If your LO refuses dinner, do you offer an alternative?
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We went through this when she had chicken pox. She just went really fussy. I always offered her a safe food that I knew she’d eat alongside her meal. For instance she always ate yoghurt and watermelon so I’d offer her a meal ate lunch plus some watermelon or I’d offer her dinner of whatever we were having plus a yoghurt so she still had something that I knew she’d eat. The only thing I won’t do is substitute a meal with snacks because I feel like then I am making a rod for my own back.
I offer an alternative but if that is also refused then he gets nothing. The alternative is usually something "safe" e.g. plain yoghurt or rice cooked in chicken stock (no salt).
I hate the idea of my baby going to bed hungry so I always offer an alternative. Not necessarily a whole new meal especially if it’s dinner time and too late to cook something else but just foods I know he’ll eat. Even if it’s just some fruit and toast or cereal I feel better knowing he’s eaten something. I’ve always done this as he goes through phases of fussy eating and we’re currently in a good phase where he’ll happily eat anything so I don’t think offering a safe alternative is making the fussy eating worse. I like to think that there’s meals that some days I just don’t fancy either even if I do like them but since I’m a grown up I can choose what I eat and aren’t forced to choose between being hungry or trying to eat something I don’t want so I like doing the same for my toddler
I give my little girl whatever we have, if she refuses to eat it, I offer her a plate of all the things I know she likes, in the hope she will just eat something. Sometimes she does, sometimes she won’t eat a thing, but as long as she eats I will always offer options, if she doesn’t want the dinner options, she can have picky food? cheese string, yogurt, toast/crumpet, cereal etc. At this age all i am concerned about is that she is eating, as she’s getting older I can be more particular with regard to what she eats. And the way I see it, some days I might not fancy eating X for dinner yet another day I may really fancy it and they might be the same
I never give in unless they’re poorly so I want them to stay fed. I’m a majorly fussy eater. I knew early on my mum would give in and give me an alternative and I don’t want my child to be like that. My theory is I need to start this early. Maybe sounds mean but LO will always eat something cos of it.
If they’ve refused the whole plate I will offer scrambled egg and toast always as it’s filling but light enough on their stomach if they’re unwell. If they then clear that I will offer cheese, yoghurt or cucumber for example so it’s a healthy but filling snack.
I had the same dilemma tonight although he is teething so not sure if it was just that. He was refusing dinner but pointing at the snacks and i just refused to give him any snacks. Ended up giving him a babybel and then he managed 2 fish fingers. To be honest though, i really don't know what the right approach is either!