Choosing a whole week’s worth of meals and snacks can be a task in itself, add in children (especially picky eaters) and you’ve got a whole separate task on your hands! As someone who is currently navigating a picky toddler myself, I know firsthand how defeating it can feel. You make a whole dinner only for half of it to be thrown on the ground or shoved away, it can be exhausting and you might even feel worried about it. Here are 6 tips to help you navigate the extremely picky eater phase your toddler/child is going through. If you are truly concerned about your child’s intake and feel they are not meeting their energy needs, always consult with your pediatrician.
1) Always offer at least one thing on the plate you know they will like
If you give them a plate full of foods they have rejected in the past they are less likely to try anything. If you add something you know they enjoy they might be more likely to continue to at least try the other things once they have started eating.
2) Offer a wide variety of different foods, and don’t give up
The more a child is exposed to different foods the more likely they are to eventually try it. If they see something once and then not again for 6 months they are not warmed up to the idea of it. You can even try serving the same food just cooked a different way.
3) Never force food
Imagine how you would feel if someone was shoving a fork of food in your mouth… personally I wouldn’t like that at all and would probably be more resistant to trying it and wouldn’t trust the person doing it. As our children’s caregivers it’s important we build trust with them. As frustrating as it might feel at the moment, if they don’t want to try something don’t force it.
4) Don’t put certain foods on a pedestal
Children are very in tune with messages in the home. Try to keep your language about foods neutral so that they develop a healthy and positive relationship with all foods.
5) Make it fun! Children pick up on our moods
Again, this is easier said than done, but try to make the eating experience fun for them. Have some music playing in the background at dinner, engage in conversation with them, if they have a favorite stuffed animal or toy, maybe even bring them to the table to “have dinner with you” and show the toy “eating” the food and how much they like it! Kids like to be silly and this can lighten the mood.
6) Lead by example
Sometimes just not making a big deal of it and letting them see you eat the food is all they need. If we bring attention to it they might be more likely to resist the idea of trying the food, but if we just sit it in front of them and then eat what’s on our own plate they might be more open to at least trying some of the food in front of them.
Final Thoughts on Navigating an Extremely Picky Eater
Thank you for reading through this resource on navigating extremely picky eaters, for toddlers and children. Try not to stress too much if you have a picky eater, it’s more common than you might think. Again, if you are truly concerned about their nutrient intake or suspect your child might have ARFID then certainly reach out to your pediatrician or a dietitian. Oftentimes children grow out of this phase!