Our DS1 is almost 4 and though we have seen some improvements since he was a toddler, he is still quite a picky eater.

He is very suspicious of new foods, or even foods he has seen before but didn't eat. He does not like food touching, if he has pasta with a meat sauce he will usually shake it all off or at worst will cry and get anxious. Sometimes we can jolly him along to eat whatever it is but there are times we help him out so he will eat something.

On the subject of meat, he is not a fan, never has been. He used to spit out meat right from babyhood. He does eat ham/bacon now but most other meats are hit and miss.

He will eat things raw but not cooked. He loves capsicum and will sneak bits while I'm cooking but usually refuses to eat it once he's presented with his meal.

Will not eat potato in any form besides chips! Does not like rice.

He has a very limited list of fruit he will eat that consists of banana, strawberry, grapes and sometimes pear or apple.

We have gotten him involved in cooking but once it's done and we're all sitting down he loses interest. I have let him explore food within reason but he would just play with his dinner, and we didn't know if this was helping or hindering in the long run. So at the moment we encourage using utensils and will let him use his hands but no playing with it. No bulldozing or excavating it either

He doesn't like things in food, for example he doesn't like yogurt with fruit in it. He will eat plain yogurt and have fruit on the side but will flip out if I serve strawberry yogurt.

We try to get him to taste the food. The whole it's our job to offer it and his job to eat it motto...but is it ok if he just refuses and refuses night after night? He really doesn't like tasting things he's not sure of or keen on and will make disgusted facial expressions, chew it for a very long time or even spits it out (which really bothers me). He claims to not like things he has never actually tasted.

We do not make a big deal out of food, we chat and try to enjoy being together at the table, his little brother loves his food so we do talk about that, and we always do the same when DS1 eats something (is this ok? Is it better to not mention it?)

I'm not worried about his diet as he does eat a variety...I think I'm just concerned he will be this picky indefinitely. I'm feeling very worn down by this and do not look forward to meal times. It's so frustrating thinking of things he might like and serving it up only to have him say 'I can't eat that.'

Any advice? Should be keep doing what we're doing or is there something we could change?