To feed my toddler...

[bumblebee39]

Nothing but crap?

It is all he'll eat

Fruit
Sandwiches
Toddler milk
& junk

Freezer dinner today was such a relief after weeks of him refusing proper dinners

AIBU to feed him nothing but freezer food, fruit, sandwiches and toddler milk? He used to eat a (fairly) balanced diet but is going through a fussy phase... Do I just go with it? Or keep providing nutritious fare he just doesn't eat?

Tia

[MsNowtyBach]

If I cut out snacks my toddler will eat almost anything.

If snacks are given, meal times are a nightmare.

[Galvantula]

My Child Won't Eat!: How to enjoy mealtimes without worry www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1780660057/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2bh.Bb2AVF20A?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Link to book mentioned by pp.

It is reassuring and useful.

Agree that the toddler milk probably won't help, though. Such a con to make more money for greedy formula companies.

[Leonie87]

Would he eat soup? My two would live on tomato soup if given the chance. I ditched the tins and made and froze batches of it with tonnes of veg purified into it. They absolutely love it and it makes me feel better knowing they are getting some veg.

Another favourite is macaroni cheese. I use Annabel Karmel’s cheese sauce recipe and put loads of veg in that too.

Veg risotto is another favourite. I buy bags of frozen mixed veg and cook them in a pot then add water, chicken stock and rice and keep stirring and adding water till the rice is cooked. Dead easy and always goes down a storm for some reason

[arethereanyleftatall]

If I didn't know anything about health (like a toddler doesn't), I would also choose chicken nuggets over broccoli. They're nicer.
No, I wouldn't give a toddler beige food.
With your child, I would expand on the good stuff he likes. So, sandwiches are made on good bread, with decent fillings (tuna, egg, chicken). I would be doing sandwiches twice per day rather than a beige meal.

[Jezzifishie]

Could you do jacket potatoes, with fillings like cheese, egg, tuna so it's not too different from sandwiches but is a decent dinner?

[AtSea1979]

How does your child know they want junk food unless you fed it them? Don’t give them crap to eat and expect it not to be more desirable. Continue with the fresh fruit and veg etc and if he really won’t eat mix up the two.

[TimeToRevolutionize]

Sounds bad but I do home cooked meals for DS who is 2. He will eat what my husband and I eat. If he doesn't, then that's his problem.

He does have snacks that include chocolate and crisps. However I do try and make healthier alternatives, such as rice cakes with yogurt coating, baked crisps instead of fried (he likes mini cheddars and Aldi pea snacks)

Bottom like is: if he is hungry, he'll eat what's in front of him. If you keep giving in and feeding them crap, they know that's what you'll give them so they will not eat anything else but that.

Time to stand your ground! Do it now before this fussy/picky stage gets worse.

[JudasPrudy]

I feel this. My toddler won't even eat sandwiches! I quite often give him a lunch of breadsticks, olives, tomatoes, cheese cubes and cold meats. Quite a lot of it gets thrown to the dog but he eats bits and pieces. He prefers fruit. Thankfully he will eat rice or pasta with mince and vegetables mixed through so I give him whole grain and that's a pretty healthy meal. He does get waffles and fish finger type meals too. I think that's a fairly normal meal for a lot of kids (not on MN obviously but in the real world.)

[TimeToRevolutionize]

Oh and I second what everyone said. Cut out toddler milk and stick to whole milk. Try limiting it so that it does not fill his little tummy. My DS will have a cup of milk before his nap (usually with his lunch, then he will nap), and another cup of warm milk with a biscuit before bed.

[DonaldDucksTowel]

I’d definitely cut out all the toddler milk, he doesn’t need it, does he drink anything else during the day, water or juice?

I would look to making each meal more ‘rounded’ and then he won’t need so many snacks too, maybe start working on one meal at a time

If he will eat sandwiches will he eat toast?
Peanut butter on toast and a banana would be a good breakfast and not too far from things he already eats

Then I would cut out a morning snack altogether, breakfast and lunch aren’t that far apart and if he eats a decent breakfast he won’t need it

Lunch is fine already, maybe add some fruit or veg along with his sandwich and a yoghurt after

Will he eat crackers or breadsticks? Maybe replace the crisps with things like that, or rice cakes maybe?

Then you’re at dinner time and that’s probably the easiest to work on, particularly if you know he’s eaten fairly well the rest of the day

[Prisonbreak]

That’s a lot of food to be giving such a young child. I’ll bet he isn’t fussy at all... he’s full up.

[thaegumathteth]

Honestly my best advice would be ignore and don’t worry about it. Offer something he’ll eat st every meal so for example a couple of mini waffles on the side of a proper meal and don’t comment on his eating at all either in a positive or a negative way.

I stressed endlessly about ds and one day I’d just had enough and gave up stressing. It helped us both so so much. He was much much fussier than your son and isn’t fussy at all now (won’t eat v spicy food but that’s about it).

[EssentialHummus]

I have a baby this age and I think you’re feeding way too much sweet stuff:

Breakfast is a fruit pouch or fruit, with a cereal bar or croissant washed down with a cup of toddler milk

Snack is crisps or more fruit

Crisps? A cereal bar? Do you have older DC - how did this start?

I’ve never felt the need to pearl-clutch on here, but I don’t think you’re along the right lines with this OP, sorry. I’d offer less sugary things and try expand his repertoire slowly. And less milk, as others said.

[SweetPeaPods]

Ds1 went through a phase when he was 16 or 18m old. He would only eat a cheese sandwich or chicken nuggets (without the breadcrumbs but not chicken breast!).
He’s 5 now and a completely different child. Loves his food, offer choice but don’t force it imo. I found putting food into bowls on the table for him to help himself helped and he really enjoyed eating my dinner too.

[peachypetite]

Sounds very sugary OP. Can you cut the pouches?

[Perfectpanda11]

Cut toddler milk, pouches, cereal bars, biscuits, crisps and beige food as much as possible. Give full fat plain Greek yoghurt with or without fruit if he'll eat that and make your own snack type food, so many recipes online. For now I would cut snacks completely though.

Hopefully then he will be hungrier for home cooked food at mealtimes.

[bumblebee39]

Yes his Older sister is a snack pest. She's got a whole other set of issues though, the only thing I struggle with my toddler is his main meals really... I'm definitely going to try and curb his snacking I think where his sister needs snacks he gets given them too whereas actually he might not really be hungry at that time just sees what she has and wants it too.

His sandwiches are mostly healthy anyway and there is usually either veg in them or on the side

He used to be a much better eater but doesn't like anything he can't "hand hold" now

[Birdie6]

In what universe is Fruit Sandwiches Toddler milk crap ? Plenty of people live on that sort of thing.

[bumblebee39]

@Birdie6

It says fruit, toddler milk, sandwiches and junk not saying the first three are junk

[DonaldDucksTowel]

Maybe change the snacks for your older DD too then if she’s eating crisps and cereal bars every day, how old is she, is she at school during the day?

Could you give us some examples of what ‘main meals’ he’ll eat and we could come up with ways to expand them a little bit?

Does he eat toast/toasties? And will he have wraps/bagels/pittas and different kinds of bread?

[bumblebee39]

The cereal bars are toddler ones

He will eat sausages, stuffing balls, broccoli and carrots cooked sometimes, burgers, battered cheese sticks, chicken nuggets, turkey dinosaurs, veggie fingers, potato smiles, potato waffles, chips or roasties sometimes

Doesn't like fish accept tuna in sandwiches.

Sandwiches he'll eat most things so long as their soft. Toast with butter, jam, peanut butter, paste, cheese spread etc.

Occasionally he'll eat tuna pasta salad but won't eat hot pasta or pasta bakes anymore

[bumblebee39]

My older DD has some behavioural problems I am waiting for help for and they have advised me not to make food a battle with her and let her eat what she wants for the time being. I think that's where the problem comes in partly because he sees what she eats and wants that and not what I eat or offer

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Could you do jacket potatoes, with fillings like cheese, egg, tuna so it's not too different from sandwiches but is a decent dinner? Genuine question - why is a jacket potato a decent dinner, whereas a sandwich with the same filling crap?

[bumblebee39]

I don't think sandwiches are crap! That's the bit I'm happiest with the rest is though.

In answer to drinks he has water mostly and juice occasionally. Occasional cow's milk too. Juice or cow's milk normally when out and about at the weekend or whatever and water the rest of the time. He does drink a lot so might be filling up on water. I know DD does if I let her have a big drink before a meal

[Perfectpanda11]

Take all these burgers, battered cheese sticks, chicken nuggets, turkey dinosaurs, veggie fingers, potato smiles, potato waffles off the menu for a bit.