If he'll eat fruit in things (I assume you mean jam, muffins/cakes but...) how about trying a fruit sandwich? Mashed banana, or thinly sliced strawberry - put marmite on too if it helps. Odd combo but then many cultures have combinations other cultures would turn their nose up at yk?
I would keep switching the bread types if he will eat different sorts so that he sees something looking different on his plate. I know to us bread is bread but the visual aspect changing may help him be more adventurous with other things. pitta bread, flat bread, english muffins, rolls, crumpet, french baguette. Maybe switch up his breakfast toast with one regular slice and one crumpet? (and if he only eats he regular toast then he'll be more hungry at lunch? perhaps more willing then to eat something else) Make lunch with a tortilla wrap (filling can still be grated cheese or marmite). For a good while DS wouldn't eat pizza (kids saying no to pizza??) so we used to make our own on a large garlic flat bread and leave a section without toppings for him, then put cold toppings on his plate.
Have you tried canned fruit? I personally hate canned fruit but DS loves it (but then he loves all fruit so..), canned peaches for example taste and texture is totally different to a fresh peach. Canned fruit still counts as fruit and here I can buy it in juice only, not syrup or sugar so it is still healthy. Canned strawberries make me want to vom but I know people who love them too, again totally different texture - perhaps try these instead of jam in a sandwich, mush them up and they could almost be jam like?
Have you tried baked fruit? Or steamed? Softer and more pulpy like a jam, could be mashed up too?
Will he eat fruit crumble? I don't make a lot of dessert but if I make a crumble I do oat and peanut butter topping and the fruit is fresh or canned or mixed with a little lemon juice sprinkled over the fruit if it is quite dry, no sugar so really its like baked fruit with a crunchy topping.
I agree with pps that dinner can be so hard esp when they are tired. DS can be starving, and is a good eater, but if he is too tired he has a melt down at dinner or just sits there unable to eat anything even though I know how hungry he is. This week he said he was really hungry but when dinner arrived on the table he burst out crying. I've had to make dinner silly early at times when he was nap dropping etc. 4.30pm was the latest I could push it when he was really tired.
Another thing that really helped here (when he wouldn't eat protein) was to switch breakfast. I didn't even say anything about it, I just put a sausage in front of him instead of muesli and he ate the lot. I was flabbergasted. I don't think you want to push Z too hard yet with all these different things going on for him, but when the time comes to take it a step further perhaps veg at breakfast??
Do you know another kiddie with a good appetite that you can play date with for lunch? The first time mine ever tucked into a sandwich full on was his own b/day party where the food was made by the party caterers and every kid was around the table tucking in, DS ate several sandwiches, even with ham on that he had never ever touched before.
You prob tried most/all these things. Just throwing ideas out there.
Many hugs too x
