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The only thing you can do is keep trying. Things change out of the blue . . . like my toddler voluntarily eating a piece of broccoli after refusing it for months (and refusing it ever since!), and suddenly starting to eat all types of melons and strawberries without any rhyme or reason, and asking for apples all the time!

My pediatrician says it's a phase and as hard as it is don't cater too much to the pickiness. My job is to offer healthy food options and baby's job is to eat...but don't make it a battle. So hard though to not worry about their intake. I think if you prepare a meal just make sure to have a few things they like and make it balanced. So I try to do a starch, veggie, fruit and protein and LO is used to seeing that on her plate. She goes through phases of loving veggies and meat and phases of barely touching it (around 2.5 she barely touches some veggies but will eat tons of other ones). She used to eat everything so it's been a tough phase but I'm trying not to stress about it. My advice is don't get stuck thinking "my kid hates beans" and then never offer them. My LO wouldn't eat beans for almost 2 years but I just kept of offering them every few weeks...well, now she loves black beans and chickpeas. I know so many parents who just write off certain foods bc their kids wouldn't eat them forever and now they only feed their kids 3-4 things. Also, my advice is try not to cater to them too much - meaning, don't make them a new meal bc they wouldn't eat what was given to them. Kids are smart and will know if they hold out then you'll give them what they want to eat. I think if you prepare a meal that is balanced and has one or two things you know they like then they are ok for that meal

This is my exact life! I just keep trying. For months my 2 year old daughter wouldn't touch a piece of chicken and one day she ate 5 bites. That was a huge victory for me.

@hilsy85: Totally agree with everything you said.

@ValentineMommy: We have all of the same issues. He's been on veggie strike since about 14/15 months. Just recently, he started eating carrots again, and the only other thing he will eat consistently aside from fruit is avocado. Every once in a while, he'll be adventurous and eat a pea or a soy bean, but that's rare. One of these days, he'll start to love veggies again!

ETA: My LO also hates pasta! What kid hates pasta??? Mine.

I consider my 27m a good eater and she still has phases where she's picky. One week something she absolutely LOVED last week will be a no go. Then out of no where a few weeks later it's a favorite again.

All I can say is to keep offering and try not to let your frustration show through. Don't make it a big deal and offer multiple options during meals. Not multiple meal options but like when thinking up meal plans make sure there's 1-2 items you know he will eat and have one new item to try.
Sometimes it's a matter of execution as well. LO loves steamed, stir fry and roasted broccoli. Last night we had it in pasta. Wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole. So try cooking different items in different ways,.

I agree to just keep offering. We usually put something on his plate we know he will eat and then add a small portion of something we want him to try. When he tries something - even if it's tasting it then spitting it out - we praise him for trying it.

My son is completely abnormal - he doesn't like pasta or tomato sauce (though we rarely eat this), won't go near a hot dog and usually turns his nose at mac & cheese. But apparently at daycare last week he ate TWO full bowls of homemade whole wheat mac & cheese (probably because there was bacon in it!) and steamed broccoli. I was shocked! At school the encourage a 'no thank you bite' and they definitely don't play the role of short-order cook.

He's been a selective eater since we started solids and it used to stress me out sooo much. Then I finally came to the realization that I can't force him to eat...I can just give him options and present him with quality, nutritious foods. Eventually he will cave in and realize the yumminess of everything he's refused to eat in the past!

@ValentineMommy: just keep trying and don't convey that it's bothering you. You can't make a kid eat! I really liked the book fearless feeding. My sons coming out of a picky phase but we've been cutting dinner short if he ignores our requests to stop standing in his booster. It made me so nervous that he'd wake up hungry butttt he totally doesn't. The more someone tries to convince him to try something the less he will (coughMILcough).