Amazing eater suddenly fussy

[1ExpatMama9144]

My little boy is 17-months old. Weaning has gone brilliantly until the last 2 weeks. Since he started proper food last year he is willing to try anything and will eat so well. All of a sudden in the last 2-weeks he won’t even eat his favourite foods. He will put it in his mouth and then just spit it out.

I don’t know whether he has seen this at nursery or what, but it is driving me crazy and beginning to worry me. I want to make sure he is getting all his nutrients and until this started he ate even broccoli without a second thought.

I have tried adjusting our meals and giving him new flavours, tried purée. I don’t think it’s the textures because he was eating small chicken pieces no problem and he ate a Cornish pasty without a second thought the other day.

Has anyone experienced this? What can I do to discourage him from spitting everything out?

It's so, so normal. I'd say virtually every parent has experience of this. It will pass, just keep offering and try not to get worked up about it. I always offer something they'll eat and then whatever we're having in addition. My 17 month old will eat virtually anything providing you give him a little blob of Ketchup to dip it in.

My daughter did this around this age - once cried inconsolably because I offered her strawberries. (The horror!).

I think it's very common for toddlers to be more fussy about food than babies - there were definitely days when all I could get DD to eat was toast, cheese and fruit. It's a bit better now (she is 2) partly because she can often communicate to me what she wants to eat, but still a bit hit and miss.

The key thing for me is to remember that it's not really about the food but about the child wanting some control and independence. There's no point making it a battle because you won't win. At some point he will swallow something, whether it's your delicious home-cooked food or beans on toast.

I think all you can do is keep offering healthy food, don't react too much when he does it and remember that he will be fine. Does he take vitamin drops and will he eat fortified breakfast cereal? (I think drops are recommended up to age 5 for vitamin D anyway.) If so, he will get a good chunk of his daily micronutrient requirements from those.

Thank you for your replies. I really appreciate it. My son is my first, so this is new ground. Your reassurance that this is normal and a phase is a big help.

He has his vitamins every day, so yes he is getting the macronutrients even if he is fussy with his food.

This evening we had success with some garlic bread yay! He really enjoyed it.

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