Fussy Eating

Most toddlers go through a fussy eating stage at some point. This can be pretty frustrating for parents who were used to a baby who ate everything on her plate.

Toddlers go through all sorts of phases and fussy eating can range from refusing vegetables, only eating one or two foods (pasta and ketchup for instance) or having a complete no-food ban.

Before you start panicking, it is worth remembering that your toddler will never voluntarily starve herself and if you view what she has eaten that week, rather than that day, she has probably had a balanced diet.

The key to good eating habits is to introduce your toddler to as many different fresh foods as possible, making sure there are different flavors, textures and colors. Better still, start introducing as many different flavors to your baby before she hits the fussy toddler stage so she is used to a variety of foods.

Tips to help your fussy eater

• Try not to battle it out too much with your toddler. If you make too much fuss about her fussy eating she will realize she gets attention from doing it. If you ignore her pickiness to a certain agree she may get bored with it and start eating everything again.

   

• Avoid saying things like, "She’s such a fussy eater", or "She never eats carrots" in front of her – these can become self-fulfilling prophecies if said within her earshot!

• Try to have family meals together so your toddler can see her family enjoying their food. This normalizes food and puts greater attention on the family being together rather than what you are eating.

• Don’t be a fussy eater yourself. If you refuse to eat vegetables, what messages are you sending your child? Eat a variety of foods and eat the same meal (as much as possible) that your toddler is eating.

• Make food fun: involve your toddler in preparing her food. Get her to arrange a face out of vegetables on her plate; let her help you sprinkle cheese on a pizza or add sauce to pasta; have picnics out or go to child-friendly restaurants and let your toddler pick what she wants to eat.

• Never force-feed your child. If she refuses food, offer her something else and try again another day. And remember, you can dish things up in more than one way – potatoes can be mashed, roasted or baked; carrots can be raw or steamed, sliced or diced etc. Other tricks are to disguise vegetables in pasta sauces.

• Take her shopping with you and get her to choose the foods she likes. Ask her what she wants for lunch but give her a choice from a few healthy options – for example, a jacket potato or cheese on toast. That way she will feel as if it has been her decision.

• Avoid having potato chips, chocolate and junk food snacks in the house so that they don’t become an alternative to more healthy options.
  

• When introducing a new taste, don’t say, "You have to eat this." Instead, say: "You can try this is you want," so she has a choice.

• Praise her when she finishes all her food or tries something new.

• Try not to bribe your toddler by saying, "If you eat your vegetables you can have some chocolate." You need her to eat without being rewarded for it.

• Forget table manners for now and accept that mealtimes will be messy, elbows will be on the table and your toddler will talk with her mouth full! All this can be addressed once you have passed the fussy stage.

• If you are worried your child is not getting all the different foods she needs from each food group, look at other foods in each group to find alternatives that your child enjoys. If your child doesn’t like cheese, offer yogurt as a good way to get calcium into her.

• Is your toddler drinking too much milk? Your toddler should be drinking 16-24 ounces a day: a cup at breakfast, a mid-afternoon cup and a bedtime cup. Don’t offer milk instead of food, and if she is thirsty during the day and at mealtimes, offer water.

• Toddlers have small stomachs so you may be feeding her too much. Try offering her six smaller meals instead of three bigger ones to see how she gets on.

• Is she eating her dinner too late? Eating together as a family is the ideal but if you tend to eat late she could be refusing to eat because she’s tired and cranky.

If you have any unanswered questions, use our answers page to gain wisdom from other parents or our resident experts.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.