BLW 14 month has become extremely picky!

[MamaHobgoblin]

Mealtimes are now a bit of a nightmare, and I'm running out of inspiration fast.

He loved almost everything we offered him when he started solids, and has gradually become more picky as time went on.

He loves: meat (well, chicken), cheese (hard, cottage, philly), strawberries, satsumas, blueberries, yoghurt and some cereals. And potato, sometimes. At the moment, it's uphill work getting him to even taste anything else!

You'll notice an absence of green veg - he has NEVER been interested in green veg, in any form, aside from spinach, but he's gone off that now too. He used to love mildly spicy curries and tagines (cue much smugness ) but not any more. We went to Wagamama's the other day, and he ate almost all his grilled chicken, but didn't touch the noodles or veg.

I'm seriously worried he's missing out on nutrients. I still breastfeed him - not enough to take his appetite away - so at least he gets goodies from that. Still.

Did anyone's toddler of similar age go through this horribly picky phase after being mad about all food? Any great recipes I can try to get him to eat a wider range of food?

Both mine did this at 14 months. My almost 6 year old is just getting better and the 2 year old is still a nightmoare. Both breast fed and 2nd one did BLW. Meanwhile my friends kid who ate jars for a year eats everything! When I stopped bf I did use vitamin drops for peace of mind but the worse thing about it is they get quite constipated as nto keen on any fruit or veg or smoothies or juice.

I have tried everything ever (new recipes, hiding veg, making a fuss, not making a fuss, star charts etc etc) and some things work for some time but not all the time. I try not to get cross or anxious but its very hard.

Small children seldom enjoy green veg, it's got a bitter chemical in they don't enjoy.

I wouldn't worry, DD went through a stage at about this age where she would eat toast with salted butter (oh yes there was experimentation ago-go) and breastmilk. For two months. We fretted and worried and tried everything. Then we tried ignoring the problem and just presenting toast and getting on with our food and it just sort of went away. And I can't tell you what did it, I think she just wasn't getting any rise out of us anymore and got bored, she picked up a carrot one day out the bowl on the table (we always serve everything in bowls so people can help themselves to as much as they like- we pick the food, they pick how much of it to eat) and after that carrot, some chicken and we were away.

She's still a little sod, but she's a little sod that will eat now.

Anyway, it will pass!

ihatemyjob - oh, god... I hope DS doesn't keep this up, then! It is really hard not to get cross when you see your painstakingly prepared meal hitting the floor.

DS did eat, at one time, courgettes (in ratatouille and pasta sauces), spinach (chopped or whole leaf in curry and pasta sauce) and aubergine (ok, it's purple!). He won't countenance raw tomatoes (the look on his face when he grabs one to try because he thinks it's a strawberry is tragic! ) and is now going off tomatoes in a cooked sauce... arghhh!

whomovedmychocolate - really?? Maybe it's just an age thing, then.

lol at 'She's still a little sod, but she's a little sod that will eat now.'!

Actually she's a big bloody sod. Tonight she turned her nose up at my minted shepherds pie because 'it was made of Little Baa'

To be fair to her, she's right, the actual lambs which were in the fields near our house turned up in the butchers today and I inadvertently bought some and unfortunately mentioned this to DH within earshot (stupid mummy!)

It will pass, just pay absolutely no heed to any sort of notice and may I also suggest talk about absolutely anything at the table but do not mention food. We have read at the table, watched youtube, sung songs, talked about what we will do tomorrow etc. Anything but talk about what's on the plates. That seems to help a lot.

Good luck, it is fecking frustrating but it does end eventually.

Little Baa! IYSWIM

DS is pre-verbal (well, he speaks but everything is 'dat!'. It's all in the inflections...) I've found sometimes that the only way I can get him to eat, rather than delicately drop bits onto the floor/into the cat's maw, is to move into the kitchen part of the room and wash up or something, so he doesn't have anyone to perform for.

Oh well. It Will Pass.

My DS1 ate anything until he turned 2. Now at 2.6 the only veg he eats is sweetcorn, nad the rest of his diet is pretty limited too, though fairly healthy.

'Tis just the way it is.

My LO is 14 months too and I found this thread because I was about to post the exact same thing so thanks for posting first!

It is really frustrating when they just throw it all on the floor like you say. LO will take the spoon and eat a couple of mouthfuls then he lets it all dribble down his face and all down his bib. He then makes annoyed grunty noises whilst batting each bit of food across the room with a very serious look of concentration on his face like "not having THAT.... grunt.... or THAT.... grunt..." etc etc.

Once the plate is away and the tray is off the high chair to get him out, he will happily start eating whatever crumbs have fallen into the crumb catcher on his bib!!!! ARGH!!!! Maybe I should just serve his dinner in the crumb catcher.... hmmm