Just when you've finally found a food you can count on your toddler eating they begin to reject it. That's typical for a toddler, but mealtimes can become a real ordeal when your toddler is fussy.
So remember this is normal - and you're not alone! These tips might help you through these 'trying' times!
Some tips to encourage fussy eaters
- Initially, organise your toddler’s meals around the times of the day they are hungry. A natural pattern will develop which you can then begin to set a routine to.
- Let your child eat at their own pace and don’t try and insist that the plate is cleared. Rushing your toddler through a meal puts pressure on them which can reduce their appetite and come across as fussiness.
- If your toddler has refused a food once, don’t give up. You can try reintroducing it again in a few days time. Offer the same food a different way. Some new foods need up to 10 tries before they’re accepted.
- Make sure their eating environment is kept calm and they’re concentrating on their meal – so no TV!
- Stick with small portions to start with and only give more if they’re still hungry.
- A vegetable aversion is one of the most common food fads in toddlers - and one that causes parents a lot of stress. Try serving the vegetable raw or blanched or as a snack. Include vegetables in meals like lasagna or meatballs.
- Remember that fruit and vegetables provide similar nutrients. If your child likes only a few vegetables but eats a good selection of fruit, relax and just keep offering vegetables in different ways.
- Having family meals with your toddler can really help if their natural hunger pattern coincides with your regular mealtimes. Even though every toddler is different, some young children copy the behaviour of other people, so if you are enjoying a healthy meal, your toddler may well watch and learn from what you’re doing.
- Give your toddler praise when they finish a meal or enjoy a healthy snack. It’s also a good idea to talk about the food you enjoy. Things like ‘yum yum this apple is gorgeous’ or ‘this spinach is great’ to emphasise the foods you’d like them to enjoy.
- Avoid force feeding or stand over tactics; this only puts unnecessary stress on you and your child. Bribes, games of persuasions and distractions aren’t the answer and are counter-productive. “You can’t have any dessert if you don’t eat your vegetables”, leads to foods being perceived as “good” and “bad” in a toddlers mind.
The most important thing is to try to be patient! It might seem like your toddler’s tastes are changing by the day, but it’s important to persevere and make sure they get a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet.