Help with 18 month old eating

[jsep]

My 18 month old pretty much eats the same stuff all the time, he loves toast and butter, cheese and onion rolls, crisps and yogurts. Basically loves bready and pastry.
Now and again he will have a little meal like fish pie or chicken korma but has to be in the mood for that and i would feed him it. fruit he will only really eat through a fruit pacifier thing he has when he was smaller.
Any tips on how i can get him to eat more of a variety and get him used to textures etc.

Put the same food out that you eat and leave him to it. Seriously. And calm down on the milk if he’s filling up on that.

he has one bottle now at bed time which is good.
but we usually have tea after he goes to bed and don't have a dining table so im not sure if thats effecting him!

Can you squeeze a small dining table in? I do think eating with them is the best way to encourage them into trying a greater variety.

Do you eat meals with him? Modelling the behaviour is the #1 best thing you can do.

Going from a bread diet to balanced meals isn't going to happen over night, so baby steps! My eldest had a fruit diet for the first year of their life, it took nearly a year to break them out of their fussy eating stage.

I'm assuming you've tried the packaged kids smoothies to add fruit? If he's eating yoghurts, start nutrient maxing them by mixing in things like ground seeds and nuts, or nut butters. Start extremely small to the point they can't see or taste it, and gradually build up. Even 1g of it is 1g in the right direction.

Blending fruit and yoghurt into ice lollies is great in this heat.

If he loves pastries, homemade sausage rolls are good to sneak veg.

Fun plates / forks help, and so does feeding on the go. Giving a snack container while you're on the move in the buggy. Or having a picnic lunch in an unfamiliar spot.

What does he eat for breakfast? Are his cereals fortified? & Will he eat nut butters on his toast?