7 Ways to Get Your Picky Toddler to Eat

As I write this post I have to laugh because this is all so fresh in my mind right now.  My son will be 2 this month and we are entering in the "picky" phase.  It's like he has found a new found independence where he only wants to eat what HE wants to eat.  Sorry mister, I have been through this with your sister and I know how to handle this..  :)

Here are some tips that I used with my daughter and she is an amazing eater. She eats anything I put on her plate.  She went through this same "picky" phase that my son is entering but I find if you use consistency with these tips.. they help ease the fight at meal time!

1.  Give Only 1 Meal

This might be the most important and hardest one.  I make the same meal for my toddler that I do for the rest of the family.  The only difference is how I present it.  I separate out everything so he can see what is all in the meal.  I find that when he can visually see everything he is more apt to try it.  By giving just 1 meal you're showing them that there is nothing else.  If you don't eat this, I am not making anything else.  The moment you make something else you are showing that they don't have to eat that.  Promise they catch on to this pretty quick.  Stay strong mama and be consistent with this!

2.  Small Portions.  

Make sure you're putting small portions of the food on their plate.  Having too much food can be overwhelming.  I honestly didnt realize how much food I was putting on my children's plates until I did 21 Day fix.  By seeing the portions I was supposed to be eating I realized I was giving my child these size portions.  No wonder they couldnt eat it all or felt defeated before they started.  With small portions you give them the satisfaction of finishing the item and make sure to give them a high 5!  A great way to make this fun is to use a ice cube tray or a muffin tin.  Fill each one up with small portions of food and watch them have fun with a little food tasting :)

3.  Limit Snacks.

I'm not going to lie, I fall into this trap often.  Really watch the amount of snack that you give and how close to meal time it is. Having too much of a snack close to meal time could cause them to feel full and not really wanting to eat.  I wouldn't have a snack less than an hour from meal time.  I usually do it an hour and half before meal time and I keep it small.  

4.  Make it Fun.

Get creative!  Kids (and adults too) eat with the eyes first.  Make it visually stimulating and they are sure to try a bite.  So often if you can just get them to take that first bite, they will continue to eat.  

• Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches, pancakes, cheese, and lunchmeat... ect
• Make things mini sized.  ( so often if I say "look at this itty bitty carrot" my son eats it instantly - yeah I dont get it lol) 
• Use a special plate or tray to put food on
• Get creative with making faces on meals with other food items
• Give them toothpicks or child chopsticks to try and pick the food up
• Add a dip! Kids LOVE to dip their foods.  I can't lie - so do I! :) 

5.  Keep At Least 1 Thing Familiar. 

Not recognizing anything on a plate can be overwhelming for a child.  I like to keep at least 1 thing on the plate familiar and something I know he will eat and then add a couple things new to try.  While he's munching on his favorite broccoli I always catch him checking me and his sister out to see how we are eating the other foods and giving it the "squish" test to see if its something he should try.  

6.  Get Them Involved.

Get the kids in the kitchen!  Sometimes just helping to get the items out, placing some grapes on the plate, or putting the PB on the sandwich makes them feel proud of their meal.  When I make Sunbutter I let my son get a stool and hit the blend button for me.  You better believe when its done he wants a spoonful of it to carry around and eat... but he wants nothing to do with a sunbutter and jelly sandwich.  Its all about the involvement.  Seeing how everything made also gives them a sense of what is actually in the meal they are having.  

Ian loves to help me in the kitchen! 

7.  Reintroduce. 

If they don't like it one day, don't let that stop you from giving it again.  So often they are going through a phase.  Maybe its a texture they aren't sure of.  Maybe they are teething and its a little too chewing for their sore gums.  They could just not be comfortable with the food yet.  Keep on giving it to them on different occasions.  When I reintroduce the foods I also like to cook or prepare them a different way to see if it helps them to eat it.

Looking for some easy toddler lunches?  Check out this blog post I did with some of my daughters favorites.      Toddler Lunches