should I cave in to cheese?

[vamosbebe]

DS is 15 months and won't eat anything but cheese. We've not given him any for about a week as we're vainly trying to get him to eat a varied diet. Things he loves:
Cheese
Pasta (but not lasagne)
Baby biscuits
Bananas
Porridge
Cheese

Things he's loved but recently gone right off:
Grapes
Yoghurt
Peas
Cauliflower

I've been sitting with him now for 30 minutes trying to get him interested in his lunch. He's BLW and hates spoons (unless it's porridge) although likes playing with it, he has to be in control.
He won't eat veg, fish, meat; just the fucking cheese! We don't want to give in to him and hand over the cheese at every meal, but he can't live on milk alone. Paediatrician yesterday was surprised at what he ate/didn't eat but didn't offer any .solution of 'getting food into him'.

He's nw

[vamosbebe]

Posted too soon!

He's now screaming his arse off and i shall cave in to milk, goddamnit.

What can I do to get hime to eat?

[Beamur]

Is he a good weight, otherwise healthy?
If so, I'd keep offering a variety of foods as you are and not cave into the cheese every time. Give yourself a set time for a meal and at the end of that, take it away.
At this age, small meals/snacks on a regular basis are quite helpful, so if you have a food refusnik, it's not too long before something else comes along - but stick to your guns and don't be too disheartened/disappointed by refusals.
I don't think it's a bad thing to have a limited repertoire of foods - toddlers can be very fussy and many like the familiarity of certain foods and have preferences for textures/tastes - as long as it's reasonably balanced.

[Beamur]

Could you use his cheese fixation to get him to try other foods....? Cheese sauce, grated cheese as a topping, soft cheese in a sandwich?

[fififrog]

I really wouldn't worry - my DD's fussiness is only an issue if I let it bother me. She has had some truly intolerable favourites where she won't eat anything other than cream cheese sarnies, or will only eat pasta or whatever, but each phase moves on to the next. She had quite a cheese phase in Nov (20months ish) and since then she has had v dry skin. I thought maybe related to eating too much cheese (I know... But my mum once got chemical burns from a cheddar when she worked in a cheese shop!). GP told me waaaay more likely to e cold weather and that if toddlers like cheese that's great because it's actually really a good food for them.

Incidentally my DD will eat chicken and some fish, but not much meat other than sausages and bolognese sauce. Veg-wise corn carrots cucumber and avocado. Seriously nothing else. Used to love peas but no longer. Doesn't even like much fruit other than banana pear and pineapple. Totally normal for them to be fussy - they are famous for it aren't they?

[fififrog]

Intolerable phases! Can't even blame that one on autocorrect!

[Iggly]

Is he teething?

Also wrt meat - is it the texture?

My dd is the same age and goes through these phases as did her brother. Best thing is to eat meals with them and let them steal from my plate.

[belindarose]

Try reading 'My Child Won't Eat' by Carlos Gonzalez. It's on kindle if you've got one. It's great.

[elQuintoConyo]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I've had a bit of a mad month, so not come back to say thanks

DS has been ill (horrible hacking cough leading him to chuck up his milk and no appetite for anything else) but had porridge and banana this morning and no coughing, so hopefully we can start throwing more interesting food in his direction.

I know he might go through other phases, like only eating food that's red, as he gets older (I HOPE he doesn't!), but as such a young age I can't even reason with him to eat, or tell him he can have a yoghurt if he finishes his peas.

I shall try everything you've suggested. Thanks again.

Oh, by the way, I name-changed recently. I was vamosbebe. I'm not some random MNer posting on someone else's thread

[JumpHerWho]

Please don't say (or more importantly think) things like he can only have a yoghurt if he finished his peas! I'm doing BLW and DS 15mo currently only eats bananas, so I know it's stressful, but don't exert control like that, it'll cause many more problems than it'll solve. Have you read the BLW book? It has loads on why you shouldn't give pudding as a reward for eating the boring food...