Any ideas on getting my 18m old interested in food?

[Bonners]

My son isn't terribly interested in food so we have resorted to giving him toys to play with while we stuff baby 'ready meals' in his face that he can just swallow down without chewing. When he is home with me I usually give him Organix oaty bars and yoghurt for a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Breakfast is always weetabix and lunch and dinner are baby ready-meals.

I realise this is a terrible way to feed him and would like him to feed himself (he can feed himself, he does it at nursery all the time) the same meals that we eat without needing distracting. Even if he ate 'real' food like sandwiches, fish fingers etc I would be happy but if I put it in front of him or put it in his mouth he throws it away or gags it up. How can I get him to eat regular food?

Any ideas on how to get from where we are to where we want to be?

I think it's significant that he's fine at nursery. Try to replicate the environment by offering similar foods, similar amounts on the plate, getting on with your own food, making conversation with the other people at the table and not paying too much attention to him. In nursery, the other children will be happily tucking in, making a noise and (guessing) he doesn't need to be distracted with toys and he won't get one-to-one attention the whole time. While you're spooning in ready-meals he doesn't have to make any effort to change. The food you descripe isn't 'terrible' exactly, but it will give him a broader diet and be more practical if you give him a little of what you're having.

Yeah as Cogito says the 'sit with him' is most important and make sure he's actually hungry also don't make a big deal out of the throwing or whatever L.O's don't invest emotion in food in the same way as we do. Always let him have the baby cutlery. Oh and if he's having a bottle or bf he won't get that hungry anyway.

We have just been through this. He is now 21 months and I am happy to report he is now eating proper food and I am no longer buying ella's pouches.

Basically cut out all snacks, and all milk apart from bedtime milk, and the yoghurts. Stop the distractions, put the food in front of him and let him feed himself. If he doesn't eat it, no fuss no forcing just take it away, and no snacks. He will get hungry and then he will eat. BTW we had a few really awful nights where I put him to bed hungry and he screamed in the night and i only offered him very watered down apple juice despite him sobbing for milk.

It took a few days but I now realise he has a small appetite and won't eat unless hungry so no snack bars or yoghurts between meals. I will offer him a yoghurt or biscuit or raisins after he's eaten dinner, but never after lunch or breakfast as i want him to be hungry for the next meal. He was v stubborn, we usually have a nanny but when she was away he went to a nursery for a few days where he ate NOTHING (as he refused it!) for 10 hours!

He will will not let us feed him but he will fed himself and he will drink soups through straws!

Thanks so much! All good advice which I will put into place as soon as he starts eating again after being ill this week.

Soups through straws is a great idea too! He loves straws.