Advice for fussy 2 year old

[Mumlifeandstuff]

So need some advice!

my son used to eat everything! Then around 16 months he just stopped and has lived off a very beige diet of toast, chicken nuggets, sausages, peanut butter on oat cakes and fruit for a long time.

I had a 27 month review with the health visitor who advised to offer new food without any food he likes and eat with him (as we usually eat later) and to not give alternatives.

tonight I did risotto with raspberries (as he likes these but wouldn’t fill him up) he had a full blown meltdown about the risotto and has not eaten it.

do you as parents not offer an alternative if they don’t eat?

and do you offer something substantial they like beside it - for example could of done risotto with toast.

just feel so stressed by it all!

Should of titled it fussy eating

Loads of kids go through a fussy toddler phase. Anecdotally I’d say most do it to some degree. It’s normal and they almost all grow out of it. My now 6YO was awful at 2, about the same as yours by the sound of it but at about 3.5 something literally changed overnight and now she’s really adventurous. You have protein, carbs and fruit with a mix if tastes and textures in there so honestly it could be a hell of a lot worse.

To ensure a good nights sleep and not being ruining my own dinner and ergo sanity I’d personally ignore the health visitor on this one. Lunches I would eat altogether and continue offer new foods but I would ensure there’s more he likes to eat than just a few berries so for example do the sausages he likes but served with a potato or pasta dish and veggies that might be a challenge. Fruit or yoghurt after no matter how well he does or doesn’t eat. Just don’t make it a big deal of it. Dinner I’d give him a favourite tea to ensure he’s full for bed. And trust that time will take care of the rest. How many really truly that level of fussy adults do you know? I personally don’t know any.

A lot of people think that children will eventually eat. Unfortunately it's not true for all children.

And lots more children like food to be separate.

I would give him food that is adjacent to things he likes. So if he likes chicken nuggets, give him strips of chicken breast and fingers of carrots and some peas.

Fish fingers also good. Have you tried him with houmous? Does he drink milk?

Does he eat pasta at all? If he doesn't, risotto is a bit of a leap - it's a bit claggy and formless.

And if he won't eat anything, give him toast later. Children of his age can lose weight frighteningly quickly and the main thing is to ensure he's eating. A more varied diet would be great but don't prioritise thwt over calories.