Best ways to introduce different food to a fussy nearly 2 year old?

[Mammy-to-Erin]

My daughter is 2 in the beginning of November and is so so fussy, I started off completely the wrong way with jarred foods when weaning her, now she won't eat anything home cooked!

SIDE NOTE:::: I don't want none of these @sses saying i'm a bad mother for feeding my child from jars, If they were all that bad they wouldn't be on the shelf!

She has gotten too used to not self feedings and no lumps etc, she is great so far, she eats her breakfast herself, yogurts etc are fine too, just Dinner time is a complete hassle, she wont eat potatoes or vegetables, she is fine on the days we have fast dinners, the likes of chips, chicken nuggets, pizza etc etc, (btw we don't live on frozen food, its just handy when my partner is working and need a quick dinner)

Any ideas of what to give her to give her more interest in eating decent dinners? I have a baby recipe book and have used it before as a reference but I'm running out of ideas altogether now

 

[Bflykissez908]

Your definitely NOT a bad mother, oh my soooo many people feed their children from jars..

Anyway, I have had this problem before. I have learned that it can take up to 8 times of introducing a food to a child before the child will willingly eat it. I will say that children will not starve themselves, try giving your child some of the food she loves to it along with new foods that you are introducing.

My next suggestions is to not buy the toddler "pick up" snack items that you would find in the grocery store, there expensive and as long as you have easy munchies for your little one she will only want to eat that. Trying preparing food after she goes to bed and that way you will have a home cooked meal ready to heat up the following day. Just a suggestion

 

[**Baby_Gurl**]

You know what, I got a similar problem! I fed my 2yr old from jars, and she LOVED them! Then she was really fussy an that with our cooked food - not to worry, just make it and give it to them, if they don't eat it, try something else and encourage them to eat it. what i found was one day it was the most horrible thing she's ever eaten, but a few weeks later she scoffed it down no problem!! then maybe the week after it was vile to her again. its just a change, but eventually it will be eaten, just like from milk to jars, u might know what im on about if you saw the funny faces being pulled ha ha, its very similar to that, just with grown up food, it takes time, but it does work! What often helps too is if you eat the same thing as you have given them, at the same time so they can see your eating it, as my health visitor said to me, that she may not eat it because your not, and she wonders "why shes getting something different, is it not that nice?" ya no wot i mean lol. Kids are fussy but it will all fall into place! just plenty of praise when they do eat something even if it is a small pea!! it all builds up!! I hope this helps!!!

your not a bad mother for feeding them jars, i never learn, my youngest is now on them, ok home cooking is probably best, but jars are there for a reason and if they werent suitable for kids they wouldnt sell them!!

Good luck hun x

 

[gip55]

Nothing wrong with jarred food at all. full of all the essential nutrients and vitamins.
Sometimes getting a fussy child to eat can be all about the presentation of food. Dont offer too much, as this can overface a child. Arrange it attractively. What I found very useful with my kids was to let them help me prepare dinner. It can be fun and children are more willing to eat something they have had a hand in making, feeling proud of their acheivement.
Dont make too much fuss - not eating meals sometimes is a childs only way of rebeling - all kids need to do this to test their boundaries and refusing to eat can be a powerful manipulation of you - even a 2 year old will know not eating her dinner will get her some attention, negative or positive !
Your daughter is doing what every child does - trying to assert herself. Dont worry, you can be sure she will eat when she is hungary enough !
When my daughter was young she didnt eat well at all - she was too engrossed in whatever she was doing to leave it and sit and eat a meal. Like your daughter, fast food, finger food etc she would eat, but ` on the go`. Did it do her any harm? Not at all - she is now a sucessful accountant with a daughter of her own going thru` exactly the same stage as yours !
Good luck !

 

[Celestine]

making food fun :
every meal she has make a picture on the plate face,trees ect
a race who can eat the most veg in 10 seconds or some sort of game
helping you in the kitchen to make/cook the dinner (from the baby recipe book if you like)
seeing where the food comes from show her books, tv shows and if you can maybe take her to wear fruit and veg grows like maybe an allotment
get her to pick and bag the fruit and veg in the supermarket for you
making the junk food healthier ie making homemade pizza with lots of veg on
getting her to try lots of new things there must be something she likes
tell her clever and big and so on shell get from healthy food