When Does Picky Eating Stop?

In my life, when something is a problem, I focus extra time and energy on it. This is my overall ‘MO’ in life. Whether it be my post-twins baby weight or the picky eating of one of my preschoolers that stresses their momma out daily and has them mainly eating strawberries, crackers and cheese each day – I make it a focus of mine so I can prioritize putting time and energy into finding more balance and better solutions, that will allow me less stress in the long run with a little more effort now.  

 

 

2. Put out some real food as ‘food props’ at story time. This one sounds funny to a lot of people but – YES! 

Toddlers LOVE story time. They are comfortable, open, interested – this is THE PERFECT time to introduce them to some new foods.

Remember, their food refusal often stems from fear, so introducing them to foods in a setting like story time that they love and are comfortable in, can allow for greater acceptance. 

Simply hand them foods in their whole form (or place them nearby if they’re hesitant to grab them) and then encourage them to explore the foods by saying something like, “here, this is a squash. We’ll read about squashes today. And this is a cucumber. We’ll read about cucumbers too! And these are tomatoes from the neighbor’s garden. They’re so tiny and round, like a tiny ball!” 

Story time is an excellent no-pressure, non-eating, learning setting for toddlers to freely explore foods! 

3. Talk directly about their eating habits with them, in a serious tone. Even if they aren’t yet able to speak back thoroughly, discussing their eating habits in a serious tone can make an impact and create future change at meal time. 

A lot of parents think, my toddler doesn’t really understand yet. But, research shows that toddlers can understand complex conversations far sooner than most parents think and talking to them in the appropriate tone can make all the difference. 

“By as early as 14 months, children are masters at reading social cues: When we get angry, our voices get louder, our movements jerkier, and our breathing more rapid. By contrast, when we’re happy, we tend to speak gently and softly and to move and breathe more slowly.

In other words, no matter what you say, chances are your toddler gets the underlying message”, says Edward Schor, M.D., medical director at the Iowa Department of Public Health, in Des Moines.

Here is an example of how you might talk to your toddler about their eating habits and how you want to help them make some changes, in a more serious way: “I can’t let you only have strawberries, cheese and crackers every day. It doesn’t give your body enough of all the things it needs to grow strong, stay healthy, have energy…. We have to add in more colors! There are so many different foods out there! Some you will love and others you won’t love. That’s normal and ok! Let’s start trying some new foods together and see what we like! We’ll have one new thing with out strawberries, ok? Let’s do it!”

 

When toddlers are comfortable, they are open to being curious and taking the next step on their own. And when they are curious, they start to sniff, lick, even bite new foods! And soon, they are discovering a bunch of foods they like! 

Often times, they are so happy and surprised when they actually find new foods the like. It’s so cute to see them discovering and excited, rather than fearing foods and moping at meal time.

For instance, if we went on a morning walk, we will talk about what we saw – dogs, squirrels, trucks, neighbors. Or, if we are nearing a holiday like a birthday, I will ask what they want for their birthday. 

These type of talks get the toddler focused on the conversation, calm, happy, talking and enjoying. There’s no pressure. It’s a pleasant and enjoyable setting for them. And when they are calm, comfortable and not under pressure, they’re more likely to be open to new foods on their plate.

This blog post I wrote is short and sweet with one more super simple and helpful dinner table strategy that has worked well for me with most picky eaters. 

6. Let them help prep meals (even if it’s just one or two simple tasks like breaking the asparagus or scrubbing some carrots). Start small when they are younger toddlers, and build up as they become older and less messy. A few days a week of helping you prep meals can make a world of difference!

For many picky toddlers I have worked with, this has been one of the most powerful things. 

Getting them involved will not only make them feel happy, they will also feel pride and be more likely to want to try what they created.

7. Have a cupboard or drawer designated with their plates, cups and utensils, and let them grab themselves. This gives them control, power of choice and makes them feel involved. 

All the toddlers I have worked with, including my twins, have loved this. I noticed a huge difference in behaviors around meal times when I switched from serving them their meals and drinks with cups, plates and utensils I had picked, to letting them choose their own and place on the counter for me. 

Toddlers crave independence and autonomy. This is a GREAT way to do that at meal time. It gives them some control, without letting them fully run the show into chaos! 

Letting them do these little things on their own will make them feel involved in the process, in control, and excited about meal time, which in turn, means they’ll be more accepting. They’re an active and functioning part of meal time and won’t feel like meal time is merely ‘happening to them’. 

8. Lift them up to grab some things at the grocery store. 

Another way to give them pride and control around meals. Involving your toddler in the meal process can do wonders for exposing them to all sorts of new foods in a no-pressure setting!

This mix of the aforementioned activities, talks and playful mealtimes, is the perfect recipe for overcoming picky eating. 

 

I’ve worked with more than 20 toddlers and only 4 of those toddlers were not picky. I did a mix of all of this stuff with each of the picky ones, and within a month, each had turned a corner!

 

Some were trying everything and anything I’d offer and would tell me if they liked it or not. Others were slower to become so adventurous, still they wouldn’t fuss over what was served and would try new things on their plate – a bite or more, happily. No tears, no fears, more chill and joy. Fantastic improvements!

 

Here is another blog post I did that really breaks down my beliefs and all the steps I take to overcome picky eating with toddlers. 

 

Remember, give them time, nonetheless be consistent with focusing on helping them make some changes. This will have you saying goodbye to picky eating sooner than later! 

 

As I mentioned before, *give it a month*. Typically, I would see big changes after 1 month.

 

If you find it difficult to read a blog post like this and put the tips into action on your own, not to worry – you are not alone! And that’s why I created the Picky Toddler Challenge – a free, comprehensive 4-week guide to overcoming picky eating that is emailed to your inbox each week.  (I give you clear actionable steps each week for 4 weeks, at which point these things will become routine for you!)

 

It’s so helpful and important to keep in mind that we have to be ok with giving our toddler extra patience while they learn, grow and implement things we teach or tell them. 

 

If we expect them to play one food game, read books one day, touch one carrot and bam! be a less picky eater the next day, we are being absolutely unrealistic which means we will be greatly disappointed. 

 

This is why I really want to emphasize the reality that it has repeatedly taken me about a month, with each picky toddler I’ve worked with over the years. 

 

Give any new strategies or routine changes a try for a month. And I know, a month can feel like foreverrrrrrr with your toddler, especially when you’re helping them change behaviors – potty training, hitting, biting, etc – but rest assured – with time and a consistent plan of action, you WILL see the changes you hope to see. 

 

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