Won't eat much 'table food'

[CCCmom27]

DS is almost 13 months and the info they gave me at his 12 month check up said he should be eating mainly table food now.  I've been having quite a bit of trouble with that and the doctor said to be sure we have one thing he likes at each meal and not worry about it.  How can I now worry about!  I can't just let him eat sweet potato for dinner.  Did most of you just make one meal at this point or were you still making different things for lo?  He normally eats breakfast like a champ.  He'll eat toast, oatmeal and banana.  Then for lunch I never really know what to make him.  He normally eats cheese cubes while I'm fixing whatever I make.  Sometimes he'll eat some of my sandwich if I have one or sometimes we'll have black beans and rice.  If he doesn't eat what I'm eating I'll normally give him some sweet potato, cheerios, yogurt, that kind of thing.  And he'll always eat applesauce.  I also sometimes make him scrambled eggs for lunch.  Dinner is our big problem as he won't normally eat what we're eating unless it's burritos!  I haven't tried giving him meat yet because I wasn't eating much meat so I never cooked it but I am going to get some chicken and try it.  Hopefully he'll eat that, but these are the things we generally eat for dinner that he won't- pasta (ate ravioli one time the next time he wouldn't), rice (only eats it from our favorite Mexican restaurant), veggies as finger foods (I haven't made purees in while but he used to eat just about anything, should I go back to making purees?), veggie burgers.  Should I just keep offering what we're eating and make sure he has one thing he likes?  I feel like I have such a picky eater; he used to eat everything!  Sometimes he'll eat a couple bites of something we're eating and then decide he doesn't want anymore.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Definitely don't go back to making purees!
He's still pretty young and probably getting used to textures and flavors and all. He will eventually become more adventurous if you keep offering new things. A lot of people have had luck in the same situation by giving one thing they KNOW the LO will eat, one that's a maybe and one that's never been accepted or is new.

And FWIW, at that age Colin was definitely not eating what we ate!

[clh]

I agree with Jessica.  It takes a lot of offering before they get over the "What IS this stuff?!" to get to the actually trying it stage.  And it's perfectly normal to eat something at one meal but not the next time (or even as leftovers).  Keep offering.  And remember that "little" snacks can impact the amount of "real meal" that they'll eat.  Whether that's good or bad depends on what YOU think (and what the snacks are, of course). 

[Mimi 2]

From what he is already eating for breakfast and lunch, can you offer the same things for dinner?  There's really nothing wrong with having eggs and toast for dinner if he is eating them.  And just give him veggies sticks as well.  Just remember that over the course of a week, he will probably have a balanced diet.  Don't worry too much about making sure he has his proteins, veggies and carbs for every meal. 

I agree about not going back to purees.  Just keep offering what he is willing to eat plus one more new item.  Also he will probably be entering the infamous picky-eater stage so try not to worry too much.  I know it's easier to say it but believe me it will pass.  Then it will come back. 

FWIW, ds had a phase where all he will eat were frozen blueberries and cheerios.  It lasted close to a month, he was teething big time then.

[CCCmom27]

Thanks for the advice.  He finally did come around to pizza; not the healthiest I know but I sometimes make it at home and put spinach under the cheese.  I did try chicken and he promptly put about five bites in his mouth and then realized it wasn't what he thought it was and spit it out.  I'm going to make a pot roast this week and see if he'll eat some of that.  I think it definitely is a texture thing so hopefully he'll get used to it with some time.  If I give him finger foods he doesn't like he throws them on the floor, and if I try to give him a bite of something he's not sure of off a fork he looks it over and and keeps his mouth closed.  I have been able to sneak in a few bites when he's not really paying attention to what I'm giving him  Then he catches on and won't open his mouth.  I'll keep trying!  Thanks again.