22 month old Not Eating!

[mum21cheekymonkey]

Hi i am looking for ideas for any food i can give to my 22month old boy. He just doesnt eat much at all. He doesnt eat/like fruit and not much veg, he wont eat toast or sandwiches, i cant keep giving him bread sticks all though he would love it. He doesnt like his hands being dirty at all so he wont eat with his hands and he hasnt got the hang of using a spoon yet but he has kind of mastered the fork. Any suggestions would be great, i have no more! Thanx :[

It's going to be a case of 'cheeky monkey see, cheeky monkey do'. Eating with others is how most children pick up what to do so if you include him in family meals or get him eating together with other toddlers, he'll copy you eventually. If he's struggling to use a spoon, load it up for him and then give him the handle. Alternate foods he likes with small amounts of new foods and keep presenting the same things over and over again so that they become familiar and normal. Offer more water to drink so that he's not full up on milk.

lol yeah i see. i do try and involve him and he does eat at the table. maybe around other kids will help. even at playgroup he watches the other kids taking fruit from the plate but wont have it himself. im about to have a ham sandwich now, wonder what he will have. i still need food ideas. thanx for the reply.

What about rice cakes? DD is the same age and has only recently started to eat bread. Or those sandwich wraps, I just gave her them with nothing in. Dairylea dunkers maybe?

For evening, she likes pasta in different sauces. Bolognaise, the mince is easy to eat with a fork. Fish fingers are also easy to eat with a fork, and beans/spaghetti.

How about smoothies/fruit juice? Its a good way of getting fruit into him. DD also likes fruit puree pouches, like ellas kitchen, she just sucks it out herself.

thanx ill try those defo.

thanx i will try your ideas. he does eat rice cakes sometimes, pasta he eats too. i think i worry that he's not getting his five a day, but they'll eat when there hungry i guess. :) smoothies are a great idea!