DS won't eat food in sauce, generally picky.

[SomebodySaveMe]

He is 3.9. Was 5.6lb at birth and has always been small. He can fit in a 12-18 around the waist to give an idea of his size although he has a 3-4 for his legs.

He doesn't like food in any kind of sauce. He won't eat food that has different foods mixed e.g. Shepherds pie etc. He constantly wants lunch- sandwiches, cucumber, crisps and yoghurt. He moans about hot meals and seems to want to live on fish fingers, fish cakes, nuggets and cous cous.

Sometimes he will eat meat but very rarely. He rarely eats breakfast which has to be dry cereal. He loves milk to drink but not on cereal.

I have no idea what to feed him. Some nights I give in and he has fish fingers etc but other nights I make him and DD things such as spag Bol, meatballs etc and he just doesn't eat.

Any advice would be appreciated. He starts school in September and at this rate there won't be a small enough uniform for him!

My advice is not to worry at all. That diet sounds fine, 100% better than my ds who only eats porridge, apples, yogurt and biscuits.

My ds is 7 and still won't eat 'wet food' or anything is sauce. We stick to 'dry food' ie fish , nuggets, plain meat, carrots, most veg, plain pasta. It sounds pretty normal and can be healthy so try to stop worrying.

Its very common for children not to like 'mixed up' food. Some insist on no food touching another food or even separate plates/bowls for different things. You're lucky he likes fish and drinks milk! It sounds like he's eating nutritious food, don't worry that it doesn't look to you like a proper hot meal.

Would be good to try to get him eating a bit more brekkie before he starts school - would he eat a yogurt then, maybe with some breadsticks (or with his cereal separately)

I think the key here is not to worry - My SIL is in her 50s and won't eat 'wet' food. She is perfectly healthy.

I serve spag bol with the spag on a plate, and the bol in a bowl for DD2, who doesn't like tomato sauces - funnily enough she will often eat the sauce if I serve it first.

If he finds out you are anxious it may become a power struggle. The good news is that you can make a pack up for school which will all be dry food.

he is not alone!
contact GP, they can refer you to a nutritionist who will help you devise a good menu.

don't worry about school, look at it this way - he can have packed lunches so you can still help him have he will eat, though I 'm not sure what to suggest about the uniform...

I think he's eating a good-ish variety of things - is he happy to try new things as long as they are "dry"?
I think more fruit would benefit him.
also he does it yogurt, which is like a sauce, so you could try & give him a dip to dunk ?
I never eat chips with ketchup on, I find it disgusting, but will eat an XXL portion of them dipping each piece in mayo...go figure

he is old enough to make trying new foods into a fun game, outside of meal times.
he can pretend to be an explorer on a desert island where he discovers & tries a new food every day - by that I mean one thing only/day, try grated carrots tomorrow, a chunk of pineapple the next day, then a prawn etc.
you are his chief taster, and will have a bite, then its his turn. give him a diary to record his discoveries by drawing a picture or cut and glue in photos from magazines.
you can explain about taste and texture and evaluate each food - nice and sweet or salty? crunchy or soft etc. - he'll learn to express which aspects he likes or dislikes.
draw a smiley face if he liked it, sad face if not.

I hope this is helpful.

I agree with the above and a great way of getting fruit down them is cut up some nice fruit in smallish pieces (he could do it with you) and then put them on a large paper or plastic plate and he can make 'faces' or other pictures with them .Always before the meal.

With low weight 'little and often' is the best way.BTW he's not being naughty he's just showing you that he's a different person to you; he's growing up We all like different foods and things don't we?

Oh another thing don't comment if he likes or dislikes anything just clear uneaten food away (never put too much on his plate)! L.O.'s don't look at food in the same way as us.