It’s common for kids 5 and younger to be picky eaters. Do any of these child behaviors sound familiar?
- Will only eat one or two foods (such as peanut butter sandwiches or mac and cheese)
- Only wants food of a certain color
- Refuses to eat food with certain textures
- Resistant to trying new foods
Despite these behaviors, if your child is healthy, growing normally and has plenty of energy to play, your child is likely getting the nutrition they need.
Young children refuse foods for many reasons
Toddlers and preschoolers may be picky eaters due to:
Independence. Your young child doesn’t have control over much. Being a picky eater may be an attempt to gain some control and independence, a natural part of development. They also may become particular about wanting food they can pick up to easily feed themselves. One of the best ways to help children develop good eating habits is to allow them to self-feed as early as possible.
Taste. Adults lose taste buds with age. Children have more taste buds than adults. This can lead to the flavor of food being amplified. Hence, broccoli can taste bitter to a child.
Temperament. Your child may naturally be more sensitive to a food’s taste, smell or texture due to a temperament trait known as sensitivity.
Your child may simply be full. Children are born with cues for hunger and fullness that allow them to regulate how much they eat. Children lose this internal awareness when adults take over and decide for them how much to eat. Don’t pressure your child to eat when they are not hungry.
It’s normal for eating patterns to vary
After a year of rapid growth during infancy, a toddler’s growth rate and appetite slow down and they need less food. They may start to simply play with their food as they aren’t hungry.
Young children are “on the go,” and this affects their eating patterns. Snacking through the day is more compatible with your busy explorer’s lifestyle than sitting down for mealtime.
At the same time, having a structured mealtime is important for learning healthy eating habits as well as learning the social aspects of eating meals with others. While you should provide three well-balanced meals each day, it is important to keep in mind that most children will only eat one or two full meals each day.
It is also common for children’s eating habits to vary from day to day. One day they eat vegetables; the next day they won’t. Food they enjoyed today, they may refuse the next time it’s offered.
What to do about picky eating
Here are a few ways to encourage your child to eat a variety of healthy foods without the mealtime battles:
- Offer choices. Let your child decide between two food options.
- Enlist their help. Give your child the opportunity to help prepare a meal. This may create a little more “buy in” if your child feels some ownership of the meal.
- Role model good eating habits. Let your child watch you enjoy different healthy foods.
- Offer a nibble tray. Toddlers like to graze their way through a variety of foods. Create a smorgasbord of finger foods in an ice cube tray or muffin tin. Fill the tray with foods such as cut up bananas, small pieces of broccoli florets and diced cooked carrots.
- Allow food exploration. To adults, this may appear to be a child playing with their food, but this type of exploration helps your child learn about the food they are learning to eat.
- Take a dip. Young children like to dip and taste. Try combinations like a cracker and cottage cheese or cut up pieces of bread to dip in yogurt.
- Change the presentation. Kids like to learn and discover. Serve foods in new ways. Try putting food in a bowl with an easy-to-remove lid or use a cookie cutter to make new shapes out of a slice of bread.
- Use your child’s appetite to your advantage. Introduce new foods as the first thing when sitting down for dinner. If your child is super hungry, they may be more inclined to try the new food.
- Continue offering. Keep presenting, not pushing, new and healthy foods. It can take 10 to 15 tries before a child will accept a new food.
- Keep your mealtime routine. Your child may be tired and cranky if mealtime is later than normal. Being overtired can cause your child to be more reluctant to try new foods.
Remember to keep your cool
As your child discovers food likes and dislikes, avoid a power struggle over food and mealtime. Power struggles at mealtime have been shown to actually increase the chances of a child becoming a picky eater.
Don’t force your child to eat a certain food or punish them for not eating well. Allow your child to choose how much to eat. Ask them, but don’t force them to eat. The goal is to introduce the food and allow your child to make their own decisions.
Being a picky eater is usually a passing stage. Continue to guide and encourage your child to make healthy food choices. You can visit the Sanford Fit website for recipe ideas and more information on healthy eating practices for young children.
If you are concerned about your child’s diet, talk with your medical provider.
Learn more
- Making food interesting for your picky eater
- 8 delicious hidden veggie recipes your kids will love
- Video: Try new foods with the cracker stacker
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Nutrition, Parenting
