Anyone else have to cope with a "selective" eater?

[XBenedict]

DS is so bloody fussy and it's really frustrating. He will eat quite a varied diet but it has to be as plain as possible. So he will eat his veg but it can't be in a sauce just steamed, meat just grilled etc etc

Trouble is I love cooking and my 2 DD's eat pretty much anything and everything, we enjoy a lasagne but DS won't eat it, bolognaise DS won't eat it, curry DS doesn't like it, he even turns his nose up at shepherds pie but would eat beef, potato and carrots if prepared separately. His favourite meal - good traditional roast dinner!

I guess it's mostly about texture for him rather than taste but it drives me insane!

Yes,I've got one of those too..I am so bored preparing food for him because there are so many things he won't eat.Diet is mainly pasta (but only tomato sauce or grated cheese, nothing else),pizza(again , only cheese and tomato)apples but no other fruit, no meat in anything except the odd sausage.He is 3.Younger brother 20m eats everything.Usually end up preparing v boring food, or sometimes 2 separate meals for each of them and then something totally different for me &DH later on.I don't know how old your DS is but I am assuming as mine grows older and hungrier he will eat a greater variety of things.I sympathise with you but don't have any good advice.Your DS seems to be eating a balanced diet though so although frustrating for you,it won't do him any harm.Apparently my DH was a bit like that when younger and grew out of it(at about 18)!

I am married to a man just like this and yes it drives me mad too! My kids are fine, it's DH who is fussy. He likes roast dinners without gravy, grilled anything ( meat, fish ), boiled veg ( any type really), plain rice on its own, that's about it.

But luckily he eats several days a week at his brilliant work canteen which caters for him really well. Then I can cook tea for the kids and I and he just has toast ( always with marmite ) or a plain sandwich and soup or jacket potato for supper. And we do all like roasts ...and I often do something like meat balls in tomato sauce and he is happy with just the meat balls.

DH is an only child and his mum cooked him only what he liked, his dad was on night shift so there were few family meals as he grew up and DH could be as fussy as he liked.

At least DH doesn't moan, he's always delighted when he gets a meal he likes and appreciative of my variable efforts.

I love cooking but am myself a rather bland eater. I suggest go with it but always ask him to try what you are having. Why make him eat something he won't enjoy and develop negative feelings around food? JUst leave his separate or maybe have some standby simple put together meals for when the others are having something like lasagne.

I totally agree with sharon101 It's easier not making sauces isn't it? Apart from ready mades of course.Does he like fish fingers? They're easy if you're eating ready made meals.

It's also unhelpful to compare him to his sisters we're all different.

You think this is bad?!

My DD's diet is:

Bread or Pitta - no butter or anything on it.
Bacon
Sausages (1 type)
Ham (1 type)
Apple (occasional)
Dry Rice Krispies
Pizza with the cheese scraped off.
Yogurt
Spaghetti Hoops
Fench Fries
Chocolate (only 1 type)
Drinks only water nothing else.

That is it.

Used to eat anything, veg/fish you name it. But her diet is now so restricted and boring!

I hope that she grows out of it?!!

Yes she'll grow out of it, promise! DD1's diet was very similar to this and she has grown out of it!

It's not really easier not making the sauces because we don't want to eat such a bland diet. I love cooking but I think I will embrace his choices and set aside his food as I go along.

Yes that way he'll get used to the sauces when he's ready to.

Thanks for listening to my whinge he's a lovely boy just so set in his ways in all things but especially food!

It's no prob. Xbenedict it's just him asserting his personalty they all do it in one way or another!

Funny though our DS was very easy with eating food when he was 2 (not like dd1) but as a teenager and still at 24 he's very odd about food;he doesn't want what is cooked (usually something he likes) and I used to say 'okay just get some bread and cheese or whatever' I' wouldn't get it for him no way. But THEN he'd eat the food that was prepared .