Is DS’ diet really that bad?

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Please be kind.

DS is 2, will be 3 at the end of the year. His daily diet is usually

Breakfast: weetabix or rice krispies/corn flakes

Morning snack: an orange or a yoghurt

Lunch: Ham sandwich with an orange or yoghurt (whatever he doesn't have for snack) and some wotsits or quavers

Afternoon snack: 2 biscuits or a small packet of chocolate buttons

Dinner: pasta/pizza/ sausage and mash with carrots/fish fingers/chicken nuggets/ the occasional McDonald's happy meal (probably once or twice a month)

Dessert: ice cream or a small chocolate bar

Then he sometimes has chips if me and DP have had a takeaway, and he isn't asleep yet.

The only fruit and veg he'll eat are oranges and carrots. During the day he does drink water or apple juice and has a bottle of milk before bed.

We recently stayed at my mum's as my mum said that he shouldn't be eating those foods and his diet is awful.

Is it really that bad?

Yes to cutting out the chocolate, biscuits and ice cream - these should not be daily, or even weekly tbh at this age. I think the bigger problem is that your DP is eating processed high sugar meals that are different to what you are having and what you are offering your son.

So of course he wants what daddy’s eating - it’s full of sugar and other crap that keeps people coming back for more.

I think a good way forward would be to sit down and agree some meals that you will ALL eat together. You really should all be eating the same meal unless someone’s schedule means it’s not doable that day. Not your DP ordering a pizza or other crap just because he doesn’t fancy what you have cooked. That is NOT helping with your son’s eating.

And you need to keep putting the other veg on the plate even if he won’t eat it at first. Isn’t it something like 30 times you have to get a kid to try a new food before they will eat it?

If your DP got DS into the habit of getting pizza if he refuses his meal, he needs to also train DS out of it. DP eats tons of vegetables you say? Great. So start with heatlhy family meals that you all eat. If DS refuses - don't reward this with pizza. Let him choose what's on the table. If nothing works, he can have an apple or carrot sticks or similar, not treats.

More fruit and veg needed and a good kick of your DP who is undoing any efforts.

Maybe one of those trays with compartments and he has to try one thing. Or the classic smiley face of veg/ fruit etc.

DS is 4 and somehow, never been fussy, although he does say 'I don't like it' without trying to anything that is not quite the average. He has to try at least some of it. Then can have yoghurt/ fruit after. He does better with the classics (e.g. a roast dinner) and as a PP said, bits of fajitas separately to 'make his own' (usually just grated carrot in the wrap!!)

He's always happy with some cucumber slices, and has been very happy to pick and eat tomatoes and fruit we grow ourselves (not an option for everybody, I know but...)

Oh, and DS usually gets to choose which of A and B is made for dinner, or which combo of veggies we have with it.

Back in the 1960s - before we were all paranoid about salt - with lunch in summer I'd get a little pile of salt on a plate and some cos (romaine) lettuce leaves. Dip the bottom tip of a leaf in the salt, munch the end, and repeat. Very enjoyable!

And celery sticks with a shedload of Philadelphia cream cheese down the middle.

I still like a wet lettuce sandwich - butter two slices of bread, rinse 4-6-ish round lettuce leaves and shake some of the water off, then pile the leaves on top of the bread, salt generously, put the other slice of bread on top, squash down, and enjoy. Great late-night just in from a night out snack too.

I did enjoy sweets cake and crisps too - I'm not totally weird!

Yes, I would say his diet is that bad ( Is this a reverse?)

This diet will impact adversely on his health, quality of life, and life expectancy.

get rid of the whatsits, quavers, biscuits, chocolate and icecream.

less processed food and more variety of fresh food.

I think your confusing what is a snack and what is a treat tbh.

And alot of his meals sound like they're from the freezer section.

I'm not judging. But you did ask so I would say yes, it could be alot healthier.

Veg, fruit, protein, carbs, dairy, fat. Water and milk. That kinda thing

Mine didn't have sugar at all apart from a bit of fruit until they started going to other people's houses! They are slim and fit now and three of them eat a very wide range of foods. I only eat sugar very rarely so that's why

In the kindest way, it is quite full of sugar and processed food. There are lots of easy recipes online that you can hide lots of vegetables in. I made some chicken sausage rolls with carrots and peas mixed into the mince and put in pastry, took ten minutes.. Little one devoured it.
You probably need to be a bit stricter with the vegetables. My daughter knows she won't have pudding until she's eaten her vegetables.

''As long as he's eating and happy then don't let others tell you you're wrong.''

which is exactly the attitude why diabetes, tooth decay and obesity along with 100 other health problems are on the rise.

@Lovemusic33

I’m not sure why people give their kids “snacks” unless it’s fruit (once a day is enough) or veg. I would either cut out the unhealthy snacks or cut out pudding. Pudding here is usually yoghurt or a ice lolly. I don’t buy chocolate often as they get bought chocolate by grandparents once a week. We don’t buy sugary cereal either, weetabix is fine 😊.

I wouldn’t say it’s a awful diet but it could be tweaked a little to reduce the sugar.

The NHS.recommendation for 12 months plus is 3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks.

Also snacks are recommended to be like mini meals featuring a variety of food groups rather than just 'a piece of fruit' so eg oatcake with cheese and sliced apple, or pitta with yoghurt based dip and some carrot sticks.

I don't think it's a great diet OP. My DD is only just 1 and eating a really wide range of foods but I know theres plenty of time for her to turn into a picky toddler yet. She loves corn on the cob at the moment - that might be another veggie you could try to add in. You could also have a go at making your own pizzas and get DS involved - maybe make a hidden veg sauce. You could even use pitta breads or tortilla wraps as the base for ease. Maybe make some sweet potato or butternut squash wedges as they count as a veg but most children I know seem to like them. Also things like broccoli and cauliflower cheese go down well here, could try that?

Could.you continue to serve some of the 'safe' foods you know he will eat but then put a platter of veg/ other foods in the middle of the table and let him see you and his dad choosing from them. It won't happen quickly probably but he might start joining in with that?

Lots of ideas on the NHS healthy start web page OP. Also recommend the What Mummy Makes books/ instagram - theres some tasty things in there that are a bit more nutritionally balanced. I make quite a lot of savoury muffins eg courgette and chickpea ones or spinach and sweetcorn. Its veg but in cake format so might work?

Also SR nutrition is a good instagram page and blog, tends to be more focused on weaning but theres some different recipes on that as well as advice about fussy eating which might be helpful.

(and I read his diet with disgust tbh - sorry but it's pretty bad and very easy to fix at that age)

At that my son essentially only ate baked beans, potato waffles and bread. Now at 6 he will generally eat anything, although he goes through phases where he’ll only roti and hummus.

I started by picking one item and putting it on his plate every meal time, I didn’t push etc, it was just there, it took maybe two weeks, but he eventually had a go (i think it was carrot, not sure) and tried it, again, I didn’t make a fuss. Once that item became something he would happily eat I added another thing.

It took a while, and a lot of food went in the bin or I finished, but he slowly became much more accepting of new foods.

I dont think your Sons food is awful .Lots of toddlers are hard to feed .Breakfast is fine .Maybe have a look online for easy meals for young children .Sometimes you can hide veggies well! Some passata with chopped courgettes , aubergines or whatever with some pasta .Tuna pasta bake is quick and easy . some fillets of salmon (check no bones) Maybe a pizza base with mushrooms /tomatoes /peppers or whatever

I really don’t think it’s that bad. Ok perhaps not the chocolate/biscuits every afternoon, but I think a lot of people here are being a bit unrealistic in my experience of toddlers. Hummus/fruit might be a better afternoon snack? And yoghurt rather than ice cream?

ODPO Dont forget raisins are not very good for little teeth though!

The issue is your DP then. He's undermining you by feeding your son off his plate and by eating different things to you. Do you all sit down and eat meals together? Try having plates in the middle of the table and help yourselves. It's most likely a phase but you and your DP need to be on the same page and not giving mixed messages.

Many toddlers have eaten this sort of diet and gone on to lead normal healthy lives.

Of course it could be better, but it could also be much worse.

On mumsnet nearly all toddlers love humus, quinoa, and love anything with 10+ veggies included. In the real world it’s not really the case. I would maybe keep putting different fruit and veg on his plate so he has the chance to try it if he wishes, but I would it get too hung up on his diet, it’s essentially ok.

I feel your pain as I have a 5 year old who lives almost entirely on peanut butter sandwiches and fruit.

(His little sister happily eats olives and hummus and casserole and other leftovers and I don't think I did anything especially different).

As some others have said I would ditch the sugary snacks and sugary breakfast and not worry too much about the processed food at this point. At least chicken nuggets and fish fingers are a source of protein. You can also get chicken nuggets that have purée vegetables mixed in (so far DD will eat these, DS will not).

You could also try roast vegetables. They can be done from frozen and I know at least one person whose kids will eat them but won't touch other veg.

We normally eat yoghurt and fruit for breakfast. They can have plain Cheerios as well if they want to, but often don't. Sometimes DS has a granola bar which is packed with sugar but it's only an occasional thing and he's good at knowing when he's had enough.

I always give fruit with meals as part of the meal, as neither of them will eat vegetables. DH and I don't eat vegetables on the side either, we have them in casserole, curry, stir fry etc which are mostly too spicy for the kids. I used to cook vegetables for the kids but they never touched them and eventually I gave up.

We do mostly fruit for snacks (I have failed to get either of them to eat cheese or i would do cheese as fruit is sugary too).

They get chocolate or other treats reasonably often but not baked in to the day's routine.

My 10 year-old would eat like that if he was given half a chance. I find home made ice lollies are good for getting him to eat more fruit.

I'd add egg and cheese to his diet, unless he has an allergy. Peas and carrots together, or maybe runner beans if he likes them. Nice gravy always goes down well. Chops, chicken etc, whatever you are having.

Fruit cocktai in juice from a tin sometimes goes down well.

The diet is not bad, everyone needs a bit of a treat sometimes Pasta dishes and cottage/shepherd's pie are wonderful for hiding a bit of veg.

He'll get there, he's only little. Some kids of his age hardly eat anything and if he is healthy and growing, don't worry too much. Try and encourage him to eat cherry tomatoes sometimes, they are lovely.

I'll go back to what I said at the start - cheese! Mine loved beans on cheese on toast and still does at 42 as do I. Boiled egg and soldiers, yum. Porridge double yum.

Jacket potatoes with cheese and beans is a great lunch.

Fish fingers with peas are usually welcome. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Cod portions in breadcrumbs is lovely, even my husband loved that and he wasn't a great fish person. They come in packets of two.

Corned beef hash and the odd corned beef sandwich could go down well, it's very nutritious.

Don't forget the Marmite!

Chocolate and ice cream EVERY DAY?
Processed junk food EVERY DAY?

Sorry but your mum is right. His diet is really poor.

It’s not brilliant, but it’s not the worst either. Ditch the puddings, or a yoghurt if he insists on pud. Doesn’t need crisps at lunch. Doesn’t need an afternoon snack either - fruit if he’s starving (but he won’t be, so it’s habit I’d guess).

Do hidden veg pasta sauces. Engage him with helping to cook.

It’s a toddler thing. My son ate anything and everything when we did baby led weaning. He’s deceived now at 2 he hates most of it and has a lot of safe foods, won’t try much variety. He eats what he recognises. I think a lot of these responses are kidsing themselves.

I don't allow my (nearly) 2 year old to eat chocolate but the rest of it meh, doesn't seem that bad to me.

Atleast he eats fruit and veg, even if it is only oranges and carrots. My brother never did and even now eats a beige palate. He's okay, on the whole lol!

Aslong as you offer him a variety of food, if he rejects it there's nothing wrong with giving what you know he likes.

I've read so many posts on here saying they can't get their child to eat anything ! Think about that then chill out I'm sure he is just fine