Is anyone up for a parents of fussy eaters support thread?

[DevonFolk]

My three year old is very picky. I've made a promise to myself not to get too worried about it just yet because I was exactly the same and now I'll eat pretty much anything.

But it just gets so boring! If I do a roast I'm lucky if she picks at the chicken and I have to make sure I do brocolli or cauliflower (the only cooked vegetables she'll eat) and keep out raw carrots for her. There's pretty much no meal that I would want to cook for myself that I know she will eat too.

I'm not going to push it with her because I just don't see the point. She's encouraged to try new things and we talk about it a lot. If she tries something I praise her but if she doesn't like it, fine. To me it's the willingness to try at this stage that's important.

I'm sure I can't be the only one who experiences this. Like I say, I'm not going to get hung up on it or try to find an instant magic solution, it would just be nice to know I'm not alone!

Badvoc - I'm so sorry about your bereavement and illness and about your family member being so ill. It's natural for you to be hypervigilant after so much anxiety, but I still think that if you are concerned about your DS2's health, there is no harm in taking him to the dr to have a check up. The fact that he's been ill a lot, has asthma and is off his food are good enough reasons to take him. I agree, incidentally, that DC pick up lots of viruses once they start at school, so that's not unusual.

I have taken both my boys to the GP when I'm not sure if I should or not - but that's why I needed to see a dr. On one occasion, at least, one had a chest infection that I hadn't known about. Maybe I've been lucky, but I have never had a GP object to me bringing my child for a checkup. Children can get ill very quickly and doctors know that.

Would your DS2 have soup? You could put all sorts of good things in that, including meat.

Thank you.
He has had so far today;
Banana
Apple
Blueberry muffin
Toast for lunch :(
Strawberries and ice cream
Goodness knows what he will have for dinner....probably carrot sticks :(
He is becoming increasingly clingy and anxious since the whole school thing so I don't know...

It's worrying, isn't it, Badvoc? Poor boy. Maybe you should keep a diary of your son's food intake and how he's getting on at school to give you a clearer idea of how he's coping.

Interesting thread! My DD is what I consider fussy at 16 months. Did a combo of soft food and BLW type finger food from 6 months and she ate well until about 13 months. It's hard not to get stressed isnt it? Despite everything I read indicating that 1 in 2 toddlers get fussy, is developmental, normal etc etc. Fed up with the " we give them what we have or they have nothing" comments from others too. Not sure I can let my 16 month old miss dinner every day, surely its better to give her something else she likes over nothing at all? God knows.This is what she will currently accept. Seems so limited to me but I'm a first time parent with no experience of these things?! What do you think?

Porridge/Ready Brek - Plain or with honey, stirred in fruit, banana but only mashed in, no lumps
Toast - Brown or white.
English Muffins
Butter, marmite, peanut butter, jam
Soft cheese
Smooth pate
Some ham
Sandwich made with above
Oranges, tangerines. Some grapes and some strawberries.
Raisins
Pasta plain or with pesto or a tomato and hidden veg sauce (frozen roasted veg - courgettes, peppers, etc)
Spag bol
Ravioli
Beef casserole
Some pizza
Cottage pie, but only a tiny bit of mash stirred in. Won't eat any potato
Crackerbread, crackers, oatcakes
Any baby snack, rice cakes, organix crisps, oatu bars etc
Yogurts, any flavour
Occasional piece of lamb, eg tiny meatball
Some sausage
Some pre made baby meals such as Plum Toddler
No fish, rice, chicken, egg, most fruits, individual veg, potato,hard cheese, cheesy/creamy sauce,

Jumperoo...I dream of mince based foods becoming acceptable! :)

Hi, can I join the thread?

(have to say I LOVED the myth buster posted by FunLovin - except my DD does not sleep!)

DD is nearly 6 and has been fussy since she was 2. In some ways she does eat healthy food - lots of fish (loves salmon and mackerel), wholemeal rice. She is basically ok with meat and carbs as long as they are cooked plainly and with no sauce / flavour. She won't eat anything with sauce in case it contains veg (so no spag bol, soup etc.). Most meals are fish and plan rice or mash.

Dairy is hit and miss. Recently cut out yoghurt but has milk (in hot chocolate) and occasionally a tiny piece of cheese (once a week but no other dairy).

The real issue is fruit and veg - none for years (apart from fruit bars which according to her do not contain fruit). She can spot pureed veg from about 20 paces. She can even sniff out if I have ripe bananas in the room. She is very committed to her cause - no juice, fruit puddings or even sweets. We have got her eating mashed potato which feels like a real victory.

Which makes snacks a real issue - she ends up eating too much sweet and sugary stuff (biscuits, fruit bars), because I am a loss as to what to do.

I will read the thread but any ideas really appreciated.

jumperoo - I think your list sounds ok to be honest - there is a mix of foods and even though it is limited, the main food groups are there. To be honest I would focus on getting a good daily mix of what she will eat and try to make sure she doesn't cut out things she does eat.