My 2.5y DS will only eat toast - help!

[LaLaLand84]

He's never been the best eater but used to love shepherd/cottage pie, fish pie, chicken dinner - basically anything with mash! But since he was poorly over Christmas he's gone off everything but toast. I try to get him to have a yogurt and some fruit everyday but even that's a challenge. Breakfast, lunch and tea always end with toast after spending god knows how long trying to get him to eat something else. He won't have soup anymore which used to be his favourite lunch time meal and I end up giving him snacks throughout the day because toast doesn't fill him up. I've even switched to brown bread due to the amount he's having and it's always with butter as he doesn't like jam or honey or anything remotely healthy. He's had maybe a mouthful of veg in the past two weeks (not for my lack of trying believe me!) I'm just worried about his health and immune system espeicially with flu flying about, he's half brothers are supposed to be here this weekend but may be coming down with flu so I'm on the verge of saying they can't come as DS already has a cough. Is there anything I can do, tips I can try to entice him to at least eat more fruit and veg?
Sorry for he's essay, I'm losing all will power!

Personally (and I know it is difficult) i would just offer one slice of toast along side the other food you know he likes but stop the snacks and trying to encourage him as that draws into a battle of the wills. Sit and eat the same thing he is eating (minus the toast) and make a few noises about how good it is. If he doesn't eat his, just remove it without saying anything. If you cant bring yourself to stop the snacks only offer fruit and veg.

You could also use vitamins while he's going through this phase.

Good luck.

He is old enough to now know that if he refuses for long enough, he gets what he wants.

Hide the bread.
Show him before lunch "sorry, there is no bread. Today we have "jacket potato" etc for lunch (choose something he used to like)
Maybe a cold, non bread based meal he used to like? Hummus or a yoghurts dip and veggies/chicken strips?

When he refuses, tell him it's ok and he can get down from the table.

When he says he is hungry then he can be offered the same meal.

When he throws it on the floor then pick it up and rinse it. (Back to Weaning practices... have you still got a floor mat?!)

You've got into a horrible cycle. You're probably anxious that he eats and he went off everything but comfort and then didn't get back into the swing of it.

Can you make "smoothies" blitz a butt load of strawberries for example and add some yoghurt and milk for a sweet drink with some nutritional value?

What about foods with toast like qualities? Something easy to crunch like melty puffs? I know they're for babies but they may help
With texture and the flavour profile may help him with "not brown bread and butter"

Would he be interested in helping to cook something? Something simple like cheese straws or mini quiches, savoury muffins, or even decorating little pizzas on pitta breads. If he's helped make it he might be more interested in grazing on the ingredients and eating the final product.

You need to go cold turkey on toast. No more toast for a week. He won't starve but you may have to hold your nerve. You need to establish a principle of 'this is your dinner, eat it or don't but there's nothing else until breakfast, your choice'. Mine kick off on occasion but they've never not eaten the meal. Because the toast eating has become habit I think you have to be prepared to put him to bed hungry. It will be the kind thing to do in the long run. He isn't getting any of the nutrients he needs from just toast and you need to break this asap before it becomes entrenched.

Thanks for the advice, I have tried him helping me to cook but he's not interested in that, snacks are usually fruit based like rice cakes (all the baby snack type stuff) I tried some chicken strips the other night but he's totally got off any kind of meat. I like the smoothie idea, I used to make banana/strawberry milkshakes occasionally (when I had enough stuff in to make a big batch) so I'll get back into doing that more regularly. I don't think I have the will power to cut out toast altogether, the crying that ensues when he doesn't get any is unbearable but I like the idea of one piece next to a main meal will give that a go tomorrow (he's going to my mums for tea this evening we are working as a team to try to get him to eat properly again and she seems to have a bit more luck (or perseverance!) than me

I know it sounds harsh OP but if you "haven't got the will power to cut out toast altogether" then how on earth do you envisage breaking the cycle of toast for every meal because your son knows if he holds out and screams he will get his own way. If you don't change that then why on earth would he change?

I could you not try toast for breakfast and before bed but not as his main meal? Make it clear toast isn’t an option and keep reoffering the dinner.

Stop giving snacks
Stop making toast
Offer three decent meals a day.
You need to resist the crying. It's just a way for him to try and get his own way. Toast isn't a healthy diet.
Mine have both had major fussy periods. Youngest didn't want cottage pie last night. She ate the mash and some meat. Praised her for trying it. Bet she will eat it next time!

Those Innocent kids smoothies in the individual pouches freeze really well so make great frozen treats and they have ones with pineapple and carrot.