Nearly 2year old won't eat meals

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I am looking for some advice if anyone has any!

My son will be 2 at the end of March and I'm at the end of my tether with his eating.
He point blank refuses to eat most things and he ends up throwing it everywhere if I don't remove it from his highchair quick enough.
He lives on snacks e.g. kiddy flap jack bars, coconut rolls and other kiddylicious stuff as well as snacks, he will eat cheddar biscuits, cheese, bread, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, apples and would have weetabix for every meal if he would.
If he's caught in a particularly good mood, he will eat a roast dinner with a Yorkshire or sausage, mash and peas.

He will not let the cutlery touch his lips if his plate doesn't contain any of the above and will squak until I take his plate away.
I've tried telling him that he doesn't get any thing other than bread and butter and a piece of fruit if he doesn't at least try it but that doesn't faze him and he'd rather eat bread and butter all day long.

I've also told him that if he doesn't like if after he has tried it then I will happily give him cereals but it's the refusal to try something that makes me so mad.

I cooked a stir fry for dinner today and he didn't even pick up the spoon. He's reused meatballs this week as well as a chicken casserole, pasta and fajitas.
I'm seriously worrying about his lack of vegetables now as he won't eat them raw or cooked on their own or in a meal.

Is this a phase or am I doomed with a fussy eater for life?
When he was weaning he ate anything he was given and would try any thing he was offered.

I have a dd same age that won't eat real food.

She will have weatabix, porridge. Toast, dry cheerios, biscuits and a few of the ellas kitchen 7 month pouches. Won't touch the ones with lumps in.
As long as she is eating something and sleeps ok I try not to worry.

Mine is the same. Weetabix and yoghurt is life. He eats some fruits but only sometimes. Same with meat, rice, and a few others. I do try different foods with him whenever possible but I sleep better at night by giving him a multivitamin a day.

Yes, I forgot yoghurt is also a staple!

You can try making hidden veggie sausage rolls - the filling is mince, grated zucchini, carrots and onion (food processor better than grating if you have one, makes it even more hidden). Fry together until cooked, mix with an egg, wrap in pre-made puff pastry sheets, wipe top with butter and bake until pastry cooked (~10 min). Slice into 2-3 cm mini sausage rolls. Serve when cooled. Easy for toddlers to pick up and eat, most love them, and have no idea they're eating veggies.

If you think he might not eat these though (as he refused meatballs) you could start him off just cooking small squares of puff pastry and letting him eat those as a snack, when he knows what it is he hopefully will want anything that even looks like pastry.

Mine went through fussy phases at that age. Remember milk is a whole foo. As long as they are not losing weight and are sleeping it should be good.
Just keep offering foods to try.
Mine ate better at child care as was eating what the others ate.
They generally grow out of it. Took my fussiest until she was nearly 20 mind you. 😀

My sister only ate rice and peas for 5 years, she didn't die. She eats normally now at 40.

It seems like torture now but he’ll grow out of it, give him whatever he’ll eat and sit nearby eating something nice with your other half talking about how nice it is and refuse to give him any for a few minutes before giving in and letting him have a tiny bit. My little one always wanted the forbidden even if it was broccoli!

I think it's the age. I think they want to asert themselves through food.

My first went through a phase of it and I ended up giving her whatever she wanted just so she'd eat. Wish I hadn't because overall it's taken me a long time to her her to understand that you don't always get what you want - she's 7yo now and it's a work in progress some days.

My second is 2.5yo and has never been a big eater. The HV always said to me to gauge what she ate by looking across the week. Like you LB she will sometimes just look at the food and not even try it. It's like but how do you know you don't like it!!! Some days she'll have half a tiny bowl or porridge, some cucumber, a quarter of bread, a few grapes and a bit of pasta - all day long. You know what though, she's tracking on the centiles and never wakes up hungry.

I have rules now though which help. You don't always get the dinner you want because we take it in turns at having our favourite, but I always put something on their plate that I know they will eat, even if it's a bit of bread and butter. If they are still hungry after dinner time is over (regardless of whether they ate or not), they are welcome to fruit. Having rules has made me feel like I'm in charge again and whatever they do I can deal with. Some stock phrases are helpful too. I do also give a multivitamin daily.

I saw a recipe the other day for these great little pizza pinwheels. Make the dough and make the pizza sauce (use loads of veg and blitz) and then roll it all up and cut into slices. Might be worth a try.

I have a fussy eater and is nearly 4 now. She is a bit better but we have just got used to it. She will eat sausages, bolognaise, plain pasta, fish fingers, cereal but not weetabix as too mushy. Doesn't like foods with too much sauce, apart from bolognaise. She will eat veg like carrots and brocolloi mainly. She loves bread as well and would rather eat bread and butter or cereal instead of a meal. It's so annoying when you make a decent healthy meal and she bearly eats any.
Just try not to worry too much as try stick to what they like for now and try new foods with them if you are having them etc. I have tried make my dd eat certain foods before she hasn't wanted to eat and it's too stressful and if she doesn't want to try it she can nearly make herself sick with gipping and coughing. Think she is pretty dramatic, so don't bother as much now.
I now have a second child who is just 1 and she seems to be a good eater and nothing like her sister. So that's a bonus!!

It's a phase. As long as he's eating something and as long as he's not getting loads of junk, then I wouldn't worry. I know it's hard, but try to chill out and not cause a battle every time. Be kind to yourself. It will pass.

Can you cut out the snacks? Flapjacks etc are pointless, why is he getting these if he won't eat actual food?

He used to eat puff pastry, now he doesn't. I used to make pin wheels, spinach and feta puffs etc but now one looks at them causes him to squawk until I remove them.
I have tried cutting out snacks but he just cried constantly that he was hungry between meals but would still only eat minimally at meal times. He now only gets snacks so I know he isn't wasting away.

I get the fake gagging whenever he picks up spoon even if it's something he likes e.g. mash. He is very strong willed and isn't fussed by me making a big deal out of my own dinner but maybe he is still too young for that.

My son is exactly the same. Eats everything at nursery rejects everything at home. Drives me mad!

I think this is pretty normal :)

My DD will eat meals now she is 3 but they still have to be particular things - although the range has increased.

There’s nothing wrong with toddlers eating frequent small things throughout the day tbh. Your DC still sounds like he has a great variety going on. You could try making a plate of snacks and getting him to sit down and eat if you’d like him to get used to eating meals though :)

Also don’t forget that when you have a toddler because they do go through phases of eating snacks, it can feel like they are getting less variety than they are and this can cause more worry than necessary.

For example I worry about mine too but then they eat porridge, lots of fruit, oat flapjacks, pasta and sauce, cheese, yoghurt, beans, eggs, a lot of those healthy based toddler snacks, Sandwhiches etc, plus milk and fruit juice. It doesn’t seem a lot Day to day but their nutritional bases are covered.