Suddenly fussy eater - help please!

[ml01omm]

Hi

DS has just turned 1, and in the last 4-5 weeks, meal times have become an issue.

He used to eat pretty much anything and everything. Mix of finger foods, portions of what we eat, odd pouch etc.

All of a sudden, pretty much over night, he has started to reject his lunch and his tea ( breakfast is still fine). On a good day he will eat 2-3 mouthfuls, on a bad day like lunch today, it all ended up on the floor.

I have tried making sure there is at least one safe food on the plate, or making dishes which include safe foods, but no success, or he'll eat it one day, but not the next. At this point the only food I can guarantee he will eat without fail is toast, yoghurt and raspberries.

I knew they went through a fussy phase, but I thought this would be later down the line e.g 18months onwards. I don't want to start making a rod for my own back by limiting his diet, or bringing out the yoghurt once he has chucked evertything else on the floor uneaten.

Does anyone have any advice?

My nearly 1 year old got like this about a month ago.. it seems to be getting better in the past few days but maybe to early to count my chickens. I've put it down to a mixture of teething/illnesses/disruptive holidays.

Don’t show him any reaction when he doesn’t eat. If he hasn’t eaten anything within about 15 minutes, just get him out of the high chair with a cheery “Looks like dinner time is over then”. Continue to offer him a reasonable variety of both new and familiar foods, and he won’t starve.

My son can be like this. Sometimes he eats lots, sometimes nothing - doesn't matter if it's something he loves, sometimes he just doesn't want to eat. I don't make a big fuss, just eat my dinner and chat to him and then when I'm done we get down from the table. I tend to put all his food out at once but in small amounts (i.e. a bit if toast, bit if fruit, bit of yoghurt) and then replenish whatever he's chosen so he doesn't get overwhelmed. By putting it all out at once it also means there's no punishment/reward for eating/not eating which hopefully will means he'll have a better relationship with food.

I'm so glad you posted this because my just turned one year old has become the exact same! Following for advice

Just to add, he's maintaining his percentile and still drinks a lot of cows milk so I have no worries about weight/energy/nutrient intake.

Glad to hear I am not alone, its so frustrating!

I'll try the remove after 15 minutes thing, though he napped really badly yesterday lunch time, which I think may have been because he was hungry.

My 16 month old started this around 13 months. As my second, I’m more chill. My eldest was pretty fussy from 18 months - 4 years but she’s MUCH better now. So I don’t particularly worry about DD2. There’s def a point around 12-14 months where they go from eating a ridiculous amount (my DD would eat far more than big sister) to suddenly, not being all that hungry. My HV said it’s just that they do such a rapid growth spurt up to one. And then it slows.

I do have a few ‘rules’. Food is healthy-ish. We only offer wholemeal bread. We only snack on fruit & crackers & cheese. I offer lots of fruit. I offer two veg with every meal (usually rejected). I let DD feed herself & she eats what she eats.

In a week, she eats three times at nursery (& eats everything obviously 🙄). Then two days at home, she tends to eat with big sister and it’s ‘kids’ food. Fish fingers, hidden veg pasta, chicken goujons, homemade chips, mash, jacket.. and then remaining two days we eat together with more of a variety. Tends to mostly get rejected but I let her do her thing , then we clear up & have fruit & yoghurt.

Doesn’t affect her sleep at all here thankfully!

It will sort itself out .Don't coax her just carry on sitting with her , eating your food with relish and chatting . If she only eats a bit, never mind continue to offer a wide range.