Advice Please ! Extremely fussy 12 month eater

[LadyN]

My dh and I are currently coming to blows over the best way to deal with our determined 12 month dd who has suddenly decided that all she will eat is Toast & Humous, fruit & petite filous.
I worry that her diet is very unbalanced and spend a lot of time cooking various dishes in an attempt to find something she will eat. Invariably the instant she is offered one of these dishes she turns her head away and begins shrieking so we end up going back to toast & humous.
dh believes that if she refuses her meal then mealtime should finish there and then and eventually she will learn to eat what she is offered because she will be hungry. Whilst I partially agree with this, my instincts fight against this and I worry she will end up malnutitrioned.
Has anyone got any advice for me before I lose it ?

[Aitch]

what about giving her a multivitamin liquid fish oily thing too? that might make you feel less stressed about her nutritional stuff, and you can horse whisper (ie ignore) her back to trying stuff?

[LadyN]

Thanks for your comments - seriously much appreciated. Realise my initial post sounded a bit over the top but was feeling a bit tense !
I know she won't end up malnourished really but not sure at the moment where to draw the line .... having one of those days of indecision and self doubt !
She is a smart cookie so I'm in no doubt she shrieks knowing she will eventually get her own way with me. I guess until now I haven't realised how many steps she is ahead of me. Must wisen up.

Shes probably teething too considering the amount of dribble permantly fixed to her chin !!!

[RubySlippers]

if she doesn't eat the meal you offer, then take her down from her high chair and try again later
don't make a big deal out of it

i don't think she will end up malnourished from missing a meal or two either

also, could she be teething? Lots of babies go off food when they are teething

[Seona1973]

I kind of agree with your dh. Your lo knows that she just has to shriek and she will get what she wants. Offer the meal you want her to have, if she shrieks then you have to bite the bullet and say that she cant have it. If she continues then you take the food away and the meal ends. If she is hungry a while later offer a piece of fruit or a small snack (but not toast and hummus!!).

Alternatively, make the meal and a small piece of toast and hummus (e.g. a quarter of a slice) and serve them together. Then try and encourage your lo to try the new food as well as the toast. That way at least she eats something.