Have a picky eater or snack lover on your hands? No need to fret. Whether your toddler eats everything under the sun or finds meal times to be no fun, we can help! Led by Registered Dietitian and Certified Pediatric Specialist, Vanessa Thornton.
My two year old used to eat everything but over the past couple of months he has turned incredibly picky. He likes fruit... won’t touch vegetables or anything green for that matter. Mostly just likes eggs, meatballs, turkey, chicken, fries, Mac and cheese. Simple stuff. I feel like I kept trying to give him new foods but he just doesn’t touch them or throws them on the floor. I hate wasting food but should I keep trying? Thanks!
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Vanessa T.
Great question. Toddlers can be challenging, but you're doing everything exactly right. Keep trying! At this age, we often see kids go on "food jags"- they'll love a food for a few weeks, then suddenly want nothing to do with it! They also might go through phases of only wanting a few key foods. This is totally normal and the key word here is phases-- these picky eating habits are usually temporary. To avoid encouraging long-term picky eating habits, you just have to keep offering a wide variety of food. I recommend using dinner as a time to work on this. Offer two "comfort" foods like meatballs and fries, then one "challenge" food, like broccoli. Keep offering the same "challenge" food every night for up to one week and see if he will slowly start to accept it. If he doesn't eat it right away but will allow it to stay on the plate, consider that a win and keep working from there. |
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Becky Thanks for the advice and tips! It is funny because he likes ketchup but he will just lick off the ketchup and not eat the actual food! Pretty gross! |
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Vanessa T.
Kids sure are funny, aren’t they? Let me know how it goes. Good luck! |
My toddler only wants to eat snacks throughout the day and rarely eats a full meal. Is this normal?
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Vanessa T.
This is very common! Toddlers have smaller stomachs than adults, so small, frequent meals work well for their bodies. The key is to make sure to keep all meals and snacks planned throughout the day. This age group responds well to routine, so plan to provide them with healthy options every 2-3 hours. Frequent eating only becomes a concern when it turns into grazing. Some toddlers will want to graze on snack foods throughout the day- who wouldn't want to eat Goldfish crackers all day instead of broccoli at dinnertime? If this is the case, it is time to set up more structure for your child. Offer fruits, vegetables and high protein foods instead of snack foods and do not allow grazing between meals. This will help them tune into their hunger cues and feel more satisfied throughout the day. |
We are in a breakfast rut - it is always oatmeal, cereal, yogurt or frozen waffles. Any recommendations for other healthy and easy breakfast foods? Even better if I can make them ahead and freeze. Thank you!
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Vanessa T.
Hi Jessica, variety at breakfast is always tough for some reason! The key is to find a few good proteins your kids like and vary the additional ingredients to keep it interesting. Here are some ideas: |