How to get a 3yo to try new foods?

[EvoGirl]

DS is 3 but hasn't added any new foods to his repertoire since he was 1.
He has spag bol, cottage pie, fish pie (all of which have to be homemade by me, no one else's will do), marmite, dairylea or jam sandwiches, chips, garlic bread, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, yogurt, custard, jelly and of course, cakes. Not as restricted as some kids I know, but it really worries me that he abjectly refuses to try anything else.
I've tried watching Big Cook Little Cook with him and then making what they made on the show - he loves the cooking but then refuses point blank to let any of it pass his lips.
I'm not talking fois gras and langoustines here, it's simple stuff like fish fingers, boiled egg & soldiers, a tomato, a kiwi fruit.
How do I get him to try new things before he starts school next year and is faced with school dinners?

give him a sticker if he tries new food?

if that doesn't work I wouldn't worry too much as when he's at school he might try things just because everyone else is eating them.
Ds1 started school in September and it has really improved his eating - he's trying everything and actually like quite a few things!

Message withdrawn

I'll try the sticker approach, he's always pleased as punch if he gets a 'well done' sticker at pre-school. As for him trying what other kids are eating, it hasn't worked at parties but I suppose it will take a few days/weeks for it to sink in that everyone else is tucking in and he's missing out.

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming

I bribe with promise of pudding or chocolate buttons for trying one spoonful.

has worked with mine, better than the more abstract sticker concept. but we rarely have puddings normally at meals so they do know that eating the new food is the only way to get the treat.

My DD didn't add any new food between the ages of 1 & 4 -- if anything she dropped some!! It wasn't until she was about 4.5 that I could convince her to try new foods. Now she will have a go at most things and even eats things like salmon (huge gasp) which considering she ate about 14 things at her lowest is fab!

So stickers may work, or time

forgot to add that stickers worked for us for about 2 wks. Then she refused again.

dont you just give him what you are cooking for yourself?

Stickers worked for us when DD was nearly 3. She got 1 for every new food she tried and I can't remmember if it was 3 or 5 stickers for a reward (a tiny chocolate egg!) She found out that she actually liked tuna, dried apricots, all kinds of nuts and a few more things besides. It put the ball in her court a bit as we explained at each meal that she would get a sticker if she tried X and then stepped back, letting her make the decision. Praise for trying things but no fuss if she didn't.

Carries on now (she's 3.9) but without the rewards. Every now and again she just says 'I'd like to try ....' She even eats vegetables at a push!

nailpolish - "dont you just give him what you are cooking for yourself?" As I explained in the original post, the only 'adult' meals DS will eat are spag bol, cottage pie & fish pie. Much as DH would love it, I think I'd quickly lose the will to live if those 3 dishes were all we ever ate. I always offer DS what I'm cooking for myself, but he rejects it, hence my request for advice. Thought that was obvious.

Evogirl-What about making a shopping list with him and get him to go with you to get the shopping and putting the things in the basket.

Then make some menus up with him and let him choose what he would like to eat and have a hand in making it with you.
My dd and ds love doing this and we make faces with the food or pretend we are in a cafe and I take their order.

I know it sounds like a lot of work but I plan a weeks meals and get them involved and we write a chart and they can then look up the relevant day and see what they are having that evening.

Also my two like to look through the pictures in food magazines and cut them out to get used to what different foods look like.