Do I give pudding if DD refuses to eat mains?

[Clure]

My 21 month old was a brilliant eater till a few weeks ago. She is vegetarian and would eat a really good varied diet. Now she seems to be going through a phase of not wanting to eat anything thats warm, in a bowl and that she has to use a spoon for. She is still not brilliantly co-ordinated in using spoon (have tried various spoons) She playes with it, smears it round highchair and will pass the bowl back to me and has even thrown the bowl on occasion. I don't want her to go hungry - not sure if she has back molars coming through or she is just trying my patience! Would you try tempting her with other food? Offer pudding? Take her out of highchair and give snack later? Help!

I wouldn't worry about it personally .. if she's not eating the food in front of her she's not hungry so that's the end of the mealtime

there is no law that a meal includes a pudding

I'd take her out of her highchair and give her an apple or banana later personally

wouldn't offer her pudding but maybe some fruit and youghurt or chesse so that she isn't going hungary, prob just a phase and being bored with food they all go through different phases of not wanting food but if you give in and give her pudding she won't eat any main meals, does she not like meat?

my dd is the same age and does exactly the same. if she won't eat her food i take it to mean shes not hungry and she doesn't get anything else

my dd sometimes does this and i do give her a pudding even if she wont eat her main. i read somewhere that forcing them to have a main before pudding reinforces the idea that the pudding is "good" and the main is not nice. she sometimes has weeks where she wont eat her mains and other weeks where she wont eat puddings.

I would give her stuff that she can use her fingers for,.
steamed veg, chickpea burgers, sandwiches, cheese etc etc
I always give pudding (if there is any) so that ds doesn't see it as a treat

DS is almost 18 months and sometimes refuses to be fed my me with a spoon. He wants to feed himslef. So, I give him some finger foods and he gobbles it up. This feeding thing would be so much easier if they could just talk and say "No muumy, I want to do it myself." But, no such luck at 18 months.

There's a very good book called \linkwww.amazon.co.uk/Finger-Babies-Toddlers-Jennie-Maizels/dp/0091889510/sr=8-1/qid=1163262508/ref=pd_ka_1/026-8970237-5146833?ie=UTF8&s=books"Finger Food"} by Jenny Maizels that I used when ds was like this. I think the writer is vegetarian herself as she usually has a veggie alternative for meat ingredients. I still use her recipes for tomato sauce and fish cakes.

Bum, try again
"Finger Food"

Thanks for the book recommendation "Finger Food" I've ordered it as it looks brill. I do give her finger food but have fallen into a bit of a same old type of rut. It's really funny but she clears her bowl of porridge each morning without any fuss!! Thanks for all tips

You're welcome. I make her tomato sauce recipe with tinned tomatoes that have Italian herbs added, I think it tastes a bit nicer than dried herbs. I also add orange and yellow peppers and celery with the onions. I used to blend it smooth and use it for dipping things into, but now I blend it so it's still a little lumpy.

DS used to love rice balls. Cook the rice, then mix with some tomato sauce. While it's still hot put a teaspoon full into some greaseproof paper (or a small freezer bag), then bring the sides up and twist the greaseproof paper tightly so that the rice forms a little ball. It's just the right size for them to pop into their mouths.