Selective eating 23 month old ARRRRGGHHH

[pissovski]

DS has become very selective in what he will eat at dinner and it is starting to worry me (and drive me mad!!).

He used to be a really good eater. About 6 months ago he suddenly refused to eat pasta. We tried all the different types, and the only ones he will eat (still) is cannelloni, lasagne (sometimes) and packet pasta and sauce as a quiche. In the last few weeks, he has started to refuse potatoes in all forms - i have tried him with jacket spuds, homemade chips, homemade wedges (all he will have is shop bought mini waffle type things) and now veg which he previously wolfed down (peas, cauli carrot and swede mash). Last night homemade egg fried rice was turned down. All it feels like he is eating is chicken fingers, turkey goujons, fish fingers and sausages, the plate then gets put on the table (he is in a high chair) and refused.

Breakfast is usually porridge or fruit pancakes with cranberries. He used to have cereal but now refuses. At lunch he usually has bread/bagel/muffin with marmite, philadephia or roule cheese, some cheese cubes and a few rice crackers, rice cakes or crisps. I also offer cut up cold meat but that it usually left. He is pretty good with fruit and eats apple, banana and loves grapes.

I am just starting to worry a bit as I am vegetarian (and a bit fussy eg don't like spicy food) and DH is very unkeen on vegetables (other than peas and occasionally carrot/swede).

I try to not comment, other than positively ("try you cauli its lovely" type thing), as DS pick up on evrything! and don't offer anything other than fruit, but it is worrying me a bit.

Help!! Is this normal, and does it last?

My 23 month old DD is exactly the same. The number of things she'll eat are tiny. I just keep offering and hope she'll grow out of it.

Not much other advice - just to let you know you aren't alone!

thank you!! Let's hope it 'just a phase' :)

Sounds exactly like my dd 6-12 months ago. She wouldn't eat any kind of potato or any bread, so feeding her was a bit of a nightmare. She is now coming out the other side at two and a half and she will now eat bread, sandwiches, toast, wraps etc. she still doesn't have the variety from when she was first weaned, but is getting better. She does have quite a stubborn streak, which doesn't help the food issue, but I just keep offering a healthy balanced diet and hope that she eats some of it. She is healthy and the correct weight so I'm not too concerned.

My fantastic eater of a baby did that the second he turned 2!!! we were so shocked! He went from eating everything and anything in great quantities to hardly anything at all! It was very worrying. at one point he would eat nothing but coleslaw and apples.

I did a bit of reading and apparently toddlers need less nutrition than babies- don't know if it's true, but he is very healthy, even if he has gone rather lean- he was a very fat baby though! Also, toddlers are apparently adapted to eating a limited diet- because they are so faddy it balances out.

He is a better eater now at 2.4- He has cereal, toast and fruit for breakfast, lunch is bits of cheese, bread, meat ( like ham), and whatever vegetable he accepts as edible at the time ( cucumber and raw pepper atm). At teatime i cook a meal for all of us ( not easy as I am a vegetarian, husband is a fussy vegetable dodger, and the toddler is, well, a toddler!), we close the baby gate so he can wonder around the kitchen but not outside, he helps to cook, lay the table, and tidy up afterwards, we dont draw attention to the food, rather the experience of eating together and having a good time. We never do " just have another spoonfull"- if he is hungry he will eat!

Good luck, it is just a phase!

Thanks all :) That makes me feel a bit better!

We will persevere :)

Hi
I know long shot but any update please ?