2 year old who will only eat dry food

[SueE]

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice.

My son aged 2 and 3 months used to eat everything until he was about 18 months old is increasingly becoming fussier and fussier.

He won't eat anything that is wet!  So he eats loads but only things he likes.  Oat cakes, bread, rice cakes, bread sticks, raisins.  Scrambled egg is ok, heinz tomato soup (no other soup at all), cheese sandwiches are good (but not toasted), cheerios, yoghurt, fruit pots all work.

The only veg he'll eat are potatoes and peas.  So its not terrible but I've run out of ideas.  I need to know what else I could try that is basically dry, nutricious and expand his horizons.

Despite his eating limits he seems full of life, shiney hair (wet nose - I know he's not a dog but...) he's just not adventurous.  When I get to the point when I think he's had nothing fresh veg like I give him a Ella's kitchen veg thing so at least I know he's getting some kind of health stuff.  I treat it as a pudding - he won't eat choclate or anything sweet!!!!

I've tried the whole touch it, kiss it, have in mouth theory but frankly even as you offer him stuff he just looks at it and says 'no' with such venom that you'd think I was offering him poision.  I'd love any help. x 

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[jesie]

Hiya sue,

How does he respond to rewards? Would it be worth trying?

Have a,mouthful and you get .... a sticker.

Building it up to three, five mouthfuls.

Not too much at once though. I would try one new thing a week. But try it 3 times. Get him used to it so by the third time its not anything new, infact he's used to it.

Then re introduce it regulary so he doesn't for get it. 

[~*Nicole*~]

I often tell DD that she is allowed to spit out what she doesn't like. Into a napkin, nicely...without being gross, etc. But if she really doesn't like it, she can spit it out. She tried peas the other day this way, spit it into a napkin and then I re-offered them again for lunch a bunch of days later. This way I didn't push but just sort of put them on her plate again as though I hadn't remembered she spit them out the other time. She tasted them again. Didn't eat many, but hey....I'll keep trying.


Aside from the old try and try and try again plan....if it seems as though that is going nowhere....you can sneak in some foods other ways:


Does he like muffins? They are a bit on the drier side....you can grate veggies or add fruit to them. Also, you can bake a lot of veggies after slicing them up thing and have veggie chips, etc. You can try to slowly add new things to those things he already likes. Veggie omelets are good since he already likes eggs. Just make sure to chop up veggies very very small! You can add different toppings to rice cakes, breads, etc. If he would take a smear of cream cheese on toast or a bagel or something....you can get veggie based cream cheeses (or probably make your own LOL) My DD really loves meatloaf/meatballs...you can add lots of things to them. Smoothies/milkshake type things. You can hide LOADS of things in them!

Hope this helps!

[firsttimemummy]

DS goes through phases of this too - he used to have soup every lunchtime but it's only recently he has started again - for a while I would get him to dunk breadsticks etc in the soup and he would take a bit that way.  I reckon it is to do with teeth (and blame everything on teeth!) that they like biting on something substantial. 

DS will sometimes eat peppers and other crunchy things too.  I also find he will ALWAYS eat pasta, so mix that with soup or Ella's Kitchen brocolli, pear and peas sachet (his favourite food ever!!!).  DS also likes milk smoothies with pureed fruit which is a good way of getting fruit into him ....