Fussy 3 yr old eater

[Anxiousdad88]

My 3 year old boy has become very fussy over the past year. He will only willingly eat breadsticks and toast. Pretty much everything else is a struggle and I’m relying on nutrients in drinks to ensure he’s well nourished.

I’ve tried a variety of approaches from limiting time food is available to trying to not mention the food to take the focus away from my anxiety.
Appreciate any insights from people who’ve gone through similar and any sense of how common this is as it’s an only child.

This is really common. My ds has always been a fussy eater, his older sister eats everything, we tried all the usual tricks. I did separate meals, bribery, him helping make it (this helped a little) funny faces food (this did help a little too) etc.
Then we gave up. Gave him a tiny portion of everything we were having. Lots of encouragement before eating- about being strong and food being fuel like in a car etc. Lots of healthy eating plate activities . Then dinner time, ignored it completely. Dont get me wrong sometimes he cried refused and must have been hungry . Really upsetting. But we just ignored and carried on. Today he ate peas, brocolli, cauliflower, chicken and chips. Honestly I'm not sure if it's anything we did or just developmental. He is now encouraged to try everything but no pressure if doesnt eat it his choice. Keep going it doesnt work. I personally wouldnt fill him up with drinks. Get a multivitamin and let him feel hungry.

Oh should add breadsticks and toast are still his favourites! Does he have anything on the toast? A tiny scrape of peanut butter etc?

Thanks so much. It’s actually a relief to know it’s not all my fault! He usually has Nutella On toast but I sneak in peanut butter as well if I can get away with it. Main problem is he won’t touch anything remotely new.

Honestly hang in there. My ds was the same- he would say he doesnt like it as soon as he looked at it. Does he eat sweet stuff? Ice cream etc? We started sorbets and gradually milkshakes and smoothies? Choc icecream, peanut butter, banana is a favourite. Get him to realise new things are good.

I dunno, sounds like your being too soft. Kids will eat when they've got to, so let them go hungry a bit.
DD started this sort of stuff. Was hard to see her leave her plate, but she stopped after a few hungry days.
gd luck

I’m not being soft. I’m being hard I think

Is he at nursery? Dd went through a phase of around a year of eating toast, macaroni cheese, peas and breadsticks and not much else. But she ate absolutely everything at nursery, so I knew it wasn’t proper fussiness if that makes sense. And I could relax a bit because she was getting 3 proper, varied meals 3 times a week.

I just put one thing on her plate I knew she wouldn’t usually touch, and she had to have one taste before meal time was over. She usually kicked off a bit, but it did work eventually!

Main problem is he won’t touch anything remotely new

Literally nothing?

What about sweet stuff?

Yes he’s at nursery. He only eats crackers at nursery. No fruit. Nothing else. Heartbreaking

He eats sweets. Not chocolate. Ice creams but even then is very fussy