Getting toddlers to try new foods

[tazmo]

Not sure where this shoudl be. Tried behaviour and here.

Hi

My dd2 used to eat a lot as a baby - but as shes got older, she has practically lived off carbs and milk! Thankfully we've managed to stop the milk through the night (she was literally waking 5 times a night for milk because she wasn't eating anything during the day). Doing that, shes actually put on 5 lbs - but I am really going up the wall trying to get her to try new things. I'm afraid its got to the bribery and corruption stage. Just tried to get her to take a lick of peach for an ice cream. But she is going mental if it even goes near her - so I've said no ice cream. But she cannot live off what she is eating and really needs to try a greater variety of food. She will be 3 in May.

She currently eats cereal, crackers, bread (with no filling - put in a filling and she leaves it), breaded chicken, chips, yoghurt, custard, ice cream, crepes (that I make) and ellas kitchen smoothies. Of course she'll eat rubbish like chocolate and crisps. How do I get her to eat a better variety????

T

Both of mine went through a fussy stage at 3, dd was particularly fussy so you have my sympathy.

DS now only refuses fresh tomato and dd is much less fussy, lets just say she eats more and the tension at mealtimes has gone.

I was recommended My Child Won't Eat by Carlos Gonzalez, it was out of print at the time but is back in print and is supposed to be fab so that might be worth looking at.

This is what we do:

We all eat together.
If it's a new food, we put something we know they will eat on the plate
They can't remove any offending items, they have to stay there
We eat and chat
We don't ask them to eat
We don't comment on what the are, or aren't eating
Once we've finished we clear away if the DC aren't eating (although I often save DDs and offer it to her again later when she is complaining she's hungry)
Between meals snacks are fruit.
We never, ever offer an alternative

It may take a bit while she works out what's going on, usually like anything with children it takes them 3 days to realise that you mean business and start complying.

Good luck.