Advice on introducing new foods to a picky three-year-old

[Petalflower98]

hi all I’m just looking for some advice or guidance if possible.

my daughter (almost 3) up untill about 1.5 ate really well- she ate basically everything she was given. Over the last year she’s become more and more picky, food that she would happily eat 6 months ago she won’t eat now despite being offered it on regular occasions.

her currently diet is (were south Asian) : pilau rice that has chicken mince in it, plain pasta, white rice, chicken curry, lentil curry, chips and some others. Basically her diet has become very repetitive. I try to offer her some sort of veg, fruit with every meal and new food every other day to not overwhelm her. It doesn’t seem to be working :/.

I am due to go back to work after mat leave and she will be going to nursery for 4 mornings a week and having lunch at nursery. I’m worried that because she’s a picky eater she will not eat and go hungry - obviously I will be sending snacks etc with her but worry none the less.

does anyone have any advice / have experience of introducing new food to a picky toddler ?

any help is appreciated !

Put new stuff on the plate with stuff she likes, and just don’t comment on it at all. It might not work, but I think it’s better than any alternative of bribing or cajoling them to eat.
You could get her involved in cooking as well.

Also I’d say that a lot of children eat better at nursery than they do at home! I could barely believe what DDs’ nursery would tell me they ate - but they were happy to tell me any days they didn’t eat much, so no reason to think they were lying.

My DD was very fussy and ate a lot at Nursery so you might just need to worrying over nothing

Agree with giving her something you know she’ll eat along with something else. No pressure to eat the new food at all. We always had the rule that it does stay on the onset but it’s up to them if they eat it or not.

The little buggers tend to eat much better at nursery/other people's houses. That range of foods doesn't sound too bad. I would hide more veg in the curry sauce.

Mine eats all sorts at nursery. At home, just give the fruit and veg alongside but don't make any comment or pressure. Sit and eat your own food, ideally including eating whatever fruit or veg you've given her. And I actually wouldn't be sending snacks in, that won't help her eat the meals there? Mine eats so much better when we don't give snacks. She'll have breakfast and dinner at home, so if she doesn't eat much between that, it really doesn't matter. I'd put veg in your curries as well, if you don't already, I shove so much veg into things like bolognaise sauce.