Simple ways to help picky eaters branch out

Mealtime stress from picky eaters can affect the whole family. Every parent has been there. You know the list of five foods your preschooler is willing to eat this week. But with a few simple tips, you can make the best of a typical childhood phase.

Picky eating is a common experience, often a combination of newly developed independence, caution with new colors/textures/smells, and a decrease in appetite after the baby stage. It’s reassuring to know that research suggests up to 50% of toddlers and young children go through picky eating phases that last several weeks. Chronic selective eating, on the other hand, seems to be present for under 20% of children.

When to worry

A few days without vegetables isn’t going to create a long-term problem, so don’t fret if some days are rather beige. In general, picky eating in children isn’t problematic unless you’re noticing signs of physical struggles or mental health concerns. If your child eats fewer than 15 total foods, they may be at higher risk for nutritional deficiencies. No matter what, if you have concerns about your child’s health, speak with your pediatrician to see what’s typical.

Make a Plan

Successfully navigating picky eating phases is within your control, partly through your premeal preparation and rituals. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition offers excellent tips for proactively managing pickiness before you serve the food.

Share the menu and cooking

When kids help plan the menu and prepare the food, they’re more likely to try new things. Give them a list of meal choices for the week and kid-safe cooking tools. Using “bridge foods” is a good way to help kids select new foods for upcoming menus — “I know you love bananas, and avocados are creamy in the same way. Let’s try adding those this week!”

Keep a food journal

Navigating picky eating can be a challenge because you don’t always know what foods will be off the menu any given week. Keeping a food journal is a great way to notice patterns, though. Make sure to keep track of the food and its method of preparation. Your child might ignore steamed broccoli , but roasted broccoli could be a hit!

Learn about food together

Children like to ask “why,” so tap into that innate curiosity and learn about food together. The more they know, the more interested they’ll be in eating something new. Watch videos, read books, and visit a local farm to learn how food is grown. Discuss how foods give our body a variety of resources. Programs like Kids Eat in Color can provide engaging ways to teach your children about food and its nutritional properties.

Mealtime tips and tricks

The AAP offers advice for serving picky eaters, much of it centered on realistic expectations. A good general approach is to divide zones of mealtime responsibility. Parents decide when and what they serve, while children decide how much (and whether) they’ll eat. Some nights, this division will lead to limited eating, but it will also help you avoid power struggles and meltdowns.

Opt for family style serving

Kids are more likely to eat food if they choose it themselves. While you can’t give them complete control, you can allow them to decide how much of each dish they’ll put on their plate. For toddlers, you can dish the food onto their plates but then let them self-feed. Cut foods into appropriate sizes before you place them on the table to minimize disruptions and allow for more child autonomy.

Include a ‘safe food’

Keep meals simple and introduce only one new food at a time. Stay consistent and serve that new item several times over a few weeks; continued exposure is one of the best ways to help kids broaden their appetite. Make sure to include at least one “safe” food with every meal, though, to ensure your child doesn’t give up on the meal before it’s begun.

Be flexible with expectations

Despite the stress you feel around mealtimes with picky eaters, it’s essential to present an air of calm neutrality. Don’t put too much pressure on any one meal or food. Choose your mealtime rules carefully, and make sure they’re reinforcing the habits your family values. Remember that mealtimes aren’t the only way to get kids to try new foods; introducing something in a relaxed snack box at the park might work better, so embrace the flexibility that comes with this phase.

Avoid bribes or punishments

Remember that your goal is to foster a lifelong healthy habit, not to find a quick fix. Bribing a child to eat or threatening punishments might work in the immediate situation. But ultimately, your child won’t develop a healthy relationship with food and nutrition.

Picky eating is stressful for parents and kids alike, but with a few deep breaths and some expert tips, your family can move on to happier mealtimes.