Sick to the back effing teeth of throwing food away because DS1 "Don't like it"

[IntergalacticWalrus]

Ok, over the last 2 days, DS1 (age 2.1 or 25 months or whatever you want to call it) has eaten

A banana
About two pieces of penne pasta
3 mouthfuls of porridge.

And that's it.

I know because I have been writing down what he eats because I was starting to think he wasn't eating enough.

Anyway, he has started refusing food he would normally really enjoy and his phrase du jour is "Don't like it" It's driving me mad that I am spending time in the kitchen cooking things that I think he will eat and then I end up throwing them in the bin.

He's built like a sodding rugby player. I don;t know where he gets it from tbh because he's eating like a sparrow atm. What can I do to get him to eat more? His fruit and ved intake is almost nil, save for bananas. I try making pasta sauces for him, but he just removed the sauce with his fingers to make the pasta as plain as poss.

AAARRGH!

First off try not to get stressed. I know that's hard but your anieties will only make things worse, for you both.

He's not undernorished, he's healthy and happy so it's not like it's a worry, it's just a proper sodding pain, I know, but he's not going to starve.

Just keep calm and keep trying.

Keep offering him things you know he likes and try and disguise as much as you can as well.

Going with what he's eaten from your list:

I used to push peas or sweetcorn or bits of carrots inside the penne tubes, try that?

Mix in some stewed apple to his porridge?

Try adding some weetabix and a dash of milk to mashed banana.

dd is exactly the same as yours! she did this few weeks ago were everything she'd normally eat she'd refuse! it lasted a wee!

it might just be a phase, just leave fruits or snacks on the table so he can help himself to it.

act like you dont care, tell him its good for him but dont make a fuss ime
no proper food no biscuits crisps or crap and
make snacks raisens, toast and honey / marmite whatever yogurt baked beans egg
dont look like your stressing is a big thing..

Ok, I wont get stressed...... (even though at times like these, it's tepmting to put my head in the oven )

His diet is a slight cause of concern to me, as it gets more and more limited by the day. When he first started eating, I was all smug because he's eat all sorts of weird and wonderful foods. Now he's Wheat Boy, as bread and pasta are the order of the day.

lol at stuffing vegetables in penne pasta. I might have to try it, although I imagine one feels a right tool when doing it

btw, I have recently cut all snacks in the vain hope he'll eat at mealtimes

Is he filling up on milk?

will he graze? we had a massive turnaround with dd when we stopped worrying about 'meals' and just give her a constant stream of healthy snacks.

she gets porrige in the morning (she eats 3/4 spoons initially then spends an hour going back and forth to the table for another mouthful)

during the day she gets fruit, yogurt, rice cakes, bread and something on it, dates, banana chips and other random healthy snacks.

then at dinner she has a plate of wjhatever we're having and if she doesn't eat it nothing is said. sometimes she has a couple of bites, sometimes none.

we give her juice twice a day to up her fruit intake (not really as good but better than nothing)

He has about a pint of milk a day, 1/2 of it first thing (usually about an hour and a half before breakfast, as he's up at 5.30am. Yawn) and another half before bed. Do you think that's it?

havent had time to read responses so far as ds is using me as climging frame as I type so apologies for repeating

I know exactly where you are coming from
dd was a dreadful eater and I fretted heaps because she was quite slight. However always full of energy so nothing was wrong with her.

DS 2.3 has now started to be akward with food as well previously having been a regular vaccuum cleaner when it came to food.

With my 2 it basically comes down to a power struggle which I don't give into anymore. Learned the hard way first time round and as yourself got fed up with wasted food. With ds I'm still a bit leniant and will actually cook what he will eat for sure (nuggets/toast/croisants/tomatoes/grapes/strawberries and ginger bread men) but dd (5.1) gets the 'either that or nothing' which after a couple of hungryish nights brought the message home It seems cruel, but I knew she could 'survive' a day without dinner... things are slowly improving though if I just put something in front of her which she hasn't 'asked for' (she'd live on nuggets and chips if I let her) she has a tantrum which I duly ignore

If you're worried about your ds not eating fruit/veg. Have you tried smoothies? DD really likes the 'yellow one' from that ad in tv. Or if everything else fails vitamine tablets?

Good luck, I know it can be so infuriating and frustrating.

personally I'd cut the milk down a bit and see if that encourages him to eat more. I dont mean stop him drinking milk as milk is a very important part of his diet, but if he is going through a fussy food stage he might need a bit less milk to make him more hungry for his meals. you could then alwyas give a cup of milk after he has finished so he is still getting it? just a thought... Good luck

When my DD1 started to say to be "finished" after eatin g a few mouthfuls, rather than get stressed or upset etc, I made a game of it. I said 'ok then' and then say next to her and made a face out of what was on her plate and said 'now don't eat his eyes will you'. Sure enough she atet he eyes, 1 times over as wella s the nose and the mouth and the haoir and so on. We have about 10 different games we paly if a tried and tested dinner isn't going down well on a particular day. Today was the 'if you eat that carrot I'm going to have to tickle you game'. I'd be one side of the table, she was the other and I'd make a big thing of saying 'ohhhh no, not the carrot and running round the table to gently tickle her. she thinks it's great and it went from no veg eaten to every scrap eaten.

With my DD2 who is younger (13 months) we play the spoon beeping her nose to open her mough game.

Go get my point anyway.

Basically we have a bit of fun. That whole 'don't play with you food' line has been taken to another level, chewed up, and swallowed!

My ds used to have a huge appetite and then went down to very little for a while, just after he had a big growth spurt. I just kept offering it and ignoring if he didn't eat. DH used to get all anxious and try and force it down his throat, which ds thought was a great game. So now he'll eat very well when alone with me but put his spoon down with a big grin if dh walks in because he knows he'll get dh to feed him.

When his appetite was low, eating with other children worked really well, ds always ate something at nursery. Could you invite a friend with a hearty-feeding child over for lunch and let them watch each other eat? Also what worked was to give ds a very tiny portion on his plate (or nothing) and for me to eat with him enjoying my food, inevitably he would want what I had and I would give it to him 'grudgingly'.

If it is any consolation ds is 13 and just like that, and has been since about 2 years old!

Drives me insane, but he is huge with massive feet, and would also remove pasta sauce from pasta.

You have my sympathy very much.

Ds also likes to srtoke and poke his food as well. Can't write any more can feel blood pressure rising.

But your ds will survive and thrive!