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I’m not sure my child has a varied enough diet. Please help!

113 replies

PancakePatty · 05/02/2025 18:01

Hi everyone. I have had problems weaning my son from the get go. He is now 20 months. He was bottle fed from birth. When I started to introduce solids at 6 months, he wasn’t interested. He seemed to like his food pureed, wouldn’t attempt to put anything in his mouth in his own. He didn’t put anything in his own mouth by himself until he was a year old.
Fast forward to today and this his list of foods he will eat:
Peanut butter on brown toast
Cream crackers
tomato
cucumber
apple
banana
porridge
cheese sandwich (sometimes)
bacon roll
natural yoghurt
peppers
raisins
dates prunes
crisps
biscuits
breadsticks
jam
melon
Obviously he doesn’t have crisps & biscuits everyday!
Won’t eat any puréed food now.
I am desperately worried about his diet, he seems to be so behind other children his age.
Does anyone have any advice?
Thank you.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
spikefaithbuffy · 09/02/2025 21:46

PancakePatty · 09/02/2025 13:28

Thanks to everyone for replying to my thread, I have had a busy couple of days but thought I would do an update.
Had some good advice & ideas. Had a small breakthrough yesterday lunchtime. Decided to put mine & husbands lunch on child’s plastic plate so we all had the same plates (paw patrol 😃)
Lunch was cheese toasties with homemade sweet potato soup with a big side plate with toast, cherry tomatoes, sliced peppers on.
He was very excited that we all had the same plates. Was eating stuff from all our plates then decided to try his soup. He ate a fair bit of it by himself (a lot went down his bib though).
I will just keep trying, maybe making lunchtime more fun was a factor so I will keep trying to think outside the box.
Dinner last night was chicken stir fry, I gave my son a portion without any sauce on but he didn’t eat any of it. He did have fun putting the noodles etc on to another plate though.

You could try (not suggesting this is his diet forever but as a bit of fun!)
Shaped cookie cutters for cutting stars etc out of things
Turkey dinosaurs
Smily faces (the potato things)
Making faces out of veg/fruit on top of pancakes etc
When you serve the veg do a bit cooked and a bit raw into little strips
Dips - most DC can't resist a dip! Savoury or sweet - tzatziki, hummus, even ketchup or mayo
Something like stir fry - do a little swirl of the noodles, the veg in a separate pile
Try some really random stuff - strong flavours often go down well like pickles or spiced things

Cormoran · 11/02/2025 18:03

The sole is the fish introduced in every French household for babies around the age of 7 months. Carrot salad, with parsley, usually comes around 10 months.

Weaning is approached in a very different way in France. I understand it looks funny. Offering a fish that tastes of fish instead of fish fingers that taste of fried food and UPF.

But has any of you, even ever tried a sole cooked in butter?

In Australia, when we used to invite kids for playdates or sleepovers, it wasn't unusual for a mum to call me and ask what I would serve for dinner because her child was fussy. Nobody would do that in France. Nobody. Fussy kids exist, but they are very rare.

To OP, I don't think your solution is turkey dinosaur or funny shapes. Keep it real, keep offering, but remove the fake stuff. Instead of a dinosaur, made with 40% turkey and 60% rubbish, make turkey fingers, that you slice, crumb and cook yourself. Make them with your child nearby, standing on a chair. Have them mix the meat in crumbs, and then in the oven. Instead of a bacon roll, make a sausage roll with minced pork.
I wouldn't add more snacks. Ideally, there is a two hour gab before meals in which no food or drink except water is given. If a child comes to the table with an appetite, it helps.
People eat constantly here. Another big French difference. The constant snacking. Eating party food (crisps) on a daily basis. In a lunch box.

As long as your child keeps eating either UPF or sweet dominant food, you stand no chance to make a lasting change. You can laugh at me, as much as you want. Your child is 15 months. You might still be able to make a change. Consider this the next time you are in supermarket. Will this food help or hinder a change of eating habits. If it is in a box or wrapped in plastic, it likely won't .

soupyspoon · 11/02/2025 18:13

Well I cut the bottom of my shoe off and fried it in stork margarine.

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WelshPony · 11/02/2025 18:16

@Cormoran please go back and read the OP, the list of foods her toddler readily eats contains very little UPF. Whilst I agree with most of what you say the way you have expressed it is unhelpful and condescending.

maxelly · 11/02/2025 18:22

Cormoran · 11/02/2025 18:03

The sole is the fish introduced in every French household for babies around the age of 7 months. Carrot salad, with parsley, usually comes around 10 months.

Weaning is approached in a very different way in France. I understand it looks funny. Offering a fish that tastes of fish instead of fish fingers that taste of fried food and UPF.

But has any of you, even ever tried a sole cooked in butter?

In Australia, when we used to invite kids for playdates or sleepovers, it wasn't unusual for a mum to call me and ask what I would serve for dinner because her child was fussy. Nobody would do that in France. Nobody. Fussy kids exist, but they are very rare.

To OP, I don't think your solution is turkey dinosaur or funny shapes. Keep it real, keep offering, but remove the fake stuff. Instead of a dinosaur, made with 40% turkey and 60% rubbish, make turkey fingers, that you slice, crumb and cook yourself. Make them with your child nearby, standing on a chair. Have them mix the meat in crumbs, and then in the oven. Instead of a bacon roll, make a sausage roll with minced pork.
I wouldn't add more snacks. Ideally, there is a two hour gab before meals in which no food or drink except water is given. If a child comes to the table with an appetite, it helps.
People eat constantly here. Another big French difference. The constant snacking. Eating party food (crisps) on a daily basis. In a lunch box.

As long as your child keeps eating either UPF or sweet dominant food, you stand no chance to make a lasting change. You can laugh at me, as much as you want. Your child is 15 months. You might still be able to make a change. Consider this the next time you are in supermarket. Will this food help or hinder a change of eating habits. If it is in a box or wrapped in plastic, it likely won't .

I get people have been a bit rude laughing about the sole, but you're spectacularly missing the point. If you actually read OP's posts she is putting loads of effort into cooking lots of delicious home made food for her little boy. Nowhere at all does she mention upf fish fingers, that's your assumption there.

Of course she's eaten sole, it's delicious. Most of us have, it's a common dish in the UK too. Just because most adults think it's nice doesn't mean all not-quite-2 year olds will happily eat it every time. For that matter they won't all eat fish fingers either. 2 years olds are capricious, they try to throw their food around, they cry, they don't eat, they ask for chocolate, whatever, they grow out of it. I know the French think they have the whole kids food thing nailed and perhaps on average french people do eat better than in the UK and you'd be welcome to suggest some recipes or whatever but there's no need for the smug overtone and accusing OP of being lazy and filling her kid up with crap based on nothing at all. For what it's worth I've met plenty of french toddlers that don't always eat their dinner, and shock horror some french people do feed their kids UPF too (most traditional gouter has some processed elements for instance)...

therattlebag23 · 11/02/2025 19:38

Five minutes in a French supermarket would suggest that French people are just as crazy for UPFs as the rest of us! If the French only eat crisps as an occasional treat, it's a mystery why there is a whole aisle of them.

BadSkiingMum · 12/02/2025 09:57

While obviously the French restaurant culture would win any adult gastronomic contest, I’m also not convinced that they have the business of feeding babies sorted out any more than the British do. The ‘baby food’ section in any French supermarket is pretty large and full of jars, snacks and pouches! Plus some rather dubious products that certainly go against WHO guidelines - I have seen formula with ‘cereal’ already mixed in, aimed at babies under six months!

SoftPlaySaturdays · 12/02/2025 10:29

Apart from perhaps biscuits (if we are assuming these are shop bought and not home made), there are no UPFs on the OP's list, are there.

She even gets bread from the bakery and gets eggs from her chickens FFS.

OP, you are doing the right things. Maybe stop offering toast at dinner time if you want, totally up to you. And frankly, even if it doesn't improve an iota, that diet is fine.

SoftPlaySaturdays · 12/02/2025 10:34

Also: did my now five-year-old eat homemade curries and pies and and vegetables and fresh fish with herbs when she was under 2? Yep.

Did I feel clever and smug? Yep, a bit.

Does she eat any of those things now? Absolutely not. Or, in some cases, only at school, absolutely not if they're made by me. Or by her! She loves to cook but won't eat it afterwards.

Parents don't actually control everything their child eats by doing weaning "right". Some kids have picky phases/years. It happens. Most get over it regardless.

The OP is doing great.

Laoise542 · 12/02/2025 12:35

SoftPlaySaturdays · 12/02/2025 10:34

Also: did my now five-year-old eat homemade curries and pies and and vegetables and fresh fish with herbs when she was under 2? Yep.

Did I feel clever and smug? Yep, a bit.

Does she eat any of those things now? Absolutely not. Or, in some cases, only at school, absolutely not if they're made by me. Or by her! She loves to cook but won't eat it afterwards.

Parents don't actually control everything their child eats by doing weaning "right". Some kids have picky phases/years. It happens. Most get over it regardless.

The OP is doing great.

Oh yes I remember this well. My 2 year old used to eat all sorts of green vegetables, vast quantities of spinach, fish stews and chowders and all manner of home cooked stews and curries. I remember feeling super smug.

Now anything even remotely green on a plate is treated like I've given him a plate of sick to eat. And he absolutely doesn't eat half the food he did when weaning. And I'm convinced it's nothing I've done or can force him to eat. Agreed the OP is doing a good job

PancakePatty · 12/02/2025 20:42

Thanks again everyone for posting on my thread. Most posters have been genuinely helpful.
I originally posted because I really did need some outside help with this, I was getting concerned that perhaps my son wasn’t getting the required nutrients he needs etc.
I have had some good advice and have tried a few different things. He has ate more homemade soup but a completely different flavour to the one he had the other day. He also let me feed him some of it, this feels like a massive win. Vegetables! 😄

His dad has also been playing games with him, loading up his toy pick up truck with vegetables, with no pressure to eat - not a mealtime. A few peas went in his mouth of his own accord so again, a win.
I have also had time to reflect and I now have hope that he will be eating a more varied diet hopefully soon. But if not, then that’s ok too.

It has also been helpful to hear from other parents that their children were fussy eaters or had problems with their eating. I have not had anyone to speak to irl about this as all my relatives & friends kids seem to eat fine. I also am now aware that it could be more that just fussy eating so I will see how he progresses. I don’t have any other concerns about him though.

I know there has been suggestions that I am feeding too much upf or sweet food to my son but I don’t agree. I would suggest that perhaps some posters maybe haven’t had to deal with a fussy eating child like mine. If it was easily fixable, I would have fixed the problem by now.

I don’t have a lot of upf in my house as a general rule. I cook from scratch every day, I enjoy cooking & baking. We as a couple are very interested in where our food comes from, nutrition etc. We live rurally so takeaways are out of the question. I’m not totally banning upf’s either though as I realise my son will grow up and enjoy treats at nanny’s house or friends house, birthday parties & school etc. And that is totally fine.

OP posts:
spikefaithbuffy · 12/02/2025 22:25

If he likes cheese, and bacon you could try
Cauliflower cheese soup with crispy bacon on top (if he doesn't like it, it's delicious anyway so no great loss!!!)

LemonMyrtle · 12/02/2025 22:31

I think your DC eats more variety than mine at home, and mine is newly 2. My DC goes to daycare (has for a while) so most of the week has a really great menu and apparently eats it. I think it may have something to do with the atmosphere too - all the kids are eating together it’s quite social.

At home despite being offered many foods it’s hard to find consistency. I’m reading this thread for ideas for picky eaters.

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