hpw do you get fussy eaters to try something new?

[brimfull]

like gravy
or a sandwich
or cheese
aaaaargh!

he eats every veg and fruit under the sun... but will not entertain stews,sandwiches,dairy products.

Any ideas

But why does it matter so much if they don't eat their dinner? A healthy child isn't going to starve themselves. Put food in front of them without comment, leave it for a reasonable tiem (like the time it takes everyone else to finish) then take it away, again without comment. Make sure thye have free access to water and fruit. Don't provide any other food, except perhaps a drink of milk at bed time. But keep emotion completely out of it. Don't plead, beg, shout, get angry or cry (I have done all of these things in the past before I saw the light) Once it stops being an issue they will eventually eat. And remember, children need far less food that we think - and generally they eat much more than we think too. Bear in mingd that they might just not be hungry!

Agree completely with you Seeker.

I put new foods on their plate, if it gets eaten great, if not well its no big deal and it probably gets polished off by me or DH anyway!

Think that the worst thing that can happen is that the dining table becomes a battle ground and food becomes an issue for a long time.

seeker...'A healthy child isn't going to starve themselves' I beg to differ! Ds1 was dream child who ate everything I put in front of him - ds2 was on the 75th centile for height and the 2nd for weight. My HV said I had to start making an issue out of food as he was malnourished!

Sorry about the generalization, fortyplus.

Rephrases "It is very very unusual for a healthy child to starve themselves"

My DS1 won't starve, but he's perfectly willing to get by on just breakfast - he doesn't eat much and could live on a couple of slices of toast a day, or a bowl of porridge. He's horrendously fussy, and I spend my time cooking meals for him which he rejects. If he had his way it'd be vegan sausages and fimbles pasta out of a tin every single meal. He also won't eat fruit, so I'm denying him sugar (puddings are either natural yoghurt, home-made unsweetened rice pudding or fruit) in the hope that his sweet tooth will gradually win over and he'll eat fruit to get his sugar fix.

seeker - no offence taken! It came as a major shock to have to deal with nightmare child after ds1 who was so good! Serves me right for being so smug the first time!

We occasionally do the x (someone he really likes) sent this for you or x really loves this - it's his/ her favourite food and it works very well to get him to try new things e.g. asparagus, smoked salmon.
But I think ds (2.5) is quite suggestible and gullible at the moment and will get less willing to try new things as time goes on....
Worth a try with younger ones though if you haven't already?