How to Go from Picky to Eater
The dreaded picky eater. Nobody wants their kid to become a picky eater, but every kid will go through a phase involving this. So how do you get that toddler that will only eat bread to expand their horizons and try some new foods? Here I’ve compiled my favorite tips and tricks to help get your picky eater to try more variety in their meals.
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Demonstrate Good Habits
Kids, especially toddlers, are the best imitators. When they see their parents eating healthily and (at least pretending) to enjoy it, they will follow, eventually. I have found that my son is far more likely to eat his vegetables when my husband and I are also eating the same thing. He is more likely to eat more food when he has a fork that looks like ours (make sure you only give age-appropriate utensils though). Demonstrating good eating habits is the absolute best way to ensure that in the long run, your child will also have good eating habits.
This is also true in many other aspects of life, from exercise to kindness. Kids love to imitate their parents. So instead of grabbing fast food for dinner, make a salad for yourself. Show your child that you are making healthy choices and they will, eventually, follow in your path.
Don’t Fight your Picky Eater
Mealtime is not worth fighting over. If your picky eater is throwing a fit about what is presented to them at mealtime, getting upset yourself it will only make things worse. Instead of trying to “force” them to eat something they don’t want to eat, simply present them with different options and allow them to choose what they do and do not want to eat. This will reduce your stress and your child will pick up on that. The less stressed you are, the less likely they are to get worked up. Stay calm and collected throughout mealtime so that they understand that they will also remain calm.
In the end, it’s most important to just make dinner time a calm, family time. Getting everyone upset is not worth it. We all want our kids to be eating healthy, balanced meals and we don’t want to have to cook a separate meal for them when they won’t eat what you prepared. The goal is to be able to prepare one, healthy meal, that the whole family will enjoy, even your once picky eater! I’m still working toward this myself and often end up needing to modify meals for my son’s taste or modify meal plans to fit his taste. Following the following tips consistently is slowly bringing us closer and closer to this ultimate goal.
Don’t Put Pressure on Mealtime
Mealtime needs to be fun and pressure free! This is kind of a subcategory of not fighting, but keeping the pressure out of mealtime is super important. You can encourage your toddler to eat their broccoli without pushing it on them too much. Once they are older, there is always the old “no dessert unless you eat your veggies” trick, but as a toddler, this simply would not work.
In addition, you don’t want to make a big deal over it if they do eat it. A simple “thank you” would suffice. Let them know that they did something good, but don’t roll out the cheerleader routine for eating a bite of chicken! If you cheer when they eat certain foods, that only shows them that they should expect it every time and once you stop cheering, they may stop eating again. If you make it just a natural part of mealtime, they are more likely to continue eating the food.
Pick One Challenge Food
A challenge food is something that you want them to eat, but they won’t. For example, if you really want them to start eating blueberries, that is your challenge food.
Once you pick a food, consistently present that one challenge food at every meal for a week. The other items should be items that you know your child will eat. Some children simply don’t like anything new. This is all about exposing them to the food enough so they are comfortable with it. It also helps if you eat that challenge food in front of them so they see that it tastes good.
After a week, if they haven’t started eating that challenge food, switch it for another. Try that new food for the next week before returning to the other one. I’ve seen this work several times. Once the old challenge food is presented again, they recognize it and are willing to at least try it.
Make Eating Fun
Have a “Friend” at the Table
Get a small toy, a favorite character or a doll that you can designate as the “feeding toy”. You can have your child “feed” this toy their challenge food. This adds an element of play to mealtime that helps relieve the pressure and the fun can help them to become more curious.
I used cookie monster for this. My son would “feed” cookie monster a bite, and then I’d ask him to take a bite. It worked wonders. Within a couple days, he was eating foods that he had been refusing! I will admit, that using cookie monster started to promote other bad habits that I am not working to break. You know how cookie monster eats? That’s the bad habit I’m trying to break now. So I might suggest picking a different character!
Fun Shapes
For many toddlers, cutting food into fun shapes is a great way to get them to eat. Make little stars, heart, cars, dinosaurs, or any other shape. This is another way to bring more fun to mealtime and keep your child engaged throughout mealtime. There are lots of kid specific products made to cut shapes into foods, or you can simply use some regular cookie cutters!
Fun Plates for a Picky Eater
This is another way to keep your little one engaged. There are a lot of different plates that make mealtime like a board game or simply look like something fun. Again, it’s all about keeping them engaged during mealtime. Here are my favorites.
Fred and Friend’s Dinner Winner Dinner Tray Board Game
Constructive Eating Construction Set or Fairy Garden Set
Silicone Suction Plates in Fun Shapes – Like EZPZ, QShare, or Silvio
Read about Eating
There are some really fun books out there like I Don’t Like to Eat Ants by JTK Belle. In this book anteaters discuss the importance of trying new things in a fun picture book. I have found that reading books like this about any subject is a great way to introduce a concept and help kids learn. Picky eating is no exception.
Picky Eater Conclusion
With a combination of staying calm, reducing pressure, implementing consistency, focusing on one food, and adding fun to mealtime, you can get your picky eater to try more and more foods. This takes a lot of time and patience on our part as parents, but it is worth it if you are stressing yourself about wanting your child to eat more variety.
Are there any foods that you want your kids to eat that they refuse? What are your go-to meals? Let me know below and subscribe to be the first to know when all of my toddler-approved, healthy recipes!
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54 Comments
Emma
I wrote a post along the same lines as this….I think picky eating comes to them all! We’ve come out the other side now, but I know I’ll have to go through it with my other two at some point. I agree I think the main thing is to stay calm, it too shall pass! #blogcrush
Kat
Yes! We go through stages but just keep offering and it’ll pass every time.
Daydreams of a Mum
I like the idea of a challenge food , to build up familiarity. Makes so much sense but an idea I’d never heard of when my tribe were littler. I was a dreadfully picky eater as a child and unfortunately I still am , I don’t seem to ever have grown out of it so I certainly didn’t want my lot ending up picky .
Congratulations , someone loved this post so much they added it to our #blogcrush linky
Kat
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it! I think its so important to get kids to easy a variety.
Shernette Williams
omg those plates are so fun! I love to make food fun, especially with picky eaters!
Kat
Same here! Makes mealtime less stressful so they eat more!
Mom in the Six
I am definitely going to try having a “friend” at the table. Thanks for the tip!
Kat
It helps a lot! Hope it works for you.
Shamanth
Thanks for sharing. This is going to be very useful for me in coming years,I am new mother,will give these a try when needed.
Kat
If you’re lucky, you won’t need to use this! It’s been my experience that most kids go through at least a brief picky period though.
Alexz
I’m going to try these ideas. We have a very picky 4 year old. I really Like the plates too!
Kat
Fun plates can make a big difference!
LaToya
My son is at the picky eater stage and he refuses to eat meat. I find these tips to be beneficial, thanks for sharing!
Kat
I hope it helps. My son went through that and now he devours chicken and steak!
Meagan
I love the plates! My now 11 year old was a super picky eater since she was 2 and turned herself into a vegetarian. I have learned not to fight eating as long as they are eating something healthy, they will eat when they are ready
Kat
Exactly!
Renee S
These are really great tips! I am such a picky eater I know how difficult it would be with a child but luckily my child takes after his dad and eats anything and everything!
Kat
Mine did at first, then found some pickiness. He goes through stages!
Maranda Brakenhoff
These are awesome tips! My girl just started eating foods but if she is anything like her mom then she might be a picky eater. Thanks, girl!
Kat
Thank you!
Sanaa Brooks
Yup! I learned the hard way not to fight her. My daughter is picky, but that stems from me being picky as well. LOL So I understand but it’s still frustrating. So I let her have a choice. Or I bribe. LOL If you want ice cream, you’ll have to eat your vegetable. It works. I’m also noticing that she doesn’t eat certain things because she doesn’t like the taste. If I make it myself, she’ll eat it.
Kat
It’s good to understand how your child works and thinks! Helps that it’s how you think as well.
Megha
loved the tips. though my baby is just 2 months old but these tips will really help me in future!!!
Kat
At 2 months old you can start going on short walks with the stoller if you want!
Ashley @ Hello Nature
Yes to all of these! Letting my little girl choose has been so helpful in all aspects of our life. I think she likes being involved and it makes my life so much easier.
Kat
I think it’s so good to let them exercise their will, otherwise it jusy becomes a battle!
Melissa
I love these tips! I especially love that they aren’t all about hiding them because I think there are other ways to get kids to eat different foods as you have mentioned! Thank you for sharing.
Kat
Yes! I’ll admit that I do sometimes hide veggies as well, mostly in puree form, but that’s as much for my husband as for my son!
Jackie
I really like the challenge food idea and am going to give it a try! Thanks
Kat
I hope it works for you!
lex
These are some amazing tips! We are starting to feed our daughter and I am HOPING she’s not picky!!
Kat
My son didn’t start off picky, but found it later! Good luck!
Rose
I like the suggestion one food everyday for the week. I don’t know how to do that with anything other then fruit. Like meat specifically but, it would be nice for them to realize it can be changed , added to different meals and maybe you will like it one way. Picky eaters are the worst.
Kat
With meat you can cook it in batches and freeze portions. You can do the same thing with vegetables. That way you just defrost enough for each day!
Floby
Love the ideas. It iz true that having a table buddy works. I have used the same method with my kid. Happy eating toddlers.
Kat
Thanks!
Diane
Love these ideas and tips! My almost 3 yr old would only eat fruit if I let her! But we’ve talked about how she needs to eat protein to have energy to play, and that’s helped a lot. 🙂
Kat
My son at 2 is the same. Loves his fruit!
lola
Gosh my daughter is 2 and she is the pickiest eater ever!!! She will only eat cereal, pasta, pizza and one or two fruits geez, I have bought so many plates etc but she wont eat them. We should be using fluoride toothpaste now and she would not try anything new cause they do not look like her previous toothpaste, can you imagine!!! I will keep presenting food to her, maybe someday it will be over haha. Thanks for the tips!!
Kat
I’m sure it will pass. Hopefully these tips helo. My brother-in-law only ate 5 specific things as a toddler and then as a teenager you couldn’t find anything he wouldn’t eat!
Amanda Dover
Great tips! I have a picky eater and we have had success with the game plate! We also try and make it a game when not eating. For the longest time she called green beans “dragon tails” and peas “dragon eyes” because it made them fun for her to eat!
Kat
Perfect! Doesn’t matter what they are called if it gets them to eat it!
Liz
Great tips and my favorite is eating dinner at the table as a family. I have older kids but we have always made it a priority to eat dinner as a family.
Kat
I think it is so important since they get to see your eating habits. Plus it’s great bonding time as a family!
Christy
Love the cookie cutters!
Kat
Thanks! Great sets and make mealtime a lot of fun!
Mom's Best 10
I love all the products in your ‘make it fun’ category! We’ve had so much luck with the ezpz mat!
Kat
Thanks! I love that one too. We use it for going to restaurants!
Lisa Wingerter @ https://meandmymomfriends.com
I love your blog so much because I seriously feel like you are writing directly to me. I can relate to everything I read here. My son is 3 and deep into his picky eater phase. His diet basically consists of hot dogs, french fries, fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, and soup. He refuses to eat most meats. Will not touch noodles of any kind. Has an irrational fear of bread (seriously, you hold out a piece of bread and he runs). But I have decided not to fight it. As long as he eats something relatively nutritional. Also we have started doing “No thank you” bites. He has to at least take one bite of whatever we give him, and he has the option to say no thank you if he doesn’t like it. It has helped expand his “toddler approved” foods a little.
Kat
Aw. Thanks so much! At least your son is eating veggies! There are so many ways to get protein in the diet. My son will eat meat, but is currently on a veggie strike.
I love that rule though! My parents had a 1-2 taste rule. I’ll be doing something like that soon, but my son is still a little young. I tried and he didn’t get it yet.
Rebekah
Staying calm And not pressuring or forcing them is my biggest struggle! Just eat the food!!!! Haha but you’re right, not worth the empty belly (and late night wakes) later!
Kat
Exactly! And with less pressure, eventually curiously will win.
Tiffany Day
Thank you so much for this! I feel I have everything down but consistency. We also don’t eat at the table as a family but in front of the T.V. I will have to work on 1 food a week and use it as a bonding time with no pressure.
Kat
Doing it at the table will help too. I’m breaking the habit of having t.v. on in the background bc it can be so distracting!