Let go hungry or make a different meal?

[Herts501]

So my 3 year has been gradually reducing the number of foods he'll eat for some time now and also refuses to even try new foods. I'm getting to the point where I'm very near to running out of meal options for him.
He does eat fruit, some raw veg, cheese, sausage and occasionally egg, chicken and peas but mostly on their own as opposed to in a meal. He wouldn't touch a shepherds pie, stew, risotto, meat balls, pasta with sauce nothing like that at all.

My question is; if your little one refuses to eat do you just take the food away or try to give them something else?

My inclination is to say it's that meal or nothing but is that the right thing to do?

I have 3 kids older than yours (teens) who all eat different things to each other and so do I so I can’t complain. Cooking tea is a fucking nightmare as I have to do several different meals to suit all the intolerances/autoimmune disorders/moral choices, so if you can get him through this phase, do whatever advice you’re given here.

Don’t end up as me! 😂

I had one very texture sensitive DSD and my DD who was very wary of mixed up food plus DSS who was a blessing and ate everything!
Our approach was to try and offer meals where everyone had something they liked to eat. Don't make meals a battleground.
3 is a very common age to be a bit food phobic and prefer uncomplicated food.
I'd say keep it simple and mostly offer what he will eat and offer new foods alongside without making a fuss.
Most kids eventually grow out of it. Some kids (especially where ND) may not or it may take longer.
We've always offered milk and a snack before bedtime as a non judgemental way of not going to bed hungry.

DS found it easier to eat more if I served the meal in the middle of the dining table but instead of having it in serving bowls where he couldn’t see in i served it on flat plates. He could eye it up then. Literally the first time I tried it he wouldn’t touch salad but then declared that rocket (rocket!) was delicious

Sorry but I have a child who eats virtually nothing, so the don't offer anything else comment set me off. It wasn't clear in your op you were going to still give something, have you seen your title?!!!!!

Anyway, if there is something he used to like now doesn't want, give it a break for a month then reintroduce. Try asking him what he would like and cooking together. Kids are usually more interested in trying something they helped with. If he doesn't like sauces do meatballs without, or sausages instead etc. Pasta with grated cheese but no sauce etc. You could try grilling veg like cauliflower or brocoli so the texture is different.