Poor appetite and lethargy - please help!

[stanausauruswrecks]

DS is 2.10. He weaned really well, and would eat everything in sight. Two years down the line and it's all gone pear shaped- he just will not eat. I have tried to ignore it, and remove food that he's rejected, without offering anything else (and tried not to show my frustration) It is always explained to him that if he's not hungry enough to eat at meal times, then he doesn't have snacks in between. Today, for example, he's had a cup of milk, 1/4 bowl of shreddies, a hot cross bun, 5 teaspoonfuls of baked beans, a smidgen of cheese,4 cherry tomatoes, a satsuma and a bread roll.
I think he may be anaemic, as recently he seems more tired than normal(has just asked to go to bed, so he's gone, and is now asleep.)I know the kinds of things he needs to be eating to get his iron levels up, and have made an appoinment to see the GP, but any tips as to how to get him to eat in the meantime would be greatly appreciated!

Is he always tired? Of could he just be off colour today? Tiredness may be a growing spurt.

TBH if thats an average days food it doesn't sound too bad. My SIL would be happy if her DD1 would eat half that in a day!

I think GP is a good next step though, he can rule out stuff like diabetes (doesn't sound like that though).

Do you involve him in choosing/preparing his food? Are there any situations where he eats better (at nursery, with other kids present)? I think I would let him snack if thats how he seems happy but make the snacks healthy, fruit, cereals, small portions of 'main meals' and get him to choose what he wants.

Thanks for your reply Pheebe. I try to involve him as much as possible - we made burgers together for tea, but all he ate was the roll, not the burger! I know it may seem a lot, but he's a big boy - 107cm and previously when not being hurried off to nursery will eat 2 bowls of cereal and toast for breakfast!
He seems to be more tired than normal over the last week or so - it's not like his normal growth spurt pattern either, as typically he eats non stop when he's on one.
Am trying to keep it in perspective - he will eat eventually! Think the pregnancy hormones are playing with me today!!

OO congratulations . I was the worst worrier in the world about ds1 when I was pregnant with ds2. Sobbed on many occassions about how crap a mum I was. I now realise I'm ace...ds1 told me so just this morning

Thinking back, ds1 often went through weeks where he seemed to live on air then would suddenly get an appetite and eat like a horse for a few days.

I'd still go to the GP just to put your mind at rest, then just go with the flow with him making sure he has plenty of food on offer and try not to make an issue out of it.