Is a fussy eater Toddler inevitably a forever fussy eater

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

First child ate anything, and apart from a few items still eats most things.
My youngest, 19 months, only eats:
Pesto pasta, beans, cucumber, apples, bananas, cheerio’s, yogurt, cheese, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, rice
everything else - near on all protein- is thrown on the floor with disgust. Most nights I try something else on her plate, but have to have pasta on standby.
Is it inevitable she will always be fussy- or can it turn around?

Following with interest! My 4yo started ok but then got fussier. He now eats more things (with coercion!) but is only really keen on the exact list you’ve written! Plus pizza and tuna pasta I can now add

No, of course not 😄

I only know one adult who wont eat vegetables but I know many kids who aren't keen! Most people grow out of toddler fussiness. Panic not!

My preschooler has been fussy since birth. Even now, I have to have a packed lunch if we're eating out because he'll refuse anything that's not one of his 'safe' foods.

I think it goes in phases. My 11yo could be a right fussy bugger as a tot, but now he's really adventurous with his tastes and it's fabulous. He loves trying new things.

My nearly 8yo, however... he's regressed to toddlerish levels of fussiness and it's exhausting, not helped by his dad (who has the kids 50:50) caving and giving him pizza and bloody chips or nuggets every night 🙄

Your DD eats a far wider range than my youngest, so take heart - it's very likely she'll open up to new tastes as she grows. It's SO hard not to make it into a battle though, I know!

Mine are all still young and have different degrees of fussiness so not sure what will happen but I was a very fussy child and I'm much better now! I think I started to get better in my teenage years.

No, my fussy, will-only-eat-white foods is now far more adventurous than his sister who would eat anything as a child (they are now adults)

Nope!

My fussy toddler is now a teenager and eats absolutely everything! And lots of it!

He's big fan of sushi, curry, spicy Mexican food and even tried oysters recently 🤮

No. DS2 is autistic and ate only about 5 things for most of his childhood. We just kept offering other stuff and eating other stuff near him and once he was about 11 he started trying new things. Now he has a really varied palate and is the most adventurous of us all when eating in restaurants.

I was the fussiest child on earth. As an adult eat almost everything (apart from coconut and a some fruit but I adore veg).
I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it at all.

My niece and nephew were fussy- at 14 now my nephew still eats like 4 things and I cannot bear it!!!
someone once said keep offering everything and they will get used to it, but food waste and making two meals constantly is driving me insane!

No way of knowing unfortunately. DC1 - bit fussy as a toddler, now eats anything as a teen.

DC2 - started getting fussy at about 2. Gradually became more and more fussyand now at the age of 10 has quite a limited diet. Not showing any signs of improvement.

Me - incredibly fussy toddler to the extent my Mum was told to feed me nutritional shakes like Complan to get my weight up. Fussy through childhood then about age 10 I began to eat more. As a teen and adult are absolutely anything.

Most grow out of it OP, but from what I've observed over the years it's the DC from families where a broad range of foods continue to be served up and where other family members model good eating habits that ditch the fussiness first.

In my opinion it gets worse with school as all of a sudden there are a whole heap of voices saying, "I don't like that" and they just follow.

DC will eat food at their childminder they refuse at home - probably as they know there's no alternative to be offered.

Waiting to come out the other side as I'm a 70s child who ate everything on her plate (including liver and kidney etc)!

Sorry to tell you this, but yes. My almost 9 year old remains very very fussy.

I didn't eat a vegetable until I was 20 and now I eat 5+ a day.

It's possible she'll be fussy forever however my 16 month old is fussy (he's had problems with his chew etc were under SALT) however I'd rather that he easts only pasta than nothing! She'll eventually learn what she likes the look of etc, I know fussy AF adults who were forced to eat certain things as a child and subsequently have a horrible relationship with food now meaning that they won't even try certain things not. I'd say make sure she's trying to eat some things but don't give her! I was told to keep going back to things with my boy don't keep going on and on with the foods he isn't eating

I was sooo fussy and had a huge food phobia when I was younger. I would literally throw up at the thought of a roast dinner (my favourite meal now!).

I grew out of it and would say I'm pretty adventurous now! Uni and being in charge of cooking helped.

No. My older DS (now 12) ate everything until 3. Then it all went to pot. He has SEN issues and is under a specialist dietician.

My younger (now 10) was quite fussy and needeed things separated out on plates and ate like a bird. he now eats mightily and with intent.

Mine ate less than that at the same age and wouldn’t eat meat either. Then at almost 3 she just asked for a hamburger out of the blue so out we went for burgers and ever since she’s been really good at trying new things and at age 5 is now a really good eater.

You actually have a good variety of tastes and textures that he’ll eat, there’s fruit and veg and protein (from the dairy) so I wouldn’t be too concerned. Keep offering other stuff when you’re having it to avoid waste and offer at least one of his favourites alongside so he doesn’t go hungry and all being well he should there.

No of course not. My son was a very fussy eater, as a child he wouldn't eat any vegetables or fish. Now he is the most adventurous eater in the family!

I hope not. DS has been fussy from age 2 up until now (4.5) and not showing much/any progress.

My experience is that no, not really, although the least fussy toddlers make the least fussy adults.

I think it's all about calm persistence and continuing to give new foods along with established ones.

I wouldn't go off and make pasta. Have meals with something she'll eat and something she hasn't (to date). Encourage to try it but don't make a big deal if she doesn't. Preferably introduce new food at lunch or brek, dinner is often when they're tired anyway.

I also think they sometimes eat things in new situations like picnics, other people's houses, cafes etc. Or if presented as a tasting game instead of a meal.

I feel your pain though!

No. Just keep offering everything, and as she gets older gradually introduce some rules. If she’s eating cheese and yogurt then she’s having protein.

Ds2 was a fussy food baby and I remember tricking him into eating broccoli.

He's 8 now and eats more adventurously than I ever did. Spicy curries, Singapore noodles, shrimp, Jamaican jerk (our helper is Jamaican and feeds him all the time!), veg pizzas, tries all my home cooked "plant" food.

DS1 on the other hand, ate everything as a baby, but at 10 yrs old, is purely food for fuel and eats within certain parameters of things he's eaten before.

Neither eat much fruit, DS1 sticks to strawberries, bananas or mango, DS2 would only eat banana or apple at gunpoint.

I'm sure they'll branch out further as they get older. I hated veg and fruit as a kid and was a massive carnivore, but now eat mostly vegetables and fruit.