Published:
February 28, 2023
Addressing picky eating is one of the most challenging parts of parenting. Even if your child ate anything and everything as a baby, they might hit a stage where they simply don’t want to eat or try certain foods anymore. Mealtime battles can be frustrating and draining for both parents and children. Luckily we have a few tips that can help you teach your child healthy eating habits, and encourage them to feel safe trying new foods.
1. Avoid Power Struggles
You and your child have different responsibilities when it comes to mealtime. The parent is in charge of “what” meal you’ll serve and “when.” Your child is in charge of “if” and “how much” to eat.
Even if it seems counterintuitive, try to avoid counting the number of bites your child must eat, require a “clean plate,” or force your child to remain at the table for long periods of time. We know you want to ensure that your child is getting enough to eat; but luckily, even without pressure, children generally meet their nutritional needs for calories and varied nutrients. Research shows that high levels of parental control—pressure, force-feeding, rewards for eating, etc.—can actually lead to more severe picky eating.
2. Don’t Only Cater to Your Child’s Tastes
Not all children start out as picky eaters, but some evolve into them when repeatedly given “kid foods” or other meals that are high in processed ingredients, sugar, salt, or fat. Serve your toddler the same meal you’re eating as often as possible, and include freshly prepared foods, vegetables, and fruit to help introduce them to a variety of whole foods. Making your child their own separate meal is ok now and then, but only serving “kid” food can lead to picky eating problems down the road.
3. Eat Meals Together
Not only are family meals a great time for practicing table manners and reconnecting, they’re also a good time to introduce new foods. Encourage your child to sniff, lick, or put the food to their lips, and you and the rest of the family can mimic these activities too! You can use silly names for food (i.e., broccoli are now “trees”) to make unfamiliar foods seem more approachable. Don’t spend too much time concentrating on what your child has or hasn’t eaten, however. Talk about their day, tell silly stories, and allow them to explore their plate without much comment.
4. Always Serve a Safe Food
When planning a meal, especially if it contains ingredients or flavors your child hasn’t experienced or enjoyed before, ensure there is one food you know your child will eat. Having a food item on their plate that feels “safe” can help them feel more comfortable at the table and possibly trying a taste of another item. When possible, allow your child to ask for seconds (or thirds!) of their safe food if desired.
5. Keep Exposing Your Child to New Foods
Exposing your child to new foods means offering the food repeatedly, even if they say they don’t like it, or haven’t taken a bite willingly. The more exposures your child has to a food, the more comfortable they will be with having it on their plate—and eventually giving it a try.
Exposures can look different every time. For instance, to introduce broccoli to your child you might serve it in the following ways: raw with a dip, roasted with olive oil and salt, broccoli and cheddar soup, or broccoli in a stir fry. By preparing foods in different ways, you can help your child find a version of an ingredient that feels safe to try. And better yet, they might decide they like it!
6. Make Food Fun
Do your best to make meals a time for fun and exploration, rather than stress and power struggles. A few ways that you can make food experiences more fun include:
Letting your child help you make the meal: Give your child an age-appropriate task (measuring, mixing, stirring) to help expose them to new foods and ingredients.
Adding fun dinnerware: Especially for younger children, fun and colorful plates, bowls, and utensils can help them get excited about the meal they’re about to eat. A quick google search can lead you to forks and spoons shaped like trucks, interesting training chopsticks, and even food picks with cute characters on them.
Cutting food into fun shapes: Sure, it’s an extra step for you to take, but if using a cookie cutter to make your child’s turkey sandwich into the shape of a star means they’ll take a bite, it’s worth it!
7. Limit Snacking
For a child to come to the table ready and willing to eat, it’s important that they’re hungry and ready for mealtime. To help you feel more comfortable saying “no” to snack requests, set a schedule for when meals and snacks are available in your home. Aim to serve meals and snacks every 2-4 hours depending on your family’s schedule. If your child asks for a snack outside of these times, you can tell them that a snack isn’t available at that moment. If your child needs something small to hold them over until a meal is ready, offer a fruit or vegetable that won’t fill their bellies too much before the mail meal.
8. Stop Screen Time During Meals
While watching a movie during a meal might seem to cut down on mealtime struggles, research shows that screen time during meals doesn’t help reduce picky eating down the road. Instead, sit down together as a family whenever possible at the dinner table without distractions. Less distractions during mealtime mean your child can be more focused on listening to their bodies’ hunger cues, and ultimately will lead to better eating in the future.
9. Go Easy on Your Child and Yourself
We know that implementing these tips is much easier said than done. Do your best to follow the mealtime game-plan, and make sure your partner or other caretakers are on board to support you and your child. Aim for consistency, but remember that no one can get it “right” all of the time. Give yourself and your child some grace as you learn new mealtime skills together.
If you have serious concerns about your child’s eating habits, it’s important to speak with their primary health-care provider and share your worries. They may be able to suggest a specialist or feeding therapist that can work with your child.