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Seriously what do you feed your fussy toddler...?

17 replies

Tinks15 · 07/08/2017 18:12

Dinner times are the worst - she is so bloody fussy it's unreal! I just don't know what to give her anymore! So fed up! Sad

Anyone out there going through the same frustration at the moment? Any advice?

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TheDuckSaysMoo · 07/08/2017 18:20

Plain pasta
Cheese
Boiled chicken
Bagels
Scrambled eggs
Tortilla wrap - empty

That's about it. Luckily she also eats fruit. We eat with her as often as possible and she gradually introduces new things through that. The tortilla came from watching us eat fajitas. Dd is 5. I try not to worry about food and figure she'll grow out of it eventually. As long as she has energy to run around then I'm happy.

countycouncil · 07/08/2017 18:22

Sausages, chicken nuggets, corn, bread with peanut butter, berries, yoghurt ehhhh..., that might be it. I always put a blob of what we're having on his plate or something he used to eat (i.e.:cheese) or something I wish he'd eat i.e.: peas or cucumber or again, cheese. It's tedious. Won't eat the lovely free range chicken nuggets I make from scratch or the pizza my husband makes from a scratch - sigh. But he eats every type of fruit and like wheatabix so it's really only dinner where I despair.

TheDuckSaysMoo · 07/08/2017 18:23

Oh, we've also managed to convince her to have a daily chewy vitamin, which sets my mind at ease a little.

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Sirzy · 07/08/2017 18:25

Whatever they will eat!

Tinks15 · 07/08/2017 18:27

I've cooked a lovely chicken curry this evening (toddler friendly) which she used to it she ate 3 bits of chicken then pushed it away. Would not eat anything else.

Apparently though when she is at nursery on a Thursday she eats mostly what's put in front of her Hmm.

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fivefour3twoone · 07/08/2017 18:28

Toast with marmite
Toast with peanut butter
Spaghetti hoops and toast
Cheese
Ham
Houmous
Crackers
Breadsticks
Pasta and pesto
Bread
Cereals
Water
Milk
Yoghurt
That's about all they'll eat

firsttimemothergoose · 07/08/2017 18:33

Urgh, I remember the feeling!
In the end, I stopped pandering to it. Stopped making extra meals and meals that he would eat and just cooked normal meals for the whole family. I try to make sure there is one thing on the plate that he likes so I know he'll eat something and that's it.
He fills himself up on bread based food throughout the day so I know he's not hungry. He eats yoghurt and some fruit.
I've actually noticed this week that he's started to eat food that he went off like tomatoes again. He'll get there, I'm done stressing about it.
Oh, I do also give a vitamin supplement which makes me feel slightly better!

Tinks15 · 07/08/2017 18:47

Thanks all. Does make me feel better hearing I'm not the only one going through this.

I've been giving a vitamin supplement every morning too for the past few months - always makes me feel that little bit better.

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Bythebeach · 07/08/2017 19:04

Toast with nut butter plus chocolate spread, rice, plain pasta or pasta with a small amount of egg and cheese stirred in like a v simple carbonara-ish sauce, bolognesey type mince with celery, carrots, onion blended in. Plain chicken roast or grilled (if they are in breadcrumbs I have to take the crumbs off or he'll happily starve) THIN crispy chips only. He will tolerate broccoli chopped into his rice but no other veg he can see (see mince). Apple slices, bananas, grapes-Without-skins, watermelon, some mangoes!! And a fair selection of cereal - shredded/cornflakes/cheerios!! That's it. He is 4.8. He has two older brothers the eldest of whom consumed little but breast milk and mashed potato for the first two years of his life but is now not fussy at all. This too shall pass!

Chattycat78 · 07/08/2017 22:08

SAme here- 2.5. He will eat only the following;

  • pasta and pesto
Beans on toast Pizza Fruit Cereal Yoghurt Soup Humous on toast Fish fingers/chicken gougons Erm......

As you can see- it's all very healthy ConfusedBlush

Cutesbabasmummy · 09/08/2017 12:02

MY DS 2.5 will currently eat:

Toast with butter
buttermilk pancakes with Nutella
Weetabix
chocolate cheerios
cheerios
coco pops
cinnamon and raisin bagels

most pasta dishes
fishcakes, fishfingers, fish in parsley sauce, fish pie
breaded chicken/roast chicken
beef meatballs/beefburger
turkey kievs
shepherd's pie
sausages/veggie sausages/frankfurters
lamb
chips
mash
new potatoes
potato smiles
carrots
cauliflower
broccoli
baked beans (sometime - currently gone off them!)
French stick or other fresh bread
wholemeal bread sandwiches with peanut butter/ham/cheese
scrambled egg, dippy egg, cheese omelette
banana
apple slices
pear slices
strawberries
raspberries
melon (sometimes)
Any biscuits!
Breadsticks
cheese chunks
crisps
tortilla chips
soup (tomato)
drinks milk, water, squash or juice.
any type of chocolate dessert including éclairs
jelly

We only eat together at weekends because DH doesn't get home until his bedtime and I don't get home earlier enough to eat with him. He's very fussy and last year on holiday stopped eating and lost 4lbs!

Kikibanana86 · 09/08/2017 12:11

I think people worry too much, I've got 5 and they've all gone through phases where they've gone off stuff or have favourite foods they want all the time but I just give them what we have , if they don't eat it fine, they're not going to waste away and they'll make up for it at some point.

There's no way I'd cook plain pasta or chicken nuggets Grin

ladymariner · 09/08/2017 12:12

I was never going to have a picky eater, mine was going to eat everything I put before them.....ha!!! Ds was an absolute bloody nightmare eater, and I was so stressed....his diet was awful!!
He's now 21, over 6 feet tall, very athletic and staggeringly handsome ...my advice? Don't sweat it, its not worth it, they come round in the end. He took his girlfriend out for a meal the other week and came home raving about how good the seafood linguine was....this from somebody who really only ate beige!! Grin

Mamabear4180 · 09/08/2017 12:27

Does she drink milk? If so the extra calories will fill her up. Juice/squash will ruin appetite because of the sugar. How many snacks does she have?

My 2 year old eats well at breakfast and lunch but pick at dinner. I think she's just not hungry enough! We kind of made up the idea of eating 3 times a day with snacks but in reality kids only eat as much as they need.

Also does she get enough physical outdoor play? There's so many factors!

We eat at 4.30pm because I don't give an afternoon snack and they're hungry, also eating too late means my toddler is too tired to eat properly. Have a look at your routine?

My 'fussy' toddler (really just picky)
Prefers foods which aren't slushy (with the exception of baked beans and bolognaise) so she won't bother with mash or pasta dishes etc. she prefers things like fishfingers and chicken nuggets but I make my own nuggets (roll chicken breast chunks in beaten egg and then flour) and I do homemade wedges instead of mash.

Another tip is to have lots of pots and dishes they can serve themselves. We do jacket potatoes and put various salads, cheese, beans, coleslaw etc on the table. I know she won't eat much potato but fills up on the bits, she also likes olives, beetroot, sweet corn etc. this can also be fun with noodles and vegetables in little bowls. It's amazing what they tuck into when it's self choosing. Sometimes I just put bread and butter, cheese cubes and sticks of cucumber on the table if we're having a 'mushy' meal like cottage pie.

HTH and remember toddlers are notorious for being picky, it is just a phase as long a you handle it right and don't put any pressure on, eat together as a family at the table and really tuck into yours. It will happen eventually.

MrsPeel1 · 09/08/2017 12:28

My daughter (2.9) tells everyone that she only eats chocolate porridge and eggy pasta with cheese. But that's not true. She also eats chocolate buttons and toothpaste.

However my son went throughout th a phase of refusing anything but cake and yoghurt but he is coming out the other side and is slowly expanding his diet (he requested broccoli the other day).

Someone on here once said that she would make a proper dinner and say 'eat what you want and leave what you don't', eventually they will eat things if they are offered enough. I have taken this up and it seems to be paying off and it's not much less stressful too.

Firstimemum24 · 31/01/2025 13:39

fivefour3twoone · 07/08/2017 18:28

Toast with marmite
Toast with peanut butter
Spaghetti hoops and toast
Cheese
Ham
Houmous
Crackers
Breadsticks
Pasta and pesto
Bread
Cereals
Water
Milk
Yoghurt
That's about all they'll eat

Hi any updates please ?

SillyNavySnail · 31/01/2025 15:57

Lots and lots of natural Greek yogurt
Low sugar & salt baked beans
Cheesy pasta with Sweetcorn etc
Garden peas (even as snacks)
Fruit
Lots of smoothies- frozen fruit with natural yogurt, milk, chia seeds & sometimes oats
Lots of toast & butter, sometimes with a topping
Hummus and carrot sticks
Rice cakes with peanut butter on them
Cheerios & Wheatabix
Homemade lollies (smoothies put in moulds)

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