Managing Picky Eating

Picky Eating Facts Around 2 years old, a toddler’s growth pattern changes. They grow taller and lose some of their body fat. Toddlers frequently have food jags such as choosing the same food every meal for a short period.

Home Food Safety Avoid nuts, raisins, seeds, grapes, and hard candies Cut hot dogs in quarters lengthwise, then into smaller pieces Cut whole grapes in half lengthwise Chop nuts finely Chop raw carrots finely or cut them into strips

Portions, Portions, Portions Start with offering 1 Tbsp of each food for every year of age Children are overwhelmed by too much food Avoid the phrase “clean your plate”

Toddler Trends Typically, young children like sweets and fried foods They may ask to try something and then leave it on their plate A child may be exposed to a new food 15-20 times before they like it

Tips on Encouraging Healthy Eating Don’t become a short order cook Always serve at least 1 food the child likes Don’t reward eating vegetables with dessert Child needs to be served what the rest of the family is eating.

Suggested Serving Alternatives Mix fruits and vegetables into other foods Doctor up fruits and veggies with sauces and dips Suggestions: Mash bananas into pancake batter Make smoothies Applesauce mixed into sweet potatoes Pears, bananas in yogurt Cheese sauce on cooked veggies Make a dip for fresh fruits and vegetables

What Can You Do? Serve finger foods Experiment with the temperature of food Allow your child simply taste food without having to swallow it