At a loss what to do

[Kcurrie]

Hi everyone. My just turned 2 year old has never been a good eater. Got better for a time but is now worse than ever.
he will eat crisps and biscuits. Sometimes chicken nuggets but that is literally it.
with HV have done messy food play and he is happy to get in about it all but there is no chance of him eating it.
He seems ok healthwise but cant see how he is getting what he needs from his diet.
He gets healthy start vitamins in his
morning milk.
any ideas welcome. Im at a complete and
so stressed out about it all.
thank you

Stop offering crisps and biscuits! He may seem OK health-wise now but psychologically you're setting him up for a lifetime of food issues if all he's eating is crap. So ditch the treats and offer healthy foods instead - fruit, breadsticks, etc etc. He'll throw a shitfit for a few days but then he'll get hungry.

Obviously this advice does not apply if it seems like he might be ND, but I'm assuming you'd have mentioned that if it were the case.

I agree with PP. Be low pressure about it (don’t force him to try anything), but put out a variety of healthy options on the table and let him choose what he’d like. It should be the same stuff you’re eating, ideally. Assuming he’s a healthy weight right now, a couple of days of fussiness won’t hurt him. Do not offer unhealthy alternatives. Don’t have them in the house for a few weeks, that way you won’t crack. (I sympathize, 2-year-old tantrums are the worst!)

Sorry whats ND? 🙄

iv tried giving him only healthy things to eat on the plate but he will literally starve himself and i feel like the worst mum when he hasnt eaten anything all day! He is so stubborn and strong willed

Neurodivergent, as in ADHD, ASD, or similar conditions. Is he developing normally? Meeting milestones? Speech, understanding?

Look, he's 2. You're in charge. He doesn't know what's good for him, you do, and it's your job to make sure he gets it!

Nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn't eat for 2 days. The same is not true for letting him eat nothing but crisps and biscuits.

Have you tried things like dc size cutlery? Themed plate? Plate with sections? Letting dc help? Don't offer up a selection of things - imagine at a picnic do you sit deciding what to have? Too much choice is a thing!

My DS was fussy but not as much as yours. I started offering him meals that were the same as ours. If he didn't eat it I didn't make a fuss, took the plate away.
And in time he started eating it.

There are some good books out there for fussy eaters.
Worse case if he has Arfid then I would be asking for a referral to an pediatric eating specialist from the Gp
in the mean time keep offering lots of different foods and try not to worry too much. My DC was very restrictive and now as an older teen he has really improved.
We had some success with naming things after favorite toys eg Broccoli became Henry Trees.
If he is with friends/at nursery does he eat better?
maybe offer more milk to get calories and vitamins etc into him
Been there. I know how stressful it is.

Knew it would bite me on the backside posting about this. look hes my first child, a lockdown baby if u will and im struggling. How am i meant to cope with a screaming child all day and night which is what will happen because he just wont eat. He will scream to the point if struggling to breath. I was looking for sone support and ideas to help not to tell me im doing wrong as im aware of that and am making myself ill with worry.

Thank you for the helpful replies 👍🏻😘

If he's that fussy and that distressed, I'd be seeking medical help.

Have you tried things like apple/vegetable crisps, homemade biscuits with beetroot/courgette etc - sneaking nutrients into foods he's familiar and comfortable with?

feed him what he will eat and dont worry about it. You have years to introduce new foods and he will eventually eat a wider range of foods. At 2 my now 16yo DS1 would only eat mini pizzas and cheese strings. He now eats anything and everything.

Dont feel guilty, just let him eat what he likes!

got referred to another member of HV to help with eating. Having a table to eat at thats he can leave and return helped a bit. And also messy food play to get him more interested which worked well but still no chance of eating it. Nothing wrong on physical side as when its something he wants to can eat no problem. Hes just very stubborn and unwilling if its not something he wants.

Try making these instead of buying nuggets.

Sometimes it’s the texture of the food that’s an issue. Maybe try crackers rather than biscuits, little breadsticks, dry toast pieces. Take it slow. Once you’ve got used to some of those, try dips or spreads (eg cheese spread), then maybe move onto tastes of pizza or similar. Eventually you build up a range of things so you can introduce new flavours and textures. Try a little bit of soup, some fruit etc. Keep it low key whether or not it’s eaten. Good luck!

Do you cook, OP?