Tips for fussy 22 month old.

[MyFairSheep]

Does anybody have any tips for a fussy eater?

DS is 22 months old, since weaning he’s generally been a good eater and would try most things. Somewhere along the line he has become so fussy. It’s been like for a good while now, no matter what I try.

He’s got some foods which he’ll eat no problem such as; sausages, cucumber, bananas, eggs (but only in omelette form - anything else is an absolute no!), cheese, yogurts, tomato pasta. So not the most varied healthy diet I wish he would have!

He has been and is always exposed to new foods and foods which he won’t normally eat. He won’t eat a single homemade meal I make, ever! I took the advice of taking it away and trying again later, and also waiting until I feel he’s hungry for it but it’s still a straight no. I end up having to make another dinner that I know he will eat as I don’t want him being left hungry - usually tomato pasta, or sometimes a kiddy ready meal if we have one in. I’ve tried sitting eating with him, sitting at his own table and chairs, high chair, picnic style. He just tells me no, and will try to throw it around on the floor.

Hopefully I don’t get shamed here, as I understand his diet is not the best. But I’m trying my best too.

two of mine have been like this. The second dinner is unfortunately likely to be the culprit. He’s not daft, he’s learnt that if he doesn’t eat something you offer him then you’ll just go and cook his favourites!

At this age you need to go for a family meal with several elements, at least one of which you know he likes. So avoid one pot dishes like lasagne for now because if he doesn’t touch the lasagne then there’s not much else. But what about a chilli con carne with rice and avocado slices and sour cream and grated cheese and some sliced pitta? He might not try the chilli to start with but he might have some cheese and a bit of pitta and some avocado. Then the next time he might try a bit of chilli and so on and so forth. We have a few meals like this, and as long as they eat something it really doesn’t matter. He honestly won’t starve, it sounds just like a typical toddler who has learnt that you will cook him another meal that he prefers!

Something that helped with our DC was allowing them to choose a little dollop of sauce. Ketchup, mayonnaise, brown sauce, and in DD's case mustard, which not many 5yo like, but it worked. I don't know if it was because of the change of flavour or just the feeling of autonomy. It didn't fix everything, but we got a lot of veggies into them for not much mayonnaise, and DD ate meat much more easily with mustard. (She is now 34 and never eats mustard!)