My 3YO DS just refuses to eat anything decent! I'm at a total loss because I know that he eats well at daycare (usually a hot lunch, followed by sandwiches for afternoon tea), but in the evenings he won't eat anything I give him of any quality. Sure, he'll have noodles, or a peanut butter sandwich or some devon, but that's about it! I usually resign to the fact that perhaps he's eaten too well at "school" and isn't really hungry. That's okay, I can deal with that. He's truly like a bird! But then on the days where he doesn't go to school, I can't get him to eat anything decent! He loves sandwiches, but he's not very adventurous there either, he'll have devon or a sausage, but he just won't eat any of what "we" are eating. So many times I have served him up some of what we are having (after slaving over the stove), only to toss it in the bin an hour later!
Anyone got some answers or some "Kid friendly" meal ideas?

Have you asked exactly what it is they feed him in daycare? Maybe gets some tips from them if he is eating their food. And if he still refuses to eat... hmmm... Might call for some bribe methods, if you eat your lunch and dinner you get so many points. Reward will follow!! (is that bad?)

DS#1 (4 1/2) went through this from about just after he turned 2 through until just after 3 1/2 (roughly...hard to think back...) I tried to copy foods from Day Care too as pp suggested, and some worked and some didn't....

What we found worked is doing things that were not obviously healthy for him....like lasagne that hid all the veggies, and fish cakes. He loved chips, so I did my own..cut little cubes of potato, and shallow fried them with rosemary...

It is really hard and frustrating, but I think this is the age where you have to hide vegies in the stuff that doesn't 'look' healthy. Only offer little bits too...and he seemed to eat more if it was off my plate too, and if we had a bit of a smorgasboard thing going...but mind you, we only realised this near the end of that phase. Most of the time just to get nutrients into him he was having formula...and because DS#2 was on formula, that is all he wanted too

Hence- DD is fully b/f...although DS#2 has said the occassional time that he wants boobie (he hasn't had it since he was 3 mths!!)

Best of luck with it all. I am going through a bit of it with DS#2 who turns 3 in a mth, but thankfully it isn't as bad as DS#1 was.

Mechelle


OH! By the way, just keep in mind, that if they like it one night, they might not like it again though, so I would recommend not making a big batch of anything...just small meals regularly...and made fresh....he might even like to help!! Mine did!

...