M.,
Okay, so here's what I've learned about kids and eating...if you give them too many choices they get confused and go for what they think is good...hence the sweets. It tastes yummy and must be good, right? But, of course in moderation it's fine but not as meal options and toddlers just don't get that.
From some of the suggestions on this site, I've started doing a few things...
I make my son very consistent meals, and stick to things I know he will eat. So, breakfast is usually basics...pancakes, sausage, eggs, oatmeal or something easy that he can help with. Like pouring the water into the pancake mix or measuring the oatmeal.
(got this one from on here)Make a snack tray for the day with different veggies and cheeses...he can eat from the tray whenever he wants to and he also gets to help me pick out what goes on it. We keep it in the fridge and he can get it when he's hungry. I've also started doing a fruit plate too, and he loves it.
When we go grocery shopping I let him pick out things he wants try in the produce section...two things each time. Then, we go home and try them...he tells me what he thinks and we go from there.
If I'm offering new foods I do it alongside something I know he will eat...my son is a huge fan of hot dogs, homemade chicken nuggets and baked fries...also, I pick up finger foods from Whole Foods that are healthy and fun for him to try. He loves Foccacia bread with spinach, and now is a huge fan of hummus (which I'm not huge on)! If you're excited about it, then he'll get excited about it too.
Talk to him about what he DOES like. Sometimes, we forget that food is tough for kids to make choices about and they will go for what they KNOW will taste good...like sweets.
I put the sweets out of site and out of reach. And, make sure everyone in the family and household knows the rules and follows them. No sneaking the kiddo sweets or caving to his whinning when he does want them. Everyone has to be consistent. Cookies and ice cream are only for dessert.
Let him help set the table and serve himself...portions are so daunting for kiddos this age and sometimes their eyes can see more than is really there.
Kids, especially my son, loves being a part of meal prep. He has his own little apron and cutting board set with plastic knives...Ikea has cool sets and stuff for cheap. So, he gets veggies to cut or stuff to mix and prep for me and he loves it. Try making your son a part of the action and see if that improves his mood about eating. I make a huge deal about him helping me and how he cooked dinner...he eats it up.
There are great sites with some cool ideas for meal prep...
www.weelicious.com
www.marthastewart.com
www.rachelray.com
Good Luck and I hope some of this helps!!