No pudding without eating main?

[GythaEsmeMagrat]

My 19 month old DD has a very sweet tooth, and quite often when she's presented with her main meal she'll eat very little and then start shouting 'pud pud!' (Her 'pud' is usually a pot of yogurt, more rarely a small custard or rice pudding - nothing too exciting.)

I still let her have pud at the moment even if she's not made much effort with her mains.

How early can you introduce the idea that you don't get pudding until you've had a fair crack at the main course? Would be great to hear from people who've been through this.

DD is quite advanced in her language skills compared to others her age, but is 19 months too young to try to explain this concept? Without pud she will protest loudly - and I'm worried she won't sleep for hunger.

At the same age my DD was doing this. We switched her to having pudding always after lunch - which was usually light like eggs on toast - and never after dinner - her main meal. So she quickly got used to eating enough of dinner to fill her up.

I'd knock the puddings on the head tbh. I think that's why she's not enjoying her savoury. She doesn't know the difference between nutritious food and dessert food, she just knows she prefers sweet stuff. Who wouldn't as a child?

I'd definitely only give her meals without dessert for a bit. She needs to get a taste back for normal foods