat it, tough luck and the other was to sit and eat with them (nothing's more appealing than mummy's and daddy's dinner!) and if they want stuff from your plate, let them have it!

We have BLW with DD so she has always had finger foods. There is no right amount really i dont think. Just play it by ear and if he wants more, give it to him!

What sort of foods are you giving him?

[NobbyD]

Thanks RGPargy. You're right about our dinner being appealling. I think it could be because at nursery they all sit together and eat, but at home we shove it in him and then we eat our dinner when he is in bed. It'll be hard to have dinner altogether during the week as I don't get home from work til 6, so I usually just microwave something for him as his bedtime is 7.

I tend to give him either meals I prepared at the weekend and froze (fish pie, cottage pie, pasta, casseroles etc) or I will give him a ready-made hipp organics meal. At first I thought it was that he didn't like the new 12 month+ meals from hipp but last night I tried a home cooked meal I know he loves and has eaten many times before but still wasn't interested.

I did try him on fish fingers and waffles once too and that was unsuccessful - most was thrown on the floor lol!

Of course, with him not eating at dinner time he has started to wake earlier demanding milk as he is obviously hungry. So any ways to get more (quality) food in him is appreciated.

[RGPargy]

DD definitely eats better if we all sit together. On the days that you are working and have to nuke him his dinner, can you not sit at the table with him while he eats, even if you're just chatting with him, or maybe have a slice of toast so that he can see you are eating too? DD's bedtime is also 7pm and i was giving her dinner at 4pm(ish) so that she would go to bed on time. Now tho on the days that i don't work, we try and sit down at 5pm and eat together so that it's not overly early for DP and I to eat with her.

I've also tried DD on waffles and fishfingers and they too have ended up squished in between her fingers and then onto the floor without a single crumb passing her lips lol.

I think they do go through phases of rejecting everything you put in front of them and will only eat their utter utter favourites. DD has rejected alot of her favourites too.

Stick with it, i'm sure it'll pass. DD wont even put anything new into her mouth and mostly wont even pick it up either so i totally know how frustrating it is.

Does DS have milk before bed? Maybe that could be an option for him if he's not eating his dinner? DD has milk before bed (always has done). It's not a vast amount (anything from 3-6oz) but it's her bedtime routine and keeps her going til morning.

[NobbyD]

I do sit with him at the kitchen table and I have eaten with him before - he does reach out for my food but then doesn't eat it if I give it to him!

Also tried finger food last night and still he didn't want any. Maybe he's just not hungry?

I'll keep trying different things and see how it goes then. Hopefully, like you say, its just a phase.

He does have milk before bed so I think that fills him up enough to get through the night (he's on the 1yr+ milk from cow and gate and I wonder if that is a bit thicker and maybe filling him up more than the other stuff? He only has two bottles (morning and night).

I'll just have to be more inventive and get him to eat finger foods like veg andfruit throughout the day so I know he's getting enough nutrients.

Thanks for your help!

[RGPargy]

DD will always always eat her fruit - she is a real fruit monster so i know she is getting nutrients from that. She'll always eat her weetabix or toast too oh and she has a passion for cheese lol. I think as long as they eat some sort of variety they will be ok.

Good luck!