For worrying about fussy toddler

[emsmum79]

Thanks in advance for advice. I have a 27 month old lg who is becoming a really fussy eater and I'm worrying a lot.
Her diet consists of cereal, strawberries, raisins, the occasional banana, rolls/sandwiches with peanut butter, dairylea, or tuna, potato waffles, baked potato, garlic bread, yogurt, cheese, salmon goujons.
This time last year she ate almost everything I made- chicken mornay, beef stir fry, homemade pizza, shepherd's pie, pasta and tomato sauce etc.
I've tried saying "That's your dinner" and serving nothing else other than yogurt and fruit, but she was far too hungry and it felt cruel. I did that for weeks and it didn't work. I now make the same for us all, but make sure that there's something she'll eat and something she'll hopefully be tempted by. I'm stressed about how she eats no vegetables or meat. But, she is following her centiles, she's so full of energy, and she's bright and happy.
Any advice?

If it were me I'd give no other choice. Eat the dinner you've prepared or go without. She will soon realise that eating foods that aren't her favourite is better than missing a meal and going hungry

Same as Ribena I don't give the option of fruit or yoghurt. They eat what they're given or go hungry. Obviously I don't serve everything They genuinely dislike but I won't pander to fads. They won't starve themselves, if they're hungry they'll eat.

Why is it cruel to teach a child the consequences of their decisions? I'd forego the yoghurt and fruit too. This is supper, eat it or go without.

Serve the meal, take it away after 20 mins, nothing else given unless she's tried it all and eaten most of it (if she genuinely doesn't like something, that's OK but serve it again in a few weeks or months). Sorted.

My DD has always had eating issues (she really didn't want to wean rather than becoming fussy as a toddler) so we've seen dietitians.

The official advice (which we failed entirely to follow!) is that you choose what food is available, your child chooses whether or not they eat it.

If you would normally serve two courses (e.g. main then yoghurt), then to serve the main, leave it in front of the child for 20 minutes, then take away what isn't eaten without comment (though do praise for anything they do eat), then serve the second course and allow 10 minutes to eat it - the thinking is that the second course shouldn't become reward food; she gets it whether or not she eats any of the first course.

You can choose whether or not you include food she would like in each course (we always have).

The diet you list could be worse - DD is 4.5 and will now eat 3 different vegetables; at that age I don't think she ate any (possibly broccoli). If your DD's development and weight are OK, you don't need to worry too much. If you can get a multivitamin into her, that'll cover for any specific deficiencies due to a limited diet (that's the one think we did achieve).