Do you have a picky eater? At a certain point, most toddlers go through a phase of so-called “picky eating” but it’s often misunderstood as a preventable or abnormal toddler stage. In reality it’s completely normal and expected at this age. My 15 month-old is currently in this stage of development. It can make mealtimes a bit more stressful, as she refuses to eat certain foods or insists on tasting everything and then promptly spitting it all out. I worry that she isn’t eating enough, or is only surviving on cheese and applesauce! It seems like one day she’ll love eating scrambled eggs and bananas and the next they are the most disgusting thing she’s ever seen and they promptly end up on the floor. It can be frustrating as a parent, for sure.
The good news is that it’s normal. Katherine Martinelli at The Bump wrote that typical toddler picky eating starts around 18-24 months and they usually grow out of it between the ages of 5 and 6. The bad news is there’s not much you can do about it. It stems from a variety of reasons, from a natural slowdown in growth at this age to a need for independence and even simply a tendency to pick up bad habits. However, some picky eating stems from an underlying medical issue, so if you’re worried about it, always consult your pediatrician.
I’ve done some research and asked some other mom friends for advice who are going through the same thing, and condensed what I learned into four suggestions:
Keep offering a variety of foods.
Our job as parents is to provide good, nourishing food, and it is the child’s job to choose what and how much to eat. Your “picky eater” might despise broccoli one day but find it absolutely delicious the next, so don’t give up on broccoli quite yet. Keep offering it, along with a myriad of other foods to widen their taste horizons, even if they don’t eat much of it quite yet.
Offer new foods alongside foods you know they’ll eat.
The kid’s gotta eat and if you’re anything like me, it stresses you out to think about your baby going to bed with an empty stomach. Right now my daughter loves frozen peas and rice, so I usually offer that alongside whatever else I’m serving.
Don’t force it.
At this age your “picky eater” is not being selective with food out of willful disobedience. They are exploring food through all five of their senses and creating neural pathway to understand it all. You want your child to keep a healthy, happy relationship with food! Making mealtimes a negative experience will only backfire longterm and may result in more serious issues. You may also consider limiting the amounts of food you offer, so it’s not an overwhelming spread.
Keep it consistent.
There’s a lot of power in a regular mealtime schedule. By keeping mealtimes consistent, you can bring your child to the table appropriately hungry and they’ll know what to expect. You determine what, when, and where your child eats, and let your child do the rest.
Picky eaters are a common phenomenon, so in the end, just know that you’re not alone! There are many other parents and children having the same kind of mealtimes as you. Take a deep breath, be patient, and keep it up! This stage won’t last forever.
In the meantime, check out these creative meal ideas for toddlers for some additional inspiration!
Please note: Just a Homemaker and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances
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