Need food/feeding advice (it's long..sorry)

So I am at a loss on what to do with DS who is 28 months. He was never a good eater even when on babyfood. I would have dance on my head to get him to eat. I also made the mistake of offering him things until he ate and put him infront of the tv to distract him to eat. I learned from my mistakes and didn't do that with DD.
I try to get him to eat and he just doesn't want to eat and he clearly is hungry because after I offer he will ask for juice or milk and milk I will not give him and juice only half a cup. I know the appoarch of not letting him eat but he would just sit their and not tell him so for me that really isn't an option.
He will not try new foods and he eats a small amounts. Just for an example of what he ate yesterday: In the morning he had animal crackers (he saw my SIL eating them and he wanted some)..well he had a handful and then a yobaby yogurt yesterday afternoon and that was it all day. The day before he ate a waffle, banana and yogurt in the morning and then finally at 10:30pm he decided to eat a cheese sandwich (1 slice of WW bread and a slice of american cheese).
He gets about 18-20oz of soy milk a day and then sometimes 9-12oz of water downed apple juice. He only eats as of now..waffles, yogurt, cheese sandwiches, chicken nuggets (sometimes), mac & cheese, toast with jelly, chocolate ice cream, animal crackers, some cookies (must be plain), sometimes fruit (he use to eat it all the time but that stopped too). I also noticed that everything he eats is in the yellow/orange family with the exception of chocolate ice cream/milk.
I had spoken to my ped about it at 18 months and she said give him smooties and try and seank things into meals. Well I don't agree with the smoothie idea because it is just another drink to him and I don't want that. I tried pureed carrots in his mac & cheese and he ate it twice and then stopped the mac & cheese all together.
I have tried cutting his food into shapes , I have tried letting him pick out what he wants only to make it and him not want it. If I let him he would eat yogurt all day long. If he ate soup I would be thrilled because at least I get some nurtients in him but once he looks at it and doesn't "like" the color he won't eat it.
I really don't know what to do anymore. I was going to try today to wait for him to tell me he is hungry and see what happens. I also want to add that he only gets 3 meals. I can't give him snacks because he will not eat and my ped. doesn't get that. She wants him to have 3 meals and 2 snacks.

I apolgize for it being so long but this has been an on going battle for me and I just don't know what to do..any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Need food/feeding advice (it's long..sorry)

I don't really have any advice bc I have no clue what I'm doing - but I wanted to bump for all the moms that do!

Re: Need food/feeding advice (it's long..sorry)

I think you need to cut out the milk for a little while. He needs to feel hungry so he will eat what you offer him. I think the 18-20oz of milk is keeping him from being hungry.

I would also offer a variety of foods on one plate and let him chose what he wants to eat. Eventually he will get hungry and eat.

Re: Need food/feeding advice (it's long..sorry)

Re: Need food/feeding advice (it's long..sorry)