Tips for dealing with a picky eater

Although some toddlers may eat well, a majority of toddlers are usually picky eaters. They will take four or five bites, then refuse to eat any more. This is a cause for worry to many parents who fear that their kids will have nutritional deficiencies and not grow.

Eating is one of the areas your toddler has over and they will normally outgrow this stage, which is often the lead-up to temper tantrums. You can relax and let him out grow the stage as long as he is at the very least eating enough. This however doesn’t mean you cannot do anything. You can try some of the strategies below to get your toddler to eat more.

Grazing

Toddlers will rarely sit down and have three full meals a day so don’t expect yours too. Instead of trying to force him to finish a meal, lay out a plate of healthy finger foods on the table and let him ‘graze’ throughout the day.

You could try steamed or boiled green peas since they are small in size and are not likely to choke your toddler. Other baby-friendly finger foods you can try include tender meat, chopped into small pieces, steamed carrots, green beans, fruits such as watermelons, peaches, and avocado cut into small pieces, scrambled eggs and cucumber strips.

Reverse psychology

Sit around the table at mealtime with everyone else, including the toddler in his high chair and have your meal but pretend that he is not there. Don’t try to feed him. He may feel left out as he watches you eat and reach out or ask for your food. At this point, you can offer him a bite from either food you have prepared for him or something from your own plate. When he seems to not want more and is resistant, go back to pretending he is not there. When he reaches for more, give it to him. At the end of the meal, he will likely have eaten enough. This method might not work very well if you are alone with the baby at the table. However, if you are alone, try reading something while eating. Make sure you don’t make ignoring your child a habit though. Only practice this strategy during the picky stage if other strategies fail.

What not to try

• Don’t insist on finishing the meal. At such a tender age, your toddler won’t understand they should finish their meal before they get off the table. Expecting him to understand is unrealistic.
• Don’t expect your fifteen month old baby to eat without making a mess. This is how they learn.
• Don’t insist that he eats what you have made. Offer your toddler an alternative if he doesn’t want what you have made for him every time. However, be careful not to be trapped into giving in too much and feeding him unhealthy food at all times.
• Don’t push the baby to finish the meal. If he doesn’t want to eat any more, let him be. Insisting will make him pickier.

Instead of spending every waking moment worrying about your picky eater wasting away and trying every trick in the book. If the toddler is not sick, try to relax and let the toddler grow at his pace.