Fussy eater - almost 3

[TheFuzzyStar]

I’m at my wits end with my nearly 3 year old son. He was such a good eater as a baby but now he is so fussy if it’s not crap meat covered in bread crumbs and chips he doesn’t want to know.

I need all the tips and advice I can get!

He used to love spaghetti Bolognese etc and I could hide veg in it but now he refuses it. We are currently at a stand off because he’s refusing to eat his tea (a pizza made on a tortilla wrap).

He has to take a packed lunch to preschool with him and I’m really struggling with what to put in it as he won’t eat sandwiches or pasta etc 😩😩

Give your DS a recipe book and together stick post it notes on the pages of the things he’d like to try. Then, when you make something that he’s expressed an interest in, show him the book to remind her that he chose it.
Also take him shopping and let him choose the fruit and veg. One success I've had is with broccoli. My son wouldn't touch it with a barge pole until I got him to pick the one he wanted at the supermarket. Then we came home and he washed it and broke it into pieces and popped it into a saucepan. He made a lot of mess and water went everywhere, but he also had great fun and has eaten broccoli ever since. I also found that when they cooked it they'd try something more adventurous.
Use exciting names for foods e.g. we call chicken in sauce 'sticky chicken' or soup 'surprise soup' or green beans 'squeaky beans' (can you hear them?) and ham up the name ... We also used to pretend we're dinosaurs eating trees when we eat broccoli – adds a bit of fun to the meal!
My children eat things that they wouldn’t normally eat if it’s on a skewer! We also had a cheese fondue at New Year and they were dipping things that they’d normally turn their nose up at.
We've explained about vitamins and minerals and how they help your body grow and stay healthy. My DD will now eat mushrooms because she is desperate to be a big girl. And DS will flex his muscles when he's eaten a lot of veg!
When mealtimes are becoming a misery or a battle ground then change the scene. Have tea in a tent or at a small table on tiny chairs with teddies attending.
Take a basic food that he loves e.g. bread, and add new things to it bit by bit – so try bread and cheese then eggy bread, then eggs and soldiers.
Even if he doesn’t accept the food the first time you serve it for dinner, he might the next time. Apparently it can take up to 10-15 tastes of a new food before your child gets used to it, so it’s worth persevering to widen the range of things he will happily eat.
Offer condiments. Sometimes, all my DC needed to eat a certain food was a little bit of dressing or for example, sweet potatoes with some ketchup. Don’t limit the use of condiments; eventually, he might opt for the items without them.
If you know another child who’s an adventurous eater, invite them round for tea – watching them eat different food might just encourage your ds to join in.
Many children will use food refusal as a way to get your attention or a reaction. If he’s not underweight, seem healthy and is eating at least some foods from each of the groups, then you shouldn’t worry too much. If he sees you get agitated, or if you try to force him to eat, this could make the situation worse. Also, try not to worry about him making a mess!

Thank you, that’s all really good advice. He has a new found love for ketchup and ate half a carrot the other day because he kept dipping it in!! I keep worrying he is getting too much salt/not enough vitamins and he’s going to get ill etc

@thefuzzystar I think all children up to age 5 are supposed to have vitamin supplements anyway? We've been giving our little one vitamins since birth and whilst it isn't a long term solution to fussy eating, it does take the pressure off a bit. Toddlers are a nightmare for being fussy. Mine isn't quite to your extreme but it is mood dependant. From a young age we made it clear that he ate his dinner or there was nothing else...(dinner or pudding!). He soon got the message. Worth not getting really wound up over as they pick up on it