fussy eater

thanks everyone for the suggestions. Only reduced milk to try to encourage other things. She does eat fish fingers and baked beans and occasionally eggs. I think you are right about not liking the texture of meat. anyway now I have some more ideas to try thanks.

GS1 who is query autistic is very picky and won't eat if any of the foods on his plate are touching. His brother eats like the proverbial horse. Neither of them eats much meat, but their mother eats very little herself so they've not had much experience of it. Actually now I think about it I've realised that when she was little her idea of Christmas dinner was a bit of turkey and some bread sauce! Now she scoffs it all

Baked beans!

Just realised you may mean granddaughter age 3 (not number 3 iyswim!)
Baked beans are a favourite of DGD age 4.

DGD's baby brother has just started on weaning and he fell on it all as if to say "At last, some proper food!"

Granjan DGD will eat cheese if is grated (she's 4 - not sure of the age of your DGD). I gave her sprouts the other day, she said 'my sister likes these but I don't!
She liked a veggie soup with lentils.
I make meat stock for soups as we are not vegetarian.
Fish? DGD like fish in a creamy and/or cheesy sauce with pasta and vegetables.

However, DD's friend is strictly vegetarian and so are her DGC - a more healthy, lively lot it would be hard to find.

This is such a widespread problem. I have one DGC who eats very few things even at a 12 years old. But she's slim and full of energy.

When DGS was being christened there was a cousin of his there from the 'other' family and everybody said this child had only eaten pasta for the last two years.
10 years later I saw him at a family gathering and he's now 20 - a student and perfectly normal. Tall and handsome. I didn't ask about his diet but I assume he's got over it.

Texture is often a problem. I rarely ate meat as a child because I hated the texture, but liked other slightly bizarre things, such as kippers. I think the most important thing is to keep calm, offer tiny bites and not make a huge fuss for either eating or not eating something. I knew the fastest way to wind my mother up was to refuse to eat something. Conversely she would give me lots of praise for eating something new, and I hated that so often wouldn't try for that reason.

DGS 5 eats buttered toast (even asks for it at parties), crackers, yogurts, bananas, drinks watered down Apple juice. Drinks milk but isn't given as much as he'd like (I'm with you on that, FarNorth) and, of course, loves the very limited amount of chocolate and biscuits he is allowed. As a toddler he was eating jars of meat and veg, couscous, grapes but gradually went off all those.
His 1 year old sister eats everything she is offered ...

Wouldn't worry if she's otherwise happy and active and growing. My GD was exactly the same but started school this autumn and has school dinners and now eats almost normally. We think she saw other children eating (she's an only child) and decided to join in. She came rushing home recently shouting excitedly that she'd had chicken korma and rice and LIKED it!

Children learn very quickly that eating ( or rather, not eating!) is a great way to get attention from parents. Put the food down. If it is not scoffed, remove it without comment. They will not starve.

Why have you tried reducing her milk, *GranJan60? It is a good source of protein and calcium.
It's not necessary to eat meat for protein. Maybe you could check out the Vegetarian Society's website for suggestions, as she is fond of fruit and veg.

One of my grandsons lived on cereal and milk for a long time when he was small now he is a strapping six footer and will eat anything.... I really wouldn't make a fuss and give here what she'll eat.

My GS ate everything you put in front of him until he was two and then he got very picky indeed - no butter on his bread, no soups or sauces of any kind, no potatoes in any form, no pizza, no fish and only chicken. Eggs? Only the yolk! But he would eat any kind of veg, and plain pasta with cheese on the side (but not on the pasta). DD gave up trying to tempt him with anything new in the end and just gave him whatever he would eat. He is now a healthy, athletic eight year old and is becoming more adventurous food wise. Don't worry about it too much. They rarely stay fussy forever! As has already been mentioned, eggs are a good source of protein. Sardines in tomato sauce are good too, mashed in sandwiches; and baked beans.

Cauliflower cheese, eggs any way she'll take them, (scrambled with ketchup in DGS case) fruit pieces with a dipping pot of yoghurt, marmite.
At the risk of sounding patronising, have you tried letting her 'help' with the prep ?
My nephew lived on baked beans and jam toast (not together) until he was four he suffered no ill effects and now eats anything.

Isn't it something how one child can be such a fussy eater while the other sill eat just about anything? That's how it is with my DGC too!

I agree with Luckygirl that trying to make a fussy one eat more foods will just make them more resistant. Also, I have to ask, what do the parents say?

- sorry that should have read chocolate biscuit.

My 2 year old DGD spends a day a week with us - all she wants is the one chocolate that is allowed and milk in a baby bottle (this last a feature since arrival of new baby in the house). She will also deign to eat baked beans and cheese sandwiches. That's about it - I don't even try to get fruit and veg down her - I leave that to her Mum for the rest of the week.

You can't make them eat - fussy eaters are a real annoyance, but the more attention you pay to it the more they do it.