Do you have a picky toddler eater? This blog post is for you.
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As a parent, you eagerly anticipate the day when your little one transitions from a diet of milk or pureed baby food to solid, nutritious meals. However, for many families, this milestone can quickly become a battleground. Their once-adventurous eaters suddenly morph into picky toddlers, turning their noses up at anything but a few select favorites.
Fear not, dear parents! Picky eating is a common phase that many toddlers go through. With the right approach, you can navigate this challenge with patience, creativity, and a whole lot of perseverance.
You might also like to read our posts about Snacks for Picky Eaters: 5 Nutritious Snack Time Solutions and Picky toddler dinner ideas: 6 healthy ideas.
Here you will find 7 insanely useful tips and strategies to help you with your picky toddler eater:
Understanding the Behavior of Your Picky Toddler Eater
Before we dive into strategies for dealing with picky toddler eaters, it’s essential to understand the reasons behind this behavior. During the toddler years, children are asserting their independence and gaining more control over their environment, including the foods they consume.
Additionally, toddlers have an innate tendency to be cautious about trying new foods, a behavior known as “food neophobia.” Developmental factors, such as a slowing growth rate and a diminished sense of hunger, can also contribute to picky eating habits during this stage.
While frustrating, it’s important to remember that picky eating is a normal phase and not a reflection of your parenting skills.
Creating a Positive Eating Environment for Your Picky Toddler Eater
One of the most effective ways to encourage healthy eating habits in picky toddlers is to create a positive and stress-free environment around mealtimes. Avoid power struggles or forcing your child to clean their plate, as this can lead to negative associations with food.
Instead, adopt a relaxed and patient approach. Offer a variety of healthy options, including some familiar favorites. Let your toddler decide how much and what they want to eat. Praise them for trying new foods, even if they only take a few bites. Avoid criticizing or punishing them for their preferences. Please never compare your picky eater with another sibling.
One tip that is huge: Involve your toddler in the process of meal planning and preparation. Let them help with age-appropriate tasks. Tearing lettuce for a salad or arranging fruit on a skewer. This involvement can foster a sense of ownership and make them more likely to try the foods they’ve helped prepare.
Remember, mealtimes should be enjoyable occasions for the whole family to bond and connect, not battlegrounds over food.
8 insanely useful tips and strategies:
While a positive environment is essential, sometimes a little creativity and sneakiness can go a long way in introducing new foods to picky toddlers. Here are insanely useful tips and strategies to try:
1. Disguise and blend
Puree or finely chop vegetables and fruits, then blend them into sauces, smoothies, or baked goods. This way, your toddler can consume the nutrients without even realizing it.
For example, you can make a roast to hide vegetables such as zucchini and pumpkin. I made this one (picture below) with a 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin sautéed in a whole chopped onion and 3-4 garlic minced gloves. I added salt, inion and garlic powder, a bunch or minced parsley, and 1 cup of cooked quinoa. It baked for about 15-20 minutes in 400 F and it was a success! 🙂
2. Play with shapes and colors
Cut fruits and vegetables into fun shapes or arrange them in appealing patterns on the plate. The presentation can make a big difference in enticing picky eaters.
To help my daughter eat the pumpkin and quinoa roast (picture above), I made a funny face with the food on her plate (picture below), the ears being 2 triangles of the roast. Because of it, she did eat one of the triangles. Success! 🙂
3. Dip and dunk
Offer a variety of healthy dips, such as hummus, nut butters, or yogurt-based dressings, for dipping fruits and vegetables. Toddlers often love the act of dipping and may be more inclined to try new foods this way.
We made some air fried potatoes and offered some of her favorite foods along. Then introduced hummus to dip the potatoes. It was another success! 🙂
4. Themed meals
Turn mealtimes into an adventure by creating themed meals around your toddler’s interests. A “construction site” plate with food arranged like building materials or a “garden party” with edible flowers and vegetable scenery.
This picture below was another try to have my daughter eat more of the pumpkin and quinoa roast. Because she loves when we invent decorations on her plate, she was able to eat the majority of it. Another success! 🙂
5. Lead by example
Toddlers are great imitators, so make sure you’re modeling healthy eating habits yourself. Sit down and enjoy the same foods you’re offering your child, expressing your genuine enjoyment of the flavors and textures.
This was how I was able to help my child love lettuce. I made a good size lettuce salad for myself and in front of her added lemon juice to it. With each bite I would praise the salad, saying it was delicious. That was enough for her to say, “mommy, can I try some?”, and ever since she eats green salads and steamed broccoli, as long as they are sprinkled with lemon juice (which is great to help our bodies absorb the iron in the greens).
6. Give your picky eater (and all your kids) a daily vitamin gummy
This can be done to guarantee the intake of important nutrients such as B12. This is a great one for toddlers and older kids. This is a good source of D3 for your baby.
7. Offer juice fruits and vegetables for readily absorbable micronutrients intake
This one has become a new daily habit for my family since I am pregnant with our second child and I want to guarantee some nutrition for me and the baby (while being busy taking care of the house, cooking, and busy with my 5 year old).
My daughter helps me blend the flaxseeds first in a dry Ninja cup, and then the kale with water. Then we juice in our juicer 4 carrots, 2 small beets or 1 big one, 2-3 apples or oranges. We divide each juiced vegetable or fruit into 2 cups (equal size for me and her), and a big cup for daddy (because that’s all his breakfast and we eat oatmeal too that we make using frozen fruit, old fashioned oats, and water and/or almond milk). We add a teaspoon of the blended flaxseeds to her and mine cups, and about 2 table spoons on my husband’s cup. Flaxseeds have amazing anti-inflammatory properties. Check this video here from Dr. Michael Greger.
8. Serve the juice or food you want your kid to try in their own play sets of plates, cups, etc.
As you can see in the picture above, this one was a super success here at home too since kids are 100% of the time wanting to play. 🙂
Patience and Perseverance with Your Picky Toddler Eater
Changing a picky toddler’s eating habits is a process that requires patience and perseverance. It may take dozens of exposures to a new food before your child feels comfortable enough to try it, so don’t give up too soon.
Offer small portions of new foods alongside familiar favorites, and don’t force or bribe your toddler to eat them. Instead, praise them for their willingness to try, even if they ultimately reject the food.
Remember, taste preferences and eating habits can change rapidly during the toddler years. Foods that were once rejected may become favorites overnight. Therefore, keep introducing a variety of healthy options and trusting that your child’s palate will eventually expand.
Seeking Professional Support
In some cases, picky eating can become a more serious issue that may require professional intervention. If your toddler’s picky eating habits persist for an extended period, leading to significant weight loss, nutrient deficiencies, or developmental delays, it’s important to consult with a pediatrician or a feeding specialist.
They can help identify any underlying medical or sensory issues that may be contributing to the picky eating behavior and provide personalized strategies and support to address the problem.
Embracing the Journey
While dealing with a picky toddler eater can be frustrating and exhausting, it’s important to remember that this phase is temporary. With patience, creativity, and a positive approach, you can help your child develop a healthy relationship with food and lay the foundation for a lifetime of balanced eating habits.
Celebrate the small victories, like the day your toddler finally tries a new vegetable or finishes a full meal without a fuss. These moments may seem insignificant, but they’re all stepping stones on the journey to raising a happy, healthy, and adventurous eater.
So, gather your arsenal of strategies, and embrace the roller coaster ride that is feeding a picky toddler. With time and perseverance, you’ll look back on these challenging days with a sense of accomplishment and a newfound appreciation for the simple joys of sharing a meal with your little one.
Conclusion
This post was all about picky toddler eater. As you navigate the ups and downs of feeding your picky toddler, remember that this phase is just a small chapter in the grand adventure of parenthood. With each bite, each new food tried, and each mealtime victory, you are laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits and cherished family memories.
Embrace the challenges, celebrate the triumphs, and savor the moments of joy and laughter that inevitably arise when dealing with these tiny, opinionated eaters. For it is in these seemingly mundane moments that the true magic of parenthood resides – the patient persistence, the unwavering love, and the unbreakable bond that transcends even the pickiest of palates.
So, take a deep breath, muster up your creativity, and soldier on, dear parents. This too shall pass. Before you know it, your once-picky toddler will be exploring the culinary world with an insatiable curiosity and a palate as diverse as the love you have poured into every meal.
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