6 Things to Know About Picky Eating
Learn about common phases, introducing new foods, and creating a positive eating environment to help your child expand their palate and help with picky eating.
- Picky eating is common among toddlers due to slower growth rates and developing food preferences. Introducing previously disliked foods multiple times can help.
- Food bridges and variety are effective strategies; use their favorite foods to introduce new ones and offer a range of healthy options to expand their palate.
- Eating environment matters; consistent meal times, eating together without distractions, and understanding the difference between picky eating and problem feeding are crucial.
Is your little one a picky eater? You’re not alone! This is a typical phase many young eaters go through. Learn more about picky eating, and how you can help your child with their eating habits.
Children usually become picky eaters when they are toddlers (between the ages of 1 and 3). They aren’t growing as rapidly during this phase, which means their appetite slows down too. This means they’ll develop food preferences, and as a result, may become very picky about foods. Just know it’s not just your child! Many toddlers go through this typical behavior.
☑️ Pro tip from an SLP: If a child is refusing to eat a new food, instead of using the words “you don’t like that,” use phrases such as “you’re not sure about that food yet” or “you’re unsure.” This will prevent children from developing negative feelings about a food, which helps with adding variety to their diet!
2. Their preferred foods may change
One day they may love eggs, and the next day they won’t touch it. Sound familiar? This is expected as children develop food preferences, but also as they develop the ability to sense when they’re hungry (part of the interoceptive sense). While it might not make sense why they have the sudden change in preferences, it’s best to not put up a fight. Instead, let them decide when to eat.
With this in mind, try reintroducing foods toddlers previously disliked. It can take more than 10 times of tasting a food before a toddler develops a preference for it. Their reaction may surprise you—in a good way!
☑️ Pro tip from an SLP: If you suspect your child experiences feeding difficulties beyond picky eating, keep a food journal to track their eating behavior, and bring your concerns up with your child’s healthcare provider. You may be referred to an occupational therapist or a speech language pathologist that can help your child discover new and healthy foods and improve their overall nutrition.
3. “Food bridges” can help reduce picky eating.
What’s a food bridge? This is a term used by nutritionists, and is when a food a child likes is used to help build a bridge to a wider variety of foods. Here are some food bridge examples:
| Food child loves | Try | Then try |
|---|---|---|
| Yogurt | Yogurt with berries and bananas | Berries or bananas on their own |
| Mashed potatoes | Mashed potatoes with broccoli and cheese mixed in | Broccoli on its own or with cheese sprinkled on top |
| Pretzels or crackers | Veggie straws | Thinly sliced carrots |
| Mashed carrots | Mashed butternut squash | Cooked zucchini or summer squash |
Sometimes kids build courage by watching you try different foods. If they are not eager to chew the food yet, model exploring the food first. Do this by touching it, smelling it, rubbing it on your lips (”kissing the food”) or licking it.
4. Offering variety can help overcome picky eating.
When you think of a picky eater, you might think they only like a few foods and that’s it. But the best way to expand your child’s food preferences is to offer them a variety of healthy foods. Try introducing a small portion of different veggies, fruits, and proteins, as well as herbs and spices to give foods different flavors. This helps them to expand their palate and be open to different flavors and textures in the future!
☑️ Pro tip from an SLP: When introducing new foods, even if a child doesn’t want to try it, still encourage put it on the child’s plate or tray. This helps to expose them to the new food, which may make them more open to trying it in the future!
5. Where and when they’re eating is as important as what they’re eating.
With picky eating, we tend to focus on the food as the issue. But the time and place children are eating can also play a role. When eating with kids, try your best to follow these best practices:
- Sit down together at the dinner table. Try to avoid eating on the go, like in the car.
- Try to eat at a similar time each day. This routine can help children regulate and identify feelings of hunger, which reduces picky eating.
- It’s best that there are no screen distractions at the table, so they can focus on the food.
- Observe the way your child eats. Sometimes kids have difficulty eating because of larger coordination and balance issues. This may look like struggling to sit up for long periods of time, dropping utensils often, or having difficulty raising the food to their mouth. Record this in your child’s feeding journal as well.
6. Picky eating is not the same as problem feeding
Problem feeding is much more limited than picky eating. Here are some of the key differences in children’s eating habits you may notice:
| Picky Eater | Problem Feeder |
|---|---|
| Eats at least one food from most texture groups (e.g., crunchy, chewy, mushy), but may not like a variety of food in each group. | Eats less than 20 foods. Refuses particular food textures or colors. |
| Can manage new food on their plate and will try a new food with encouragement. | Progressively phases out foods until their diet becomes extremely limited. |
| If a child gets tired of a particular food, it can eventually be reintroduced. | Gags or vomits when eating certain foods and can’t tolerate being around people eating foods they don’t like. |
