Limited diet in ds2 - getting me down.

[Badvoc]

So.
Ds2 is now 5 and started school in sept.
He always ate really well, no issues weaning until he was about 2 and then it all seems to go wrong.
I know this is common and ds1 was the same.
Can I have some honest opinions on his diet?
He will eat;
Fruit - quite a varied selection
Carrots, broccoli and mashed potato
Bread
Cheese spread
Garlic bread
Petit filous/fromage frais
Cakes
Biscuits
Chocolate
Crackers
He drinks water, apple juice and very dilute squash.
I make sure he only has brown bread and I try to limit the cake and biscuits.
He will not eat meat, or fish, pasta or rice.
I worry about his protein intake.
My ds1 was the same but he did eat meat and rice and pasta albeit no fruit or veg!!
My ds1 now eats a much more varied diet and I know a lot of it is maturity etc but any tips. What I can do to encourage a wider diet?
And - please - no posts of "just give him lobster and if he doesn't eat it let him go hungry"....it's not helpful with fussy eaters and I won't let my dc go hungry.

will he drink milk or hot chocolate?
His diet is better than both my ds's but I can see why you'd be worried with him being so young.

He can't have milk - makes him sick (like me!)
Sorry, should have mentioned that.
I didn't worry so much about ds1 at the same age as he would eat pasta, rice and chicken and fish.
I seem to have had 2 fussy eaters, but at different ends of the spectrum!
Ds2 would happily eat fruit all day....in fact he has told people he is a vegetarian! :)

Oh, and he will eat porridge too

You could sneak some milk into mashed potato and he has fromage frais so that's good.
I'm very impressed by the porridge though!
Fortified spreads are also good for vitamin D.
(my ds2 was very Vit D deficient as his diet is so limited).

oh no milk makes him sick so you can't add it -sorry!

DS1 was like this. Restricted by allergies (couldn't have eggs or dairy) and with his fussiness on top, there was bugger all left that he would eat!

In fairness to him, I found out when he was almost 6yo that he was tongue tied and chewing was difficult for him which put him off many foods.

We had him revised just over a year ago, and immediately he widened the range of foods he would eat. There are still quite a lot of things he won't eat, but he is way better than he was!

Will he eat pulses and lentils? Couscous? Soup?

Does it make him gag or feel unwell to eat other things?
I'm assuming star charts/ having to eat one small mouthful of something else/ eating with peers doesn't work?

Drink...nope.
He will only eat what I have written down.
I have to take him to the nurse later for his flu jab (he is asthmatic) and I think I might ask her for a referral to a dietician.
I just don't know what else to do.
I dont want to resort to bribery and that wouldn't work anyway.
Have any of you had experience with a dietician?

If cheese spread is OK what about 'normal' cheese or baby-bell type ones ?

Houmous and breadsticks for the protein ?

My DS sounds just like yours, but he will eat roast chicken (white parts only) sausages (as long as not overly browned) and fish fingers and smoked salmon.

We tried having picnics on a rug in the living room, blindfolded taste and guessing.

Its so depressing as everybody else eats 'normal' food and always has...

I just feel so down about it ATM.
I don't know what to do.
Not even sure what a dietician could do...

Yes, ds1 was referred to a dietician.

Her advice was if he won't eat it, let him go hungry, he'll eat it eventually.

Shite advice if you ask me.

So I didn't follow it.

Is it the texture of the meat do you think? I think some dc find it hard to chew.

Will he eat eggs?

Hi
Maw...that's dreadful advice! Even the most cursory glance at google tells me that! And that from a hcp!
Books...I have just ordered a book from amazon.
No idea if it will help but I have to do something...

but is he healthy and happy and fights off infections easily? boisterous and a normal boy?

if yes then dont worry

if no then yes ask dietitician and try get more protein in him. keep offering choices.

also you could try the smell thing - get some essential oils differnt ones and waft three or four smells at him at regulalr times during day. this awakens his senses.

I don't know if I'm being helpful posting this or not but I was similar to your son in regards to refusing certain foods etc and I'm now 32 and health wise absolutely fine and now eat practically everything bar a few bits and bobs such as mayonnaise, ketchup etc.

I ate, literally, chicken, fruit, vegetables, tomato soup, pickled onions and drank juice until I was about 18 and my parents were demented with me! The only thing I found really helpful to encourage me trying new food was watching other people (other than my parents that is!) eat different stuff on a regular basis and I think you're right in hat as your DS matures, he will find it easier to try new foods etc.

I also think you're 100% right in ignoring the 'let them go hungry brigade' . It broke my parents heart to do this to me, on only one occasion and I didn't give in purely because I thought 'if that's what I'm getting, I'd rather go hungry'.

You sound like you're doing a great job encouraging him but I wouldn't worry, he will try stuff with time.

Sorry if that's not much help!

Oh, you are all being so lovely :)
I was feeling really low yesterday and this morning but you have all cheered me up!
He has childhood asthma - as does my eldest - which we are hopeful they will grow out of.
He is actually well above average in his height and weight and always has been - I think perhaps that's why I haven't felt able to talk to a hcp about him. I think they would just look at him and think...what!?
He had a really bad winter last year (prior to his asthma dx) but now he is on inhalers I am hoping for a better one.
He had a horrid infection in June - pharyngitis - and spent 2 days in hospital. He also had croup in march.
That did impact his eating for a while but I would say he is eating normally for him again.
He is certainly boisterous and happy!
One thing the hospital did pick up was that he is/was slightly anaemic. I have since put him on an iron liquid formula.