I'm getting really fed up with my non eating toddler, please someone reassure me I am doing it the right way or give me some pointers on what to do differently

[rookiemater]

Garrgh. DS aged 22mths is generally a cutie but for about the last 6 mths his diet has become more restrictive. He will have weetabix for breakfast and then for me will generally only eat cheese on toast for lunch and M&S nice rice for tea time. He does eat bananas and apples and so forth but just doesn't seem to like actual meals.

At the CMs apparently he eats a wide variety of things such as chicken casserole and soup. I have bought that book My child doesn't eat and spend my entire time trying to appear chilled out and nonchalant about it but its bloody annoying. We went to the zoo today and we got him a lunch bag, wouldn't eat the cheese roll went straight for the Skips, which I had tried to keep out of view of him but not very well.

Oh and he hates new things, apart from rubbish i.e. enjoys poppadoms and prawn crackers and nan bread, not of course that we have takeaway all the time.
What can I do ?

Do you eat together? I think if you try to eat together as often as possible, eating the same foods he'll be more inclined to try new things

We eat together at breakfast. In the evenings its just not possible as we both work so I need to give DS something as soon as I pick him up from the CMs.

We do try to eat together at weekends but it doesn't seem to make much difference.

Sounds normal imo. Ds2 was like this for a long time, then he just started to eat what he was given. He also seems to prefer little and often rather than big meals.

Yes, it is difficult isn't it. My DC eat togehter then DH and I eat later. DS is fussy too, but I can only say persevere and hopefully he'll try more when he's older (my DS does)

DS1 was like this from 18 months til well now and he's almost 4. He eats a very restricted diet to my eyes but mostly healthy food IYSWIM.

He will eat pasta but dry only. Rice if he is in the mood. Baby sweetcorn and green beans every now and then. Grapes through bribery. Apples on occassion. Meat. Fishfingers. Bananas if he is really hungry. Yoghurts.

He will rather miss meals than eat big plates of different food. To get extra fruit into him, I give him Innocent Smoothies and juice.

He is alot better than he was and will try new food (a tiny bite only) but it is slowly getting better. I wouldn't worry as long as what he will actually eat is relatively healthy and you keep encouraging him to try new things but in the end you can't force him. I have stopped worrying

gegs - does your DS1 eat better for other people or is his diet like that regardless of who is feeding him ? It sounds like he eats roughly the same sort of things as DS, don't know if I can cope with another 2 years of this !