Picky eating is a common behavior in early childhood. As a parent of a picky eater toddler, getting your child to try new foods can be challenging. You want your kid to have a healthy and balanced diet, but mealtime can become a battle. This guide will share 10 practical tips to help your picky eater toddler try new foods. These tips are especially helpful for parents with kids who may have sensory processing difficulties or aversions to certain textures, tastes, or colors. By following these tips, you can make mealtimes more enjoyable and less stressful for both you and your child.
Table of Contents
Set a Positive Eating Environment
SPONSORED BY: Goally
Goally’s Kid’s Tablet has one of the largest libraries of skill-building videos (like “How to Share” and “What To Do When You’re Lost”) in the Goal Mine app.👇
Creating a Positive Eating Environment Can Help Your Picky Eater Toddler Feel Comfortable and More Willing To Try New Foods.
Mealtime should be a calm and relaxed experience. Avoid pressuring your child to eat or using food as a reward. Instead, focus on enjoying each other’s company and conversation. Turn off the TV and other electronics, and create a distraction-free environment. In addition, involve your child in setting the table, choosing the dishes, and even the decor. This can help them feel more invested in mealtime and create a positive association with trying new foods.
Start with Small Portions
Introducing New Foods Can Be Overwhelming for a Picky Eater Toddler.
Start with small portions, and don’t force your child to eat more than they want. If your child takes a few bites and decides they don’t like a particular food, don’t worry. Please encourage them to try it again another time. Another helpful tip is to introduce new foods when your child is hungry. A hungry child is more likely to try new foods and may be more receptive to different flavors and textures. Finally, be patient and don’t give up. It can take several tries for a child to accept a new food, so keep offering it in small portions over time.
Get Creative with Presentation
A Picky Eater Toddler May Be More Willing To Try New Foods if They’re Presented in a Fun and Creative Way
Try preparing fruits and vegetables into fun shapes, arranging food in a colorful pattern, or using a fun plate or utensils. Make mealtime a fun and exciting experience. Another idea is to involve your child in grocery shopping or picking out produce from a farmer’s market. This can help them become more familiar with different foods and make them more willing to try them.
Encourage Independence
Encouraging Your Picky Eater Toddler To Be Independent Can Be Helpful in Getting Them To Try New Foods.
Read more: Food Ideas for Picky Eaters
Let them choose what foods they want to eat, and allow them to serve themselves. This can help them feel more in control and willing to try new things. Another idea is to involve your child in meal planning or grocery shopping. This can help them feel invested in the process and more willing to try new foods. Finally, avoid being overly critical or negative about their eating habits. This can create a negative association with food and mealtime, which may make your child more resistant to trying new foods.
Introduce New Foods Slowly
Introducing New Foods Slowly Can Be Helpful for a Picky Eater Toddler
Start by introducing one new food at a time and be patient. It can take several tries for a child to accept a new food, so keep going if they don’t like it at first. Another helpful tip is introducing new foods similar in taste or texture to foods your child already likes. For example, if your child likes mashed potatoes, try introducing cauliflower mash as a healthier alternative. This can help your child become more familiar with new foods and make them more willing to try them.
Make Food Fun
Making Food Fun Can Be a Great Way To Encourage Your Picky Eater Toddler To Try New Foods
Try turning mealtime into a game by having a taste test or a “food adventure” where you explore different flavors and textures. Another idea is to involve your child in cooking or meal preparation. This can make mealtime more enjoyable and help your child become more familiar with different foods.
Get Creative with Recipes
Getting Creative With Recipes Can Be Another Way To Encourage Your Picky Eater Toddler To Try New Foods
Look for recipes that include ingredients your child likes and introduce new flavors or textures. For example, if your child likes spaghetti, add some vegetables to the sauce or use a different pasta type. Another idea is to let your child choose a recipe and help with cooking. This can make mealtime more enjoyable and help your child become more invested in trying new foods.
Offer a Variety of Foods
Offering a Variety of Foods Can Be Helpful in Getting Your Picky Eater Toddler To Try New Things
Try offering a mix of different colors, textures, and flavors. This can help your child become more familiar with different foods and make them more willing to try new things. Another helpful tip is to offer foods in different forms. For example, if your child doesn’t like cooked broccoli, try offering it raw with a dip.
Be a Good Role Model
Being a good role model can be an important factor in getting your picky eater toddler to try new foods
If your child sees you enjoying a variety of healthy foods, they may be more willing to try them too. Avoid negative comments about food or body image, as this can negatively affect mealtime. Instead, focus on enjoying a variety of healthy foods in a positive and non-judgmental way.
Be Patient and Persistent
Finally, It’s Essential To Be Patient and Persistent When It Comes to Helping Your Picky Eater Toddler Try New Foods
It can take several tries for a child to accept a new food, so keep going if they don’t like it at first. Keep offering small portions of new foods over time, and avoid pressuring your child to eat. With patience and persistence, you can help your picky eater toddler become more adventurous with food and create a healthy and balanced diet.
Goally | Apps To Support Child Development
Looking for fun ways to help your child learn life skills? Try Goally! The Goally tablet comes with award-winning learning apps and video classes to help kids develop the skills they need to become independent with FUN & evidence-based practices.
Our apps teach executive function, language, emotional regulation, finger dexterity skills, and more.
As your child develops new skills, you can increase the difficulty level of the tasks in the app to challenge and motivate them even further. This helps your child grow and progress at their own pace, while also keeping them engaged and excited about their development.
Helping your picky eater toddler try new foods can be a challenge, but it’s important for their health and well-being. By following these 10 tips, you can encourage your child to become more adventurous with food and create a healthy and balanced diet. Remember to introduce new foods gradually, involve your child in meal planning and preparation, and make food fun and enjoyable. With patience and a positive attitude, you will be able to help your picky eater toddler develop a love of healthy food that will last a lifetime. And for additional support and resources, don’t hesitate to check out Goally’s website and products.
This post was originally published on 04/06/2023. It was updated on 06/27/2023.
Goally
We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.
