Right I would quite like to expand my 2 year olds limited diet, all suggestions welcome

[rookiemater]

He is normal height and weight and fairly active, but since about 14mths on I have found it nigh on impossible to add new foodstuffs to the list of things he will eat.

Currently he has :
Breakfast - Weetabix, rice crispies or toast sometimes with a smoothie
Lunch/Dinner/Snacks - At CMs will eat everything and anything at ours, toast, cheese, most bread related things i.e. potato scones, muffines, pizza, chicken nuggets, fish fingers, chips, raw carrot(sometimes), most fruit, anything rubbishy such as chocolate or crisps - but he gets these very infrequenty, cooked pasta with nothing on it, M&S nice rice and sometimes their spag bol.

He will not eat homemade spaghetti bolognaise, or indeed any other home made dish although he used to love macaroni cheese, eggs or any vegetables. I have tried putting different things on his plate to acclimitise him to them, but he just very politely hands them back to me.

I'm not too traumatised by the refusing food bit, I know he is trying to assert his independence and he isn't keen on things requiring cutlery so I'm trying to remain unstressed and ride it out. I would just like some helpful suggestions about how to sneak in more food types gradually, and what I should go for.

Thanks

Breakfast - try porridge with jam - DS's current favourite or the choc chip weetabix
Lunch etc - try beans/character pasta shapes? DS loves Swedish meatbalss (from supermarket). Asda do really nice 'mini meals' like chicken casserole. You could but one to try and then make it yourself. Potato waffles?

Why don't you just give him what you eat.
If he doesn't want it ,fine.
If he does,fine.

He won't starve.
Just don't ocmment or make a big deal of it.
It's very simple really.

I agree with Moondog. If you start going down the kids' pasta shapes and potato faces route you're going to be feeding him that for the next 12 years. I really think it unwise to introduce more processed food into his diet.

Much better to experiment with your home-made food, maybe add more flavours?

I work 4 days a week and on those days we eat later than DS as I give him something when I pick him up from the CMs but don't really have time to cook something properly, also it would mean DH and I would eat at different times.

Also I do think that children will like and dislike certain things. I know I'm probably making life too hard, but I know how I feel when I'm presented with something I don't like, i.e. baked beans made me feel nauseous even as a child, so I don't want to push him to eat stuff he doesn't like.

Moondog when you say he won't starve, thats the bit that confuses me. Do you mean I should literally give him nothing until the next morning, or I should let him have a slice of toast or something ?
Iklboo - yes could try potato waffles that would work. have tried to recreate M&S nice rice but DS can tell the difference.

We cut DS's waffle into squares and call them 'waffle windows'. He also has 'widget wedges' (named after a character in Wow Wow Wubbzy), stuff like that.
Also, DS eats earlier than us due to DH working times and doesn't seem bothered that we're not eating either. In fact, he eats better alone than when we all eat together cos he plays DH up!

You could try making a rosti for instance - chopped spring onions, grated potato, carrot and courgettes (if you peel it he won't be able to see any suspicious green bits), all mixed together and pan fried as one big "burger". You can vary the flavours but either breaking an egg into it or adding copious amounts of grated cheese. If you really want to go to the effort you could cut out shapes with a coolie cutter.

How about pancakes? Or cheesy blinis type things?

Rosti, thats a great idea Brangelina I could try that this evening. Any more suggestions like that anyone ?

will he eat soup ?? I can get a huge range of things into dd with soup !!

No, no soup mummy, no no (pushes plate away emphatically onto table)

Agree with you that you don't want to make a fuss and I don't do the forcing to try or making kids eat thing either (was a v fussy kid and know how stubborn kids can be).

Three suggestions/comments:

1. Do try and eat with him as much as possible and eat the same foods. Think 'modelling' is really important in what kids learn about food.
2. KEEP GOING putting food on his plate that you think he doesn't like. He doesn't have to eat it but kids take a long time to get familiar with foods - my daughter spent 4 months diligently picking raisins out of cornflakes and weetabix but then randomly one day decided to eat them.
3. Enjoy food with him - don't disguise it. Similar to above, let him help you make it and enjoy labelling and squishing and seeing what ingredients are, even if he does decide only to eat the pasta and no bolognese (for example). Things do change. Honest.

Birds eye (or Youngs) do lovely fish chunks in batter (variation on fish fingers)
Would he try mashed sweet potato?

Or even sweet potato chips/wedges?

Iklboo, have tried the sweet potato wedges, sometimes they work sometimes they don't probably because I manage to burn them 2 times out of 3 so can't look that appetising.

I give him Fishfingers & chicken nuggets that are high quality ones so at least he is getting some protein, I think he would probably try just about anything if it was battered and deep fried, mmmm now there's a thought.......

Thanks Unlellala, I do need to start putting stuff on his plate again, its just so damn dispiriting, particularly when he rejects homecooked stuff, so I have to admit I have more or less given up after my chocolate rice pudding was pushed away and my sausage casserole scorned.

See i don't think it is about the actual food. 2 Year olds are FICKLE! Mine ate masses of broccoli, salmon and sweet potato for dinner going 'yummy, yummy, pink fish' so I smugly told my mum who tried to feed her the same thing and she only ate the broccoli (mind you, Mum's food is more bland...)

I would try
*something on plate that is something they like + something new.
*Let them help make/see what is for dinner, comment on all the food, espesh new food - ooh kidney beans yum yum
*enjoy eating the food with them, happy no big fuss, just normal chat. don't make them eat it.
*Take food away at end of meal when (prob not eaten) and then repeat process. Be confident. I have seen my theory work with my daughter (and I was a little girl who only ate birdseye).

I don't praise for eating but I do have a general happy, yummy, dinner voice and atmosphere (if that makes sense).

Thanks Umlellala am going away now to add some sweetcorn to Ds plate for when he wakes up.

Rookie - this sounds like my ds, he ate everything I gave him up until 14 months (all sorts of strong flavours like beef casseroles and lamb hotpots etc) but has for the last 5 months steadfastly turned his nose up at most of my homecooked stuff. I get days where I just despair as I really want him to eat real food but I hate trying to force things. Like you I offer it but he often just bats my hand away. Interestingly like your ds he will eat most bread based items so this is what he tends to have at least once a day. Some variations that I have found are sweet potato waffles in Sainsbury's that also contain sweetcorn, peppers and spring onions, potato scones which you can add houmous or grate some cheese on. I have also just introduced Welsh rarebit at the weekend which he loves despite refusing to eat eggs in any other form!!! Victory to me that time! I have recently had even more of a nightmare with him as he had a virus 3 weeks ago and spent a week just eating one slice of bread a day and has been incredibly fussy since then, even things he loved before, mango, melon, blueberries etc he is still refusing or spitting out! If he will eat rice have you tried him on cous cous or bulghur wheat, a similar idea but makes a change from rice.

I look forward to reading other peoples suggestions as it really feels like we are going backwards at the moment re food.

Cool, don't expect him to eat it btw! Try to get him interested in what it actually is- and name it as 'sweetcorn', what colour is it etc. He might eat it next time... or the next...

Good luck - it is dispiriting when they don't eat what you have made (espesh when it is just for them), but think you are right not to force him to try stuff - tears and tantrums style.

Yes I agree with the re-presenting food thing. My DD is generally a good eater but goes through phases where something is her absolute favourite one day to refusing it the next, then a month later it's her fave thing again.

How about potato cakes? You can mash potatoes and flaky white fish together )or if you're feeling brave, salmon), dip in egg, roll in breadcrumbs and pan fry. You could even try to sneak a few veg in there, or make it with cheese and cauliflower instead of the fish.
Ditto rice fingers - use up left over risotto (or make some specially), roll into sausages, dip into egg and breadcrumbs/flour and sauté. You could even roll them around something, like a lump of cheese or bacon in the centre.
Come to think of it most children like risotto, the stickiness and soft stodginess seems to appeal.
Pizza - either individual muffin pizzas or buy a family sized base. Make the sauce with lots of veg then blend and top with whatever else he wants.

there was a thing on the food programme recently that said that two-year-olds are quite likely to go through a stage of liking their food kept separate. dd's fine wiht the dishes that she knows, but if it's new to her then i'm definitely noticing that she likes it picnic-style or clearly identifiable. in a way, that goes along with the chicken nuggests and smiley faces being popular, doesn't it? dd's favourite thing for lunch is bits and bobs of cucumber and carrot, some sultanas, some olives, some ham and a bit of bread or oatcake. i'm eating it at the same time, so it's not a sit-down affair, more a sitting-on-the-kitchen-counter thing.

oh, and edamame, if you can get it in the pods. dd LOVES them and they're very good. take 3 mins in a pan of hot water and she adores all the chewing of the pod to get the soy beans out. so for lunch she's limited, but fairly nutritious imo. dinners are a bit easier but we're probably over-reliant on pasta sometimes.

How about eggs? I get lots of stuff into scrambled egg/omelette? Grated veg or spinach or whatever. Or if he likes bready stuff, eggy bread? Sweet and savoury versions?

I also struggle with a 2 yr old. I struggle with making an effort and having food rejected. We made a lovely pizza together, he chose what to put on it and where to put it - one bite then screaming for 'something else' (i.e. chocolate).

When are you supposed to say that or nothing and risk them going to bed hungry? When do people do that? DS feels too little at the moment to really get the consequences of not eating, and would I really not give him some milk at least in the night when he was feeling horridly hungry?

i think milk is the perfect thing to give them, but i don't get sucked into making other things. if she doesn't want food, i've always operated on the basis that she's not hungry.

That's so interesting Aitch. DD2 is 18 months and has a plate with separate sections and she eats loads if each type of food is in a different section. If it's all mixed together and she is expecting to get potato but then gets carrot too, she'll spit it out. Potato and carrot separate - she'll eat loads.

Even DD1 who is 5 can be a bit like this. Cooked delicious (IMO) fish pie the other day and she announced she just doesn't like fish pie. I said "why??? you like fish, potato, cheesy sauce, peas??". She said "yes but just not mixed together".

Some of our most successful meals consist of plain pasta, cheese, cucumber, tomato, carrot, ham, grapes, raisins etc. All served picnic style. She calls this a "party tea" and it's seen as a real treat (and why wouldn't it be, when the other option is my clearly disgusting fish pie )

yes, what were you thinking of?

The rebranding thing is useful - dd loves fish fingers, and one day I randomly decided to make salmon fishcakes and shape them like stars (she'd never eaten salmon willingly before) and called them "fish finger stars". Since then, they're a favourite...
Don't know what your tolerance for cooking your own stuff is, but you could make your own cheese and spinach muffins. A friend of mine makes flapjacks with no sugar or syrup but carrot, courgette and cheese instead - quite tasty and the children seem to like them. Agree with whoever said egg with spinach is a good one - my daughter has not yet, at the age of three, thought to question why egg in our house is always green.
Does he eat ketchup? Peter Rabbit ketchup is good if you're worried about sugar/salt and my daughter will usually eat most things if she can dip it into ketchup (or sweet chili dipping sauce...)
I do sympathise - my 10 month old will eat anything but my repertoire is limited by his fussy older sister.