In the past 3-4 months, Sawyer has become a very picky eater. It is mostly with fruits and vegetables, and it can be very sporadic at times. One day, he may eat two helpings of carrots, and then not dare eat any more for a month. He will eat Buddy Fruits and other pureed type fruit snacks, but forget the real thing.
I know that this is a common issue for toddlers, so I did a little research on the internet. I wanted to find out what I could to help the situation. I don’t want to be worried that Sawyer isn’t getting enough necessary vitamins and minerals and I want meal times (especially dinner) to be less stressful. So, here is what I found….
Helpful Posts for Dealing with Picky Toddlers
1. Tips for Picky Eaters – This blog post at Crazy About My BayBah was the first one I found, and very helpful for us. I didn’t realize that toddlers like to “graze” more than sit down and eat a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since reading this article, I have been allowing Sawyer to each a variety of foods several times a day. As long as they are healthy, I’m okay!
2. Tips for Picky Eaters – Healthy Baby Beans is written by a dietitian/mom, so I feel good taking her advice. The article lists lots of ideas for toddlers that are refusing to eat one type of food. For example, if they never want veggies, let them eat more fruit. If they are turning their nose up at milk, there are many other ways you can still incorporate dairy into their diet to ensure they are getting calcium.
3. Feeding the Picky Eater: 17 Tips – Dr. Sears, the amazing children’s doctor, provides a long list of helpful tips for picky eating toddlers in this post. One of the best takeaways that I have found is the idea of letting your children dip or spread condiments onto their foods – no matter what they are. Sawyer is a ketchup eater, so we have found that if we give him a small dollop of it on his plate, he’s more likely to eat any type of meat - and sometimes other foods.
4. Is Your Son a Picky Eater? - Of course, the tips offered in this post at Blogging ‘Bout Boys would be appropriate for girls too, but I couldn’t help but want to raise my hand when I saw the title! I really like her idea of getting artistic with meal time. We have been trying to incorporate different colors onto our plate in order to grab Sawyer’s interest. It’s not working that great, but still, it exposes him to a variety of foods that hopefully he will love one day!
About Kecia
Great article! I will share for you and I already pinned.
Clancy
My largest tip as a parent is try not to fret when you kid doesn’t eat. The anxiety, anger, or (insert emotion) that you are feeling can actually make the situation worse. The second tip is to not introduce too many new foods at once as it can overwhelm children who don’t want to try anything new. Instead opt to serve something you know they love with something new.
My daughter is the worst eater. It is a constant battle that I struggle with. I usually try to reward with her favorite- a hershey kiss if she eats a good meal- but that doesnt always work. Really great article!
I love this advice, thank you! I had a friend who was determined to not let her toddler “graze” no matter what and I was shocked because that would NOT work at our house…..they eat when they’re hungry and I think that’s a good thing to teach.
Ohhh, picky eaters. It seems like kids go through stages with food. First they’re picky, then they’re not, then they are. What they like one day they hate the next. I just keep offering the same foods several times, unless it’s something that they absolutely have not ever indicated liking. One idea that works great not only for food but for outfits and outings is to offer choices that you pre-approve. If you have a child who does not like most vegetables, pick out three vegetables that *you* approve of, then let him have his pick of those.
Thank you for these links! My toddler didn’t used to be picky until I went on bedrest for my pregnancy and her daddy took over meal prep. Now she is refusing so much food to his frustration. These articles will help him so much! I have told him to offer her a variety but he just doesn’t want to have to go to the trouble, which is part of the problem.