Fussy eater

[cookielove]

So my almost 3 year old is a terrible eater and it is just getting worse. I have had input from the hv but I am not sure there tactics are right for my child.

He doesn't really want to eat and what he does eat is really limited. She suggest giving him a meal if he wants to eat he will and if doesn't then take it away. The thing is he has never really been interested in picky food and is really reluctant to try to new things :( I am continually offering him new food that he never eats. Offering it over and over again he does not even try it to see if he likes it. On the odd occasion where I have managed to get things in sneakily he will spit them out saying "yucky"

So the hv wants me to offer him meals like salmon, green beans and potatoes none of those things he will eat. He use to eat spag bol, shepards pie and other meals like that but now nothing like that goes in.

So things I can get him to eat:
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Watermelon
Satsuma
Peaches
Blackberries
Raisins
Fruit puree pouches
Peas
Broccoli
Sweetcorn
Chips
Squid from wagamamas
Crackers
Crisps
Baby crisps and snack
Mini cheddars
Shreddies
Cheerios
Chocolate
Milk
Yogurt
Icecream
Digestive, hobnob or rich tea
Cake occasionally

These things are not a guarantee either.

It is a small list and I just can't get him to eat more. How do you do it?

Also he doesn't have a highchair anymore and will not sit long at the table

Oh he eats baked beans, chickpeas and rice too

Bump

This isn't going to helpyour actual issue but if he eats all those lovely fresh fruits I wouldn't bother giving him fruit pouches, he's getting the goodness from fresh fruits x

My three year old is the same!!! She won't eat a proper tea like bolognaise, shepherds pie or fish pie etc. All she will eat for tea is plain pasta, bread, scrambled egg, cheese, chicken, prawns, broccoli, carrots or peas. She wouldn't touch chickpeas or rice so I think you're doing pretty well really!!!! Your son certainly seems to eat plenty fruit and veg so that's positive. It's hard isn't it, drives me mad that she's fussy about meals, but will eat any sweet treat going.

On the odd occasion where I have managed to get things in sneakily he will spit them out saying "yucky"

You need to ask yourself why you would ever put something in your child's mouth that he didn't want there.

Your influence over what he eats should be limited to providing a healthy range of food from which he can choose. This includes treats but in limited quantities.

You need to make that food available and then let him decide what to put in his mouth from what is on offer.

There range he will eat is not that narrow so there should be no concerns about him getting everything he needs. If you are concerned, ask your GP to refer him to a dietician who can suggest any supplements he might need.

Stop trying to get him to eat more. It isn't your job and this is a battle that parents don't win.

Sit down to eat together. Make meals he should find palatable like shepherds pie. Let him serve himself from serving dishes on the table and don't comment on his choices or what he eats in any way. Talk about everything else under the sun and make mealtimes enjoyable family occasions.

I find it tricky to be 100% laid back about what my 3 year old eats, as she gets up at 5.30am saying she's hungry, cause she's been fussy at dinner the night before.

I find it tricky to be 100% laid back about what my 3 year old eats, as she gets up at 5.30am saying she's hungry, cause she's been fussy at dinner the night before.

You aren't going to solve that problem by pushing food. The vast majority of children will respond to a someone trying to make them eat by eating less.

The quickest and easiest way to manage this problem for all concerned is to make the food available and leave the child to decide how much to eat.

I've had an awful lot more than my fair share of sleep deprivation so I know how dreadful it feels but you aren't going to make things any better until you can at least appear to be laid back, even if you are screaming inside.

Love your words, Goldmandra.

I am someone who is described as a 'fussy' and one of my 3 children also was 'fussy' . I wonder if you will allow me to make a plea on your son's behalf.

People who don't eat particular foods really are not fussy. We cannot help it and the anxiety and tricks of others is very upsetting. Myself and my eldest son, both had very small appetites and very limited range of foods we enjoyed.

I understand about wanting to encourage your son to eat healthily and be able to enjoy a range of foods. Your guide should be not what he does not eat but how healthy he is. I was lucky that, although my DH and other children eat any thing, they are all understanding of our issues.

I know there is a school of thought of presenting food again and again, or taking away a meal and letting a child go hungry. Please do not do that. I was raised In the 50s and my mother would collect me from nursery at 3pm with me still sitting at the lunch table with the cold food in front of me.

My son is a strapping man with 4 children. One of the 4 has a limited range of food, the other 3 eat anything.

To be clear I do not let ds go hungry and offer him a range fooda he has eaten in the past for his meals. I try to remain calm however on the odd occasion I may get a bit cross. The health vistor wants me to offer food and take it away if he won't eat it but that just ends up in a battle of wills and ds refusing all meals.

I also may be guilty of mixing his peas with something in the hopes to get a new flavour in, this is when he spits it out and says yucky! I am just so worried he is however growing well and has an abundance of each energy.