While picky eating can be common in babies, there are many tips that parents can follow to help their child outgrow this habit and in turn, benefit from a diverse and healthier diet.
Picky eating is common in babies, but your child’s picky eating habits do not have to be a lifelong challenge. Waiting idly for your child to grow out of it can lead to a lifetime of poor diet and health.
Without exposure to certain foods, your child could be at a greater risk for developing food allergies. In addition, a diverse diet has many additional benefits for your child including a lowered risk for childhood obesity.
The following tips can help your child enjoy a diverse diet:
1. Food ExposureGetting your child comfortable with food may be the first step your child needs. Having patience in exploring food choices with your child is key.
Aversion to certain foods can start even before it hits your child's taste buds. Offering opportunities for your child to see new foods brings familiarity. Children may need upwards of a dozen exposures to a new food to be interested in trying it.
This means being patient in letting your child observe, touch or even help prepare the food.
If you are exposing an infant to new foods simply having them around the food while others enjoy it is
2. Be A Role Model
Children often want what they can't have. Parents of picky eaters already know this, yet this fact can be used to their advantage.
Observing a loved one or role model eating a food is part of food exposure. Positive remarks about the food and frequency are important. It is harder to expect your child to eat broccoli when they have never seen it on your plate.
Let your child see a new food several times before offering it to them. Show them that you enjoy it as well and don't shy away from discussing it.
Telling your child what you like about your food, the texture, and how it tastes is a good start. Removing some of the mystery from new foods can ease cautious children.
3. Foster mindful eating habits.
Mindful eating is a habit that can start at any age. The importance of food that is good for the body and enjoyable, is a lesson that will serve your child for years to come.
Grocery store trips and food preparation as a family lets your child feel connected to the food they eat. Age-appropriate tasks such as washing vegetables, mixing or measuring are great for exposure.
The key to eating mindfully is to find foods with function and are enjoyable. Letting your child try several healthy options with the same purpose is a compromise. Your child may be averse to spinach, but there are many leafy greens they can try with similar benefits.
Never be forceful in getting your child to accept the importance of a food or food group. A healthy relationship with food is invaluable when raising healthy kids.
4. Be Creative!
Presentation isn't just for fancy restaurants. Children are more likely to eat new foods that have been presented to them in fun shapes, or colors.
Green eggs may be more interesting to some children than an egg presented in the traditional way. Adding themes and pairing alongside favorites is another option.
Think out of the box, but avoid introducing too many new foods in the same meal.
Many parents have turned to bento box meals. These little boxed meals are full of balanced and cute foods that will surprise your child. Letting your child prepare a meal they can't wait to devour may help them forget about the healthy bits inside.
Another creative strategy is to add new or resisted foods into meals they already enjoy. Peas in risotto, or a leaf of kale in their banana smoothie. This allows your child to become familiar with the new tastes hidden in something else.
5. Be Positive!
Your child has a picky eating habit, but they do not have to be a picky eater. Letting your child know that being a picky eater is even an option is a mistake.
Accepting when your child doesn't eat can be difficult. Especially when the picky eating has gone on for a while. The same way disappointment is expressed for not eating, enthusiasm and support should come for eating.
Positive reinforcement for a completed meal can include playtime, games, or fun activities. Verbal support and understanding during mealtime is instrumental.
Eating a new food may take longer for some children, let them take their time. Others may anticipate getting a new replacement if they take long enough to eat. If the meal isn't finished within a reasonable time remove it as you normally would. A second meal should not be offered as a replacement.
Your child may not be hungry, and if they are they can return to the original meal or a similar alternative. Replacing a healthy or new food with a true favorite does not fix anything. It will only reinforce the idea that better food will come if they wait.
Rewarding a child with food for a completed meal is also unacceptable. Guaranteeing desert for a clean plate does not help your child overcome a bad habit. It can do more harm by propping up unhealthy food.
Tip for Feeding Picky Eaters Allergens
If your little one is a picky eater, it might be difficult to incorporate top allergens like peanut, egg, and milk into their diet on a consistent basis. To help make introducing allergens easier for parents, Ready. Set. Food! has created the only allergen feeding system that grows with your baby. From mix-ins to bars, we've got you covered.
Start with Stage 1 Mix-Ins:
- Gradually introduce peanut, egg, and milk in the exact amounts used in the landmark clinical studies – you don’t need to worry about figuring out the correct dosage yourself
- Easily mix the packets with breastmilk or formula, so you can start Ready. Set. Food! even before baby is ready for solids
Then, keep feeding baby peanut, egg, and milk with:
- Stage 2 Mix-Ins, which easily mix with breastmilk, formula, or food
- Organic Baby Oatmeal (3 allergens) – the first and only oatmeal with allergens already inside, in Original and Banana flavors (for babies 6+ months)
- Organic Purees – The first and only purees with allergens already mixed inside, in Daniel Tiger Banana Blueberry, Daniel Tiger Apple Banana Carrot, and Apple Peach Cinnamon flavors (for babies 6+ months)
And once baby is ready, add in our Grow products to easily introduce 9 top allergens (add tree nuts, soy, wheat, and sesame along with peanut, egg and milk):
- Stage 3 Mix-Ins, to mix with baby’s favorite foods (for consistent solid eaters 6+ months)
- Organic Baby Oatmeal (9 allergens), the first and only oatmeal with allergens already inside (for consistent solid eaters 6+ months)
Plus, after your little one’s chewing a variety of textures, they can enjoy delicious snacks with a purpose from our Thrive stage:
- Organic Puffs: Maintain exposure to 9 top allergens (8+ months)
- Organic Oat & Fruit Bars: Maintain exposure to 8 top allergens (12+ months)
All of our Ready. Set. Food products are organic and unsweetened, with no artificial additives. Give your baby the best chance at food freedom with Ready. Set. Food!
The Window Of Opportunity For Introducing Peanut: New Study Findings From the LEAP and EAT Trials
Results from the landmark LEAP and EAT studies have shown that intr...
Best Finger Foods For Babies (And When To Start Finger Foods)
When to move beyond the spoon and start baby's journey with finger ...
6 Reasons Why You Should Introduce Allergens
Landmark studies and medical guidelines recommend that you introduc...
7 Ways to Feed Your Toddler More Iron
Iron is an essential mineral for your toddler’s brain health and ov...
How To Know If My Toddler Is Getting Enough Protein?
Protein supports your toddler’s growth, helps build strong bones an...
How Much Milk Should Your Toddler Drink?
How much milk should your toddler drink in a day? Find out the reco...
All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If your infant has severe eczema, check with your infant’s healthcare provider before feeding foods containing ground peanuts.