How to get 2.2yo DS' eating back on track

[Laundryangel]

I've always been pretty lucky in that 2.2yo DS has always eaten a fairly varied diet but, in the past couple of weeks, that he completely changed. It started with him not avoiding things in sauces (eg casserole or pasta with a runny sauce) and so I started cooking or dishing things up more separately but now he is avoiding everything but the carbs! For example, tonight he had deconstructed fish pie (previously a favourite) so poached fish, mash and vegetables... of which he ate just the mash. When I did spaghetti bol the other night, he fished out the "clean" bits of pasta and ate those and ignored the rest.
What do I do? I am hoping it is just a phase but it is a frustrating one, both for waste reasons and because I am worried about how unbalanced his diet is. He is getting things other than carbs during the day as he had eggs for breakfast this morning, a picnic of cheese sticks, ham & veggie sticks at lunchtime, had half a pear as a morning snack and is about to have some grapes.
Just now, I insisted he sit in his high chair until he'd eaten five bits of carrot, after 2 mins of screaming, I'd backed down to three bits, after another five mins I said one bit and after another 10mins I got him down as I had visions of the neighbours appearing on the doorstep to ask if things were OK as he was making so much noise. So I was completely ineffectual. Other times I have said no fruit or yogurt but actually I want him to have that as he is eating so little and I don't want him waking in the night.
In the meantime, I have 4.8yo DD asking why she has to eat all of her tea when she doesn't particularly like fish when DS doesn't have to.
Any ideas?

If he's always eaten well then chances are it's just a phase. In which case ignore it and don't make a big deal out of it. But neither would I cave in and just give him what he wants. I'd continue serving it and let him pick. I'd probably also give him a choice of 2 healthy meals and let him choose which he'd prefer.

I am in the same out. My DD1 has decided that she will only eat the following: spaghetti and pesto, cucumber, tomatoes, hummus, fishcakes, baked beans, any version of potato, all types of berries and yoghurt. Plus porridge for every breakfast!

I reckon it's just a phase. She will eat when she's hungry and as long as she's getting plenty of milk and calcium then I think she'll be okay. It's so frustrating though. DH and I will eat anything so Family is very odd.

It is reassuring that it is not just DS! I found it so odd at tea tonight when he attacked his mash with such gusto and ate it in minutes but wouldn't touch the rest. At nursery he is, apparently, continuing to eat everything. It is so frustrating. And I don't know whether to change the balance of his plate so that it is mainly carbs or to just give him the normal ratios.

Ds2 (2.3) is exactly the same at the moment, he will mainly just eat the carbs, the only protein he will reliably eat is prawns or white fish , won't eat any veg but loves fruit. I give him the same as ds1 (though slightly smaller amounts of veg as I know he won't eat it) and try not to make a thing of it. I remember ds1 going through a v similar phase but he now (and has for ages) happily eats a wide range of veg/food. Ds2 doesn't get any pudding (fruit or yoghurt) unless he at least tries some veg.

We had issues with ds when he was about that age. I ended up just giving him a portion of what we were eating and letting him get on with it. Not making a fuss helped I think. Plus he always gets pudding regardless of what he eats as his main course. It's probably just a phase, albeit a trying one. Ds now is pretty much back to normal (he's 3) but when it's really hot or he doesn't feel well, food is the first thing to go.

And why do they always eat properly at nursery?! DD even eats broccoli at nursery whereas she has actually spat it out at home! My mantra is "it's just a phase...".