Offer an alternative?

[creations]

does he like dips?

My DS asks for dips frequently.  I'm not big on condiments, I only have ketchup once in a blue moon so it's never on the table or in sight but as soon as he got the idea of 'dipping' (bread into houmous for example) he wanted a dip with most meals.  Half the time he asks for dip and then starts eating the food whilst I am getting the dip, then hardly dips once he has it on his plate.  I see it as his desire to have some say over his food, some independent thought and decision making iyswim.
I always wait until he asks for dip and then put just half a teaspoon of mayo or ketchup on his plate.

[Maxdrewe]

We are definatley making progress. He ate part of a banana and plum for tea + breaded chicken, spagetti hoops and scrambled egg. He isn't great with a spoon but he is working on it! He loves hummus and we are making progress by putting a mix of new and favourite foods. He is being fussy with baby foods at nursery so we are moving him up to more normal food :0/

[Shiv52]

GREAT progress!!!!!  Well done.  Its all small steps xxx

[Maxdrewe]

It's so odd- my LO seems to not want to eat at lunchtime at home- ok at nursery?? He is just not interested- I can just about manage to get him to eat a bit if I give him toys etc. yesterday and today he ended up being sick- no idea???

[Lemonthyme]

Personally I don't let my son actively have toys during meal times.  I think it's important to separate them but I know the desire to get anything working.

Slightly different idea, could you get a big plastic table cloth, clear away toys and put it on the lounge carpet and have an indoor 'picnic' lunch? 

Also I found for ages my son would eat lunch later at nursery than he'd manage at home.  At home he would be ready for a nap so he would be having lunch at nursery at noon and lunch at home at 11:15 (which got gradually pushed to 11:30 and now nearer 11:45.)

[Maxdrewe]

He ate loads tonight- maybe I need to push his lunch later?

[Lemonthyme]

Yeah, try later or earlier maybe?  Or maybe set up cues for when it's lunchtime like you would for bedtime.  Could he just be too busy playing?

Not that I'm great at this, sometimes I need to go and show him the food and say "look this looks tasty" and fortunately he's quite a greedy boy so he goes for it most of the time.

[creations]

my LO seems to not want to eat at lunchtime at home- ok at nursery?

Are you eating with him at home?
I think sometimes at groups or nursery they see everyone else sitting for their food, and eating, and it encourages them to eat.  Humans tend to be social eaters, we eat more when other people are eating with us.

I agree with LT that cues for lunch time are helpful (cues for anything give them a chance to prepare for it). And moving times can help too.  We still have a pretty 'odd' meal time at around 3pm because this is when DS tends to be at his hungriest.  It's our 'big' meal of the day where as the earlier lunch around 11.30/12.00 is sometimes more snack based while we are out and his later meal at 6.15 he sometimes eats loads other times not so much.