Aw man, I'm sorry that sounds so frustrating. Have you tried smoothies? DS loves smoothies and it is easy to sneak in veggies without him noticing! DS' favorite is a mixed berry smoothie that we throw a ton of kale into.
Meats are hard. DS is a good eater overall but cannot handle the texture of most meats.
Don't beat yourself up if you use purees...keep your sanity and do what you have to do! It will come with time.
My DS is the same way. The only veggies he eats are peas and corn. He used to love chicken and meatballs but now won't even try it! What is sort of working for us is we cook meat (chicken or ground venison) and cut it up really small and put it in a baked pasta. Since he loves pasta and devours it he doesn't even realize there is meat in there unless it is a big chunk!
@Katiejo1216 I will have to try the smoothie idea! Do you have any go to smoothie recipes?
DS has been having throw-everything-on-the-floor days, too. Try to start with the veggies and meat so they don't get filled up on milk or carbs. I also read that toddlers are picky because back in our hunting and gathering days, once babies were old enough to being wandering farther away from mom, they needed to be cautious about what they ate in case it was poisonous. So there is a reason why they are picky! I also love the jim gaffigan line about how we could solve world hunger if we just picked up all the food that toddlers threw on the floor.
I try really hard not to get upset or worry too much over meals. I know he eats well at daycare. I sneak veggies in his eggs (spinach or kale) or cheese/spinach quesadillas and when it warms up I'll try smoothies again. He eats a lot of fruit so I figure that makes up for some of the lack of veggies.
I do find meal times to be super challenging and the best part of DH picking Nolan up from DC once/week is that I don't have to worry about dinner that night. LOL
Smoothies take some trial and error. We use full fat yogurt and sometimes add whole milk (which is great especially if your kiddo is a picky milk drinker). Honey can help in getting the sweetness right. Peanut butter and banana smoothies are also good. Pinterest has a lot of ideas!
@SBmomma, does your DS like breads? These are two recipes you could use for breakfasts or snacks that pack veggies into sweeter breads:
I am a home childcare provider so I am always looking for recipes for picky eaters and these two are good options. These aren't great every day meal ideas but they may give some peace of mind (and those are delicious for you to eat as well!). I'm sure you have heard it before but just keep offering. It is amazing how children's eating can change overnight.
Re: OVER IT!!!
I do find meal times to be super challenging and the best part of DH picking Nolan up from DC once/week is that I don't have to worry about dinner that night. LOL
Try not to stress about it.