Tips for a picky eater
Your baby is becoming a toddler right before your eyes! She laughs. She waves “bye-bye.” And she may say “no” at mealtimes to most everything you serve. If that sounds familiar, here are some hints for feeding your finicky eater:
- Offer nutritious choices. Serve her whole mashed fruits and vegetables, whole-grain choices, dairy options like cheese and yogurt, and chopped lean meats or poultry.
- Keep at it. A food that's refused today may be accepted tomorrow. It can take several tries before your child accepts a new food. Don't fall into the trap of serving only foods your baby seems to like. Expand her horizons by offering new foods or familiar foods served in a new way, such as mashed banana served on a piece of waffle.
- Be consistent. Serve meals and snacks at the same time each day.
- Eliminate distractions. If the kitchen is too busy, your child may be more interested in the activities than in eating.
- Be creative. Toddlers like bright colors and fun shapes. Coax your child into eating by serving colorful foods, such as melon or cheese cut into cookie-cutter shapes.
- Let her feed herself. Give your toddler control over how she eats. A plastic sheet or large towel on the floor can catch the spills. If she shows interest in using a spoon, encourage her. She may not always get the spoonful of food into her mouth, but if you have a second spoon, you can switch your full spoon for her empty one.
- Allow a little play. Mashed potatoes and applesauce may seem more appealing if your child can finger paint with them first.
- Let her experiment. If she wants to dip her cheese into her peaches, let her. What tastes good to her may not taste good to you!
- Call it quits. If your toddler shows little interest in eating, or shows signs of fullness like playing with or throwing her food, wipe her off and call it a meal.
Handling food jags
Every now and then a child may get into a food rut and insist on eating only one food. Try not to make a big deal about it. Instead calmly present an alternate food—maybe a little finely chopped chicken or some applesauce—on a plate with a variety of other foods. State matter-of-factly that dinner looks good. Then without showing concern, wait to see what happens. Don't resort to coercion or bribery.
Though mealtime may seem challenging at this stage of your toddler's life, your persistence will pay off. You'll be setting the stage for your child to follow a lifetime of good eating habits.
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