fussy nearly 3 yr old wont eat help any suggestions:(

[tinkhasagorgeousbean]

my daughter has always been fussy even as a baby wouldnt take alot of milk.
we did see a paedatrician for a while,as she dropped a few centiles is going along the same centile line now.
she is tiny for her age me and my partner r both tiny too
she is 34 months ,weighs 23lbs and height is 85cm.
she is perfectly heathly has lots of energy like any toddler etc.

she will only eat

yogs,toast with marmite,pasta,rice,bananas and fruit pouches and cheese mostly

wont eat any meat,chips,veg

My 4 year old is a fussy eater too, and on the skinny side. I have found the main thing is to keep offering her good, healthy family food - not a special meal just for her - and not to offer her a second choice if she doesn't want it. If she is hungry later, offer her the food she should have eaten earlier (if it is still OK to eat).

My daughter takes a packed lunch to the childminder and often brings it back uneaten, then complains she is hungry at 4pm! So she often ends up eating it at teatime instead, so then she doesn't eat her tea ... but I prefer this to throwing food away. She will sometimes eat fruit if she has missed her lunch, so I see this as an opportunity to get some fruit into her!

We always have plain bread and butter on offer so she won't go to bed hungry if she hasn't eaten her meal.

I made the mistake of pleading with her to eat when she was younger and I think this has made her a bit manipulative where food is concerned. I won't make the same mistake with my second (who is a much better eater).

If your daughter has plenty of energy there probably isn't anything wrong with her.

Try not to worry - she won't starve! The foods you describe include protein, carbohydrate and a range of vitamins.

Try the food she doesn't like cooked in different ways. If she doesn't like veg, try giving her home made vegetable soup with her toast, or roasted veg with pasta. Try mashed or jacket potato instead of chips.

As she is nearly 3, does she go to playgroup? Could you arrange for her to go to a friend's house to play and have lunch? My daughter will often eat more at someone else's house and try new things.

I tried making the food into nice pictures or funny faces but it didn't make her eat any more, so that was a waste of time ...

Have you seen the thread on selective eaters? It contains lots of good advice.

Hope this helps. We are not alone!

My DS who is also nearly 3 is a very fussy eater. I posted a thread about it a couple of weeks ago. My DS will eat yoghurts, bread/toast with soft cheese or marmite,bananas, fruit pots/pouches, weetabix, porridge, oat/rice cakes!
What a coincidence! I worry as he eats no meat or veg but he seems to be growing well despite this.
People seem to be in agreement that the only thing you can do is keep offering new foods along with foods you know will be eaten. I try not to make an issue of it as apparently this is the worse thing you can do. It is very difficult but you just have to stay positive and say to yourself that it is just a phase that they will grow out of.

cheers

Ds1 is just 7, and still really fussy. He eats virtually no meat - only fish fingers and mince, virtually no veg - only peas and baked beans, no fruit - only fruit smoothies, juice, occasional grapes. It is hard, and he is skinny skinny! He likes carbohydrate - pasta, bread/toast, rice. Doesn't like potatoes though, and is even fussy about biscuits/icecream/sweets/chocolate - he would rather go without than have a 'treat' that he 'doesn't like'. Which proves to me that he genuinely doesn't like them and isn't just being manipulative.

I just try and make sure he has some protein, some carb, some veg/fruit with each meal, even if it is a limited diet. I think he may have some sensory issues with taste/texture as forcing him to try a food makes him gag, and if I try the 'just ignore, and don't give an alternative' he will starve himself to the point of vomiting through hunger. Some children are just like that I think.

Dd on the other hand is a famous eater. She will eat anything, and LOVES all fruit and veg. Ds2 loves meat. They have all had the same foods and treatment growing up!