Aibu to let my baby eat what he wants?

[washingonawednesday]

18 month old has gone from eating everything in the world to practically nothing. An exhaustive list of what he eats:
Cheese
Bread,
Yoghurt
Sausages
Rice krispies
Fruit
That's it! It's only the fact he'll eat fruit till it comes out of his ears that stops me panicking!

We did blw. All food has been freshly prepared and he loved it! He used to eat Thai green curries, roasted veg, roast dinners, meatballs, cassarole, any number of dishes packed with veg, but in the last 3 months he's slowly whittled it down to the list above. I always give him what we're eating to try, but he's just not interested- wont even put it in his mouth.

Is this a phase or will he end up one of those fat truckers who lives on sausage rolls and has the girth of an elephant and the complexion of a wet flannel?!

Aibu to just let him eat this way and hope he grows out of it or should I be giving him 'proper food' and letting him get so hungry that he has to eat it?

Help!

I don't know but my instinct wound be to give him other things and eat with him and let him see you eating and enjoying food.

I think u need to stop it now. Kids can become fussy eaters coz they are allowed to and that makes it harder on you in the long run.
You need to make wat u are eating n get ur child to try it if they havent tried it b4.
Sometimes it can b more about the child asserting its authority than the food.
My nephew asks for something 2 eat, takes one bite(if that) n asks for something else. And he gets it too.

I had this when DS was little. I asked the HV what to do and she said to give him what he wanted.

Dont make a big deal of it - he's only small and he will change. There's some good stuff on your list - cheese is good, so is yoghurt, fruit etc etc....rice crispies arent awful

Just let him have what he wants and gradually introduce new stuff! Dont turn this little battle into a major war - thats what I did, it didnt work!

I've a friend whose DS4 has done similar except that he's stopped eating a varied diet and gone to a completely "white" diet. Mostly carbs. It's driving her crazy because it's seriously affecting his behaviour and mood as well - he used to be so sunny and lovely and now he's grumpy, aggressive and moody.

They've tried all sorts of approaches but nothing has worked so far, so they're just waiting it out and hoping that he will change. They keep offering him varied foods, but he just refuses and will go without rather than eat anything other than his preferred list. He's nearly 3 and started this behaviour about 6m ago.

If she comes up with anything I'll let you know!

Don't make a fuss about what he eats. Offer what you are eating, and when the meal is finished, take his plate away, whether touched finished or not.

Offer fruit as a pudding, and anything from the list as snacks.

He can have a good breakfast, at least, from your list, and if you don't make a fuss about the other meals, he will learn not to, as well.

Obviously, keep an eye on his weight and height, as it may be necessary to see your HV or GP if it the situation doesn't seem to be resolving itself.

From my limited experience of 2 children (and observing friend's children), it's quite normal for them to limit themselves to a relatively small range of foods. I just kind of went with it, offering at least something I knew they would eat at each meal but adding other bits and pieces too. As long as you are covering all the food groups and being careful about salt/sugar, then I don't see the problem.

I was very limited in my cooking skills when I had children (not saying you are) and found the River Cottage Baby and Toddler cookbook really useful. It kind of gave me confidence in the kinds of things I could make which we could eat too. If you haven't seen it I would recommend getting it out of the library. DS2 (2) eats most of the recipes, with off days of course!

DS1 was notoriously fussy (a real fruit monster like yours!) and eats pretty much anything now. He loves seafood especially and will often try his luck to get mussels and calamari when we are out.

Try not to worry too much about it. I don't see it as a discipline thing at all. Manners and sitting at the table/highchair are enforceable of course, but you can't force a child to eat what they don't want.

There's a reasonable range of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients in that list (protein carbohydrate and fat) though its pretty low on protein

Can you sprinkle ground almonds on the rice krispies, would he still eat them?

Try some different types of sausages so he's getting a different range of meat, like chicken ones or whatever, see how that works

Veg are overrrated if they are getting fruit though the leafy greens etc are of immense value but there's time for that, keep offering them

Just keep offering everything plus something in each meal of things he likes and try not to make a big deal of it or even comment and don't offer too much of what he likes in between meals (or he will tank up/hold out) and see if it doesn't improve in about a year!

Trying to get a baby to try something they don't want to try is impossible without making eating a battle which is a huge no no.

My ds is 22 months and eats about as much as yours OP. He was a fantastic eater until his back teeth came through when he just stopped eating everything. The only thing I can do is offer him what we are eating and if he doesn't eat it don't give an alternative. Ds hasn't wasted away yet and I only spend half the week eating pasta now instead of all week. He still refuses to try anything but I am less stressed at least.

fussy children turn into fussy teenagers and will only behave like this if permited to.
what handmade said is perfect dont offer him the option to be fussy but equally as such dont turn it into an issue for either of you. plate removel at end of meal is ok passing negative or shouty or bribing comments during meal or apon plate removel is not ok.
obviously dont do this with obvious aquired tastes like highly spiced foods but the we are all eating this this and this we expect you to join in if you decide not to you will be hungery till next meal or snack time does work if stuck to (with none special need or sensory issued children)

Its fairly normal, hopefully you didn't bang to anyone who would listen about how BLW had given him such an amazing palate and how he would eat anything though? .
It always cracks me up when people enthuse about the wide and wonderful diet their little Hugo enjoys at 9 months- wait until he is 2 boasters
DD is 20 months and just starting to get a bit fussy, I offer her the meal and if she doesn't want I clear it away and give her some fruit or a yoghurt. She is tending to eat not much at breakfast, about half her lunch then an enormous dinner as by then she obviously pretty hungry!

All children go through phases like that, DS is 2.6 and is back to eating anything for now I just hope it lasts!

I used to make sure there was something on his plate he liked that day and then give him some of what I was eating too. Some days he hate none of it, others only what he liked and occasionally he ate something new even if just a mouthful.

As long as he weight doesn't become an issue don't worry

I would offer what you have on half plate and maybe a little of what he likes on the other. Then give yogurt and fruit after

That way he won't starve, it's not harsh but in his own time can be encouraged to try a little of te other side of the plate

Keep offering small amounts of other stuff and don't make a fuss.
Easy for me to say

ds is 18 months and going through a similar phase. He was never that great an eater in the first place and it has really went downhill in the last month or so. Im hoping it just a phase/teething as at the moment he wont even open his mouth to eat, so unless it can be sooked off the spoon, like soup or jelly, he won't entertain it. At the moment he is surviving off Ready Brek. But hes still above the 95th percentile so I do try not to worry too much, but will mark my place on your thread should some miraculous answer appear

my 3rd baby is coming up to this age and doing this just like his older siblings did! At the same time he's also decided that he will only eat off my plate, with my cutlery, preferably on my knee... or repeat with DH. He's become incredibly independent, has big tantrums and is teething so none of that is helping him eat a balanced diet.

He went through a phase of eating blueberries for breakfast, grapes for lunch and raisins at snack time....imagine the nappies .

My older dc's eat a pretty well balanced diet so I'm not too worried. We go out every now and then for him to try different foods and I give him a bit of formula to make sure he gets vitamins and minerals he needs.

Another 18mo with the same problem. All he will now eat is yogurt and blueberries, and some pasta, occasionally some other bits. He used to have a varied diet. I'm not worrying too much, from what I've heard it's normal, I just take a relaxed approach and feel that as long as he is eating something it is ok. I'll let you know if this is the wrong way to do it in about 4 years.

DS1 did this.

IME you have to keep offering new (or previously loved!) foods alongside the things you know he will eat. We have slowly been able to re-expand his menu and he now eats a really good variety again and will try new things from time to time. It is a slow process but we are getting there.

He is almost 4 btw - it is not a quick process!

I have quite a fussy toddler too. We just serve whatever we were going to have anyway for dinner and don't make a big deal about what he eats - sometimes he eats nothing, sometimes loads. He can have fruit or plain yoghurt for pudding regardless.

my dd did this and we used to get into some real battles until i realised it was making her unhappy, i mean really unhappy, shoulders down and a huge sigh unhappy.

I didnt want to do that to my little girl, so we came up with a compromise. she gets all her food in seperate bowls, if she likes it she eats it, but if she doesnt she doesnt have to. BUT there is nothing else instead of the food we have cooked.

Three days a week she gets to choose, so its usually mince and mash or fishfingers on those days

But she is 8 now and she tries a lot more foods than she used to, plus she isnt so stressed out about food, becuase she knows noone is going to force her.

My DD changed around 18 months but i thought that was becuase she had been tricked with Marmite at nursery

Most kids go through this stage. Just keep serving things and eventually he'll eat them (obviously along with the things he does like). My daughter refused to eat veg for ages but now eats peas, carrots, cucumber and lettuce. She tries more things if she sees other people eating them (especially kids). Also when he's a bit older you can say his favourite CBeebies characters like stuff. My DD started eating cucumber when I said it was Tree Fu Tom's favourite food. Blueberries are also what fairys eat

That could be my list!

Especially cheese & sausages.

I try other things regularly, and don't give an alternative really at that mealtime, but I will make sure he eats by succumbing to a cheese & sausage meal if he hasn't has much.

I am using veg fingers with breadcrumbs and smoothies with fruit & veg to attempt to get some veg in.

Sure we will be fine.... One day.....

Similar here and also 18 months.
Apples, broccoli, marmite toast, sausages and mince, minced lamb, plain yoghurt, breadsticks, cheerios, dry muesli, scones, sometimes melon, strawberries and potatoes. He did eat yoghurt with oregano in yesterday!

I thunk they like plain food at this age and I read something about an evolutionary need to be cautious about new foods as they become fully mobile explorers and this is to prevent them eating poisonous things or decaying food so it kind of makes sense. Am just going with it and offering new things when I can be arsed but I don't have time to cook as it's just me and him at the mo (dh working til after midnight) and i tend to live off sandwiches and fruit and his leftover veg anyway. At the weekend I offer more stuff because at least DH is around then and will eat it.

oh i know how you feel my 2 and a half yr old DS will only eat:
sausages
meat
pasta
rice
cheese
mash
cheese
fruit
HE was also weaned onto wholesome home cooked meals and eat everything we put in front of him. he turned one and hasn't touched a veggie since.
its been a year and a half of agonizing meal times trying to get him to eat one bit of sweetcorn or one pea he just wont do it.
i keep trying to put the food on his plate that i am eating but he will just refuse to eat.

Kids get picky at about 18months IMO. I'd relax a bit remember he is probably consuming a balance diet.

What i did with ds1 who did this was. Try and feed him a balanced diet within his parameters and try and very gradually introduce new stuff. Ds1 was more likely to try it if he'd "cooked it". So put the veg in the saucepan, ripped up peppers or mushroom etc. don't put a plateful of food in front of them you know they won't eat. And serve stuff separately rather than mixing it together. It is really head bangingly slow progress. But does work

If he's still like this when he's abit older (old enough to understand that you really do mean what you say) start giving him tiny bits of something new and insisting that he eats it (I'm talking tiny here). Woudln't try this with an 18month old though, they are stubborn little buggers.

But most of all remain calm and don't let him know he is winding you up.

Ds1 went from eating pasta, chicken, rice and cauliflower and nothing else to eating everything. He now eats a huge range of food and most importantly alway wants to try new things.