to think that all the mothers on here worrying about their toddler's 'bad' diet...

[togarama]

...are actually doing a brilliant job of feeding their kids?

I've seen so many posts in the past few months along the lines of 'Help! My child will only eat [insert apparently wide range of nutritious foods here]'

It's an achievement to us these days if 2 year old DD stops running round long enough to eat a single fish finger and a handful of cold pasta. (As a foody-type who loves cooking and eating, DD's food preferences baffle me.)

Some of you should really stop worrying and tell me how you persuade them to eat such good food!

YANBU. My DD is not even a toddler, but has an appalling diet.

YANBU. "OMG I'm so worried about my child. They only eat a limited diet of 5 healthy main courses, 8 varied lunches, a small variety of fruits and vegetables. Oh and they eat a good breakfast of 2 weetabix, orange juice and an apple. I'm so worried how can I get my child to eat better." Um, I get that you are bored cooking the same things but seriously, your child eats brilliantly. Chill out. (And let me know your secret.)

YANBU. Fishfingers and plain pasta here too. Oh and 'Just don't give them anything else but what you want them to eat/you eat' hahahahahahahahahaha. DS1 went for days refusing all food, then started refusing water and nearly ended up in hospital.

I am totally with you what with having a food phobic 8 year old boy who wouldn't even consider plain pasta AND fish fingers!

I wish that he would just eat something, but apparently that isn't one of important things to do!

hey ho he is who he is and i wouldn't change him for the world as frustrating as it is sometimes, when i am cooking 3 different meals for 4 people for the umpteenth time.

YANBU years as a nanny have shown me that there isn't a toddler in the world who hasn't eaten at least one spider, some dirt, and somethign unspeakable that they found in a bin.

Fishfingers and peas wont kill anyone

Well, I sort of know what you mean, but lets face it, we all fret about our children and its probably a bit unfair to say that some concerns are more valid than others. There was a phase when by my DS's standards I would have been jealous at you getting some fishfinger and pasta down your toddlers neck!

YANBU when DS was little all he ate was oranges, chicken pasties and cheerios.
With DD1 it was spaghetti and sausages every farking mealtime.

gosh for DD (3) at the moment Fish Fingers & plain pasta are the height of healthiness! I'm very thankful she is an excellent fruit eater still (fingers crossed)

YANBU at all.
This too shall pass is the mantra here when she pushes away home cooked meals I know she likes with a polite but firm, 'No thank you, Mummy. It is too yucky.'

It wouldn't be as insulting if I wasn't fully aware she often takes herself off to the dog bowl for a snack.

Yes on some level I think YABU. Yes these parents likely have kids that are eating healthilly but they are concerned and they are worried they are doing the best they can to try to parent their child. In this day and age we get so much about eating disorders it is in my opinion easy to understand if someone gets worried if they feel that something is not going as well as they think.

If you have a parent worrying at least they are trying to do their best I think YABU to claim that is irritating.

I have a faddy eater I have never posted about it but she is my 4th not my 1st I think I would have found it scarry and a place like here would likely have been where I would have asked advice.

YANBU if what you are trying to say is we need to learn what is a faddy eater/poor eater and what is more a phase that many toddlers go through.

Am I allowed to be annoyed that my daughter eats widely, well and healthily but won't eat bread or cheese. It's a massive pain in the arse not to be able to give her sandwiches.

Will she eat crackers? Or Pitta bread?

Oh she'll eat oat cakes and maybe Pitta bread. It's just pain I can't give her a cheese sandwhich or pizza.

hiw about a wrap TCNY? my ds won't eat bread but will eat pitts, nann and wraps! Strange child that one.

Strangely DD will eat almost anything if it's a 'packed lunch' (ie picnic) eaten in the park. She also eats bigger meals during the day & very little for the evening meal. So I try to focus on breakfast & lunch & relax re fishfingers/plain pasta for dinner.

Would you consider my dd a "Healthy" eater out of interest?

Breakfast is weetabix, milk and orange juice. For lunch she has 2 slices of wholemeal toast, cheese cubes, sliced cucumer, 2 bowls on the side one with blueberries or grapes and one with a satsuma, to drink is an Innocent kids Smoothie. So thats pretty much her five a day right there.

However she eats THAT lunch every single day though will occasionally eat a grated (not sliced!) cheese sandwich. For dinner she would have an absolute fit if I served up a stew or a roast or a creamy sauce pasta dish or any kind of fish that didn't come wearing a coat of breadcrumbs. So dinner is usually a jacket potato with brocolli and fish fingers or spaghetti bolognaise. Every SINGLE night. I honest don't know how to move this forward.

Sothisishowwedoitnow: probably healthier than mine right now...

Lonnie: I'm not irritated at all, just amazed and admiring at the variety of foods that "worried" MNers are getting their toddlers to eat compared to mine!

cryhavoc: ewww but v. funny re raiding the dog's bowl...

"cryhavoc Wed 12-Jan-11 09:49:58
YANBU at all.
This too shall pass is the mantra here when she pushes away home cooked meals I know she likes with a polite but firm, 'No thank you, Mummy. It is too yucky.' "

My son says the same thing "it is too yucky"!!

Now, my son does have a shocking diet, and I do worry, he will eat breakfast fine, but then anything else it is too yucky, and all he wants is "yellow jam toast"....toast with butter to you and me!

He is nearly 3, and I swear he lives on milk and toast..or bread of any form.

He has never had a good diet...he developed a bad uti within 2 weeks of starting solids, was very ill, would not touch food again till about 14 months, was ok for a couple of months, then was very ill again, just before his second birthday...and ever since then, his diet has been very limited.