Stressing about two year olds diet

[dairymclairy]

My toddler is at nursery for two days a week. She seems to eat OK there.

With me, I really struggle to get her to eat much of anything and what she does eat is so samey in terms of nutrition.

She won’t eat any fruit at all. She used to eat cucumber and banana but now refuses both. So that makes snacks difficult.

Things she will reliably eat are:

cheese and tomato pizza (home made; I’m not ordering her dominos)
chilli con carne
chicken with noodles and broccoli and sometimes corn on the cob (this is hit and miss!)
garlic bread
crumpets
fish fingers
baked beans
yoghurt (I’ve tried her with natural yoghurt but she won’t eat that)

Things she will eat but are hit and miss

Bolognaise
egg
sandwiches of any description - sometimes she eats them with enthusiasm but other times no
breadsticks
cheese
raisins

So it isn’t a terrible diet - she does occasionally have crisps (eg Pom bears) or something but that genuinely is occasional and for bribery purposes!

I am really hoping it’s going to get better. She did seem to be gnawing on a slice of apple today but then I found it in the car so I guess not advice is generally not to make a big deal, keep offering, ensure there’s something she will eat and I try to do that. I just really want her to enjoy a healthy range of food.

You have the right idea. Try not to let her pick up on your anxiety. That’s not a bad range and sounds like she’s experimenting atm.
Eating OK at Nursery is a good sign.

Her diet sounds limited but not bad she is eating give her what she eats and try and not stress, offer her some cucumber cherry tomatoes carrot sticks etc with her meals see if she will pick at it and honestly don't fret. Give her a multivitamin if you are concerned

Oh 1 of mine wouldn't eat sandwiches but would eat bread alongside ham or whatever.

My dd didn’t especially like fruit as a young child but she loved vegetables!

I also discovered she liked it when the food was made into the shape of a smiling face - she would eat the nose, then the eyes etc. And I’d play silly games like turn my back and then act surprised that the hair was gone, or the mouth was gone.

Also make sure you always eat with dc - try and eat what dc is eating too, but with your plate having more of the healthy extras.

I think you just have to keep trying, and really “big up” how delicious your own food is and encourage her to try little bits off your plate.

I became really good at the food psychology and learning which battles I was going to bother fighting (a bit like you with yoghurt!). I remember my pinnacle of early years parenting was when my two kids were arguing over who would get to eat the last Brussels sprout.

To this day I have never been more proud of my parenting skills!

I don't eat much fruit & I dislike sandwiches !
Sounds fine to me, how about courgette or carrot sticks to dip into something? e.g.a soft-boiled egg, baked beans ?

Her diet is very similar to my DD who is the same age, I've had to get clever with bulking up her meals with hidden veg and healthy fats etc as she had a concerning drop in weight a few months ago.
DD's fave is pizza so I make pizza sauce with loads of veggies blended in and dough with Greek yogurt, she loves soup thankfully so another easy way to get blended goodness in. She will eat dips so I often do cream cheese with avocado mixed in for a dip with breadsticks or pitta fingers.
i make "ice cream" by blending banana and strawberries or mango then freezing so it's like a sorbet. I add fruit puree to Greek yogurt and put it into reusable pouches so she doesn't know they aren't shop bought.
I've also found that offering her a picky plate rather than a full meal often means she'll eat more, I just dish what everyone else is having up for her but deconstructed into a sections plate so she can pick the bits of it she does like and there's no pressure to eat the bits she doesn't.
its hard work and some days she will barely eat but it puts my mind at ease slightly knowing what she does eat had as much goodness in it as possible.

Sounds fine to me

It does sound limited but she will probably start to widen her choices soon, especially of she’s eating well at nursery.

How much milk is she having in 24 hours and which type is she on?

Sounds very good to me.