Feel failure re food

[Blueberrycheesecake1]

I have a 15 month old and feel like I am stuck in a rut with food. I am almost embarrassed to say what he eats. Just looking for some reassurance.

For breakfast he always has marmite and butter on toast. Recently he has had a bit of weetabix with milk too.

Then for lunch it is always a variation of some of the following: avocado / oat cakes and houmous / cheese / chicken bits / olives / turkey slices / baked beans. Followed by yoghurt.

Supper is a rotation of fish fingers/ chicken goujons with peas / pasta with egg and spinach.

I know it's healthy but the variety is really lacking. He just rarely tries anything new. I feel too tired every day after work and housework to cook something only for him to refuse it.

Feeling very despondent and disappointed in myself. The other day I tried falafel which he ate one day but not the next.

I feel stuck in a rut and like I am failing him. But he doesn't try new things and I don't want it to be a battle. Not sure what to do. I know it could be worse but I know it's not great either. Would be interested to hear views - whether it's not so bad or whether I really should pull my socks up. Please be gentle!

It sounds like it could be high in salt and low in fruit and veg.

I have a picky, dairy allergic nearly year old and our diet is far from perfect. This what we tend to eat.

Breakfast - cereal, either rice crispies, shreddies or cornflakes or dinosaur shaped peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Always with fruit.

Lunch - scrambled eggs with beans, beans on toast with cheese, egg sandwiches, pasta with tomato sauce, pesto pasta with peas and precooked chicken, chicken slices, new pots, veg and gravy, English muffin pizza with an extra thick layer of tomato and sweetcorn topping, tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches, soup.

Dinner - veggie sausage, mash and veg/salmon, new pot, carrots and broccoli/quorn fajita/prawn, courgette and pea risotto/veggie chilli, tuna pasta bake, home made pizza/ rice and Dahl/ curry/ omelette/ baked potato/toppings/ home made tuna fish cakes/veggie cottage pie/aubergine bake/stir fry/cheats kedegree.

I always offer fruit and/or yoghurt after lunch and dinner. We also eat together.

Really? At that age, DD ate blueberries and Weeabix. She might eat an oatcake - maybe. That was mostly it. I really wouldn't worry. Stick something new on his plate each time, next to the stuff he will eat, and just let him get on with it. You're a long way from needing to panic!

I missed out the number 3. Nearly 3 year old! But at a year she ate a greater variety of food then she does now. She is becoming increasingly picky. Some days she will eat something on that list and other days she wont. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks a lot for the responses and the meal ideas. He does eat a good amount of veg but not too keen on fruit. He doesn't like being spoon fed and isn't great yet at spoon feeding himself (except yoghurt!) So it feels a bit restrictive. But I will take the advice about just offering with stuff he will eat.

My 15month old is the same. Often just eats cheese and berries for breakfast. Maybe a tiny bit of pasta or avocado for lunch. A few beans or bit of egg for tea. It's so hard with a fussy eater

I have a just about 1 year old he is offered

Breakfast: toast with cheese triangle on, small handful of cheerios and some fruit - usually berries of some sort as he isn't keen on apple or bananas.

Lunch: what ever the 3 year old wants after nursery. Usually pasta, macaroni cheese, ravioli, mini pizza, a picnic (bits of all sorts like cheese crackers, fruit, toast/sandwich)

Dinner: veg (brocoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, green beans and sweetcorn) with something like chicken, fish fingers, sausages.

Your in for a long few years if you don't want food to be a battle lol, my 3 year old is a battle every day. Something she ate at lunch she 'won't like' by dinner time 😂

What do you eat? You must have to make food for yourself. Just offer that. It really doesn’t matter if he eats it. That’s what there is. Give it a few weeks and it will get easier. And offer lots of milk before bed to top him up. But I would replace the marmite with something healthier, peanut butter and a tiny bit of honey or ham, cream cheese, hummus and avocado, smashed banana, etc.

*jam! Don’t offer peanut butter and ham. That will definitely put him off his food.

He only has milk morning and evening so I feel nervous about him not having enough. But there's always snacks too I guess.

My son 20 months breakfast, omlettee, cereal, crumpets,marmalde in toast (once a week) always a pieces of fruit with a cup of water or milk. Peanut butter on toast or a rich tea biscuit (my son eats others foods as well don't know what op is on about)
Dinners- soup sarnie, toasties, pasta, salad with meat.
Tea. & Whatever we are having. Spag boloasange, hotpot, pancaklty, homemadepizza and salad, fish fingers and lead, burger, sausges and veg/mash. Sweet potato with egg, or roasted vegetables.

I find variety and consistency is key babe not like the first time but you need to try at least 20+ before babe may like food.

Oh also my little one it has milk on a night as long as they have a healthy balanced diet they don't have to have milk now my HV told me