If you had a fussy eater but started offering new stuff with no alternative... How did it go?

[Imbimba]

I have 3 DCs - 5, 3, 6months.
The 5yo eats quite well especially since starting school and eating school meals, she's quite open to trying new things now.

The 6mo is doing baby led weaning (which I did not do with the others) so I'm happy with that.

The 3yo is very, very fussy. I really struggled with having two so close together (only 18 months between older 2 kids) and took the easy option every time with mealtimes. As a result I often end up cooking 2 or 3 different meals.

I know that kids will eat what you give them, eventually, and I just have to take charge and cook one meal for us all. BUT I'd be really interested in hearing from people who have taken this approach with a fussy eater and how it went. Hope this all makes sense.

I have a 9yr old who would be considered 'fussy' by some. She is definitely not a child who will sit down and scoff any old dinner just because it is dinner time. I have always encouraged her to try everything and if she really does not like something I work around it. She eats plenty of the food I cook for her but is 'fussy in that she might refuse someone else's home cooked bolognaise / roast etc because it tastes different to mine. She has always been like this and food really does not motivate her at all. she would happily starve herself and it would not bother her too much.

I was a 'fussy' child or so I was told, in reality I think my mother was not a good cook and just didn't care a lot about it or about trying to encourage me to eat. I HATED potatoes as a kid and guess what we had for dinner every single evening......potatoes. She would just serve me my dinner minus the potatoes, and no alternative ever. I would have a spoon of peas and a slice of chicken etc. I was inadvertently following the atkins diet as a child! I was puny, skinny and sickly and I reckon very under nourished.

I swore that I would never do that to a child of mine and I haven't. She is now 9 and getting more willing to try a few now things - she is eating burgers this summer for the first time ever. I make my own and use lovely brioche buns etc. I try to make each meal as tempting and delicious as I can.

I agree with walnutpie that feeling like your feelings were unimportant when it came to food was very damaging. Also I remember going to stay with an aunt when I was about 11. she is an excellent cook and her food was an utter revelation to me! I had NO idea that steak could taste that good and not resemble a hard, chewy piece of leather etc. That experience stayed with me and made me determined to buy, cook and eat delicious food every day when I grew up.

I am a good cook now and food is very important in our lives and it makes my heart sing when my dd declares that something is delicious and that her experiences of food are good (even if she naturally restricts herself from all the experiences she could be having)

I would have LOVED if my mum had bothered to cook some pasta, rice etc to go with my dinner but she never did.