Do you have picky eaters in your family? Does that picky eater happen to be a toddler? As we all know, dealing with the terrible twos is a bit of a harrowing time. Families always hear about how important it is to feed your children healthy foods. But finding healthy foods for picky kids is difficult is said children are reluctant to even cooperate.
Luckily, we’ve provided some tips that help dealing with a picky eater toddler that will make a process a lot easier. Ultimately, they will result in finding healthy food for picky toddlers that they’ll ask for by name eventually!
Number 1: Look at your own eating habits.
Know that phrase “monkey see, monkey do?” This is especially applicable to children. If you are a picky eater yourself, your child will watch your wayward eating habits and will trust your judgement. If you don’t try new foods and have a list of bad foods that span a mile, your kid will feel the same. The key to finding healthy foods that picky kids will like is trying them yourself and leading by example.
Number 2: Take it one step at a time.
Don’t expect your picky eater to love good food right away. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your toddler’s pallet. The goal isn’t to get picky eaters to eat everything. It’s to get them open and receptive to the idea of trying new foods.
Number 3: Give them the illusion of choice.
Toddlers have an inherent need to be in control at all times. While they may not have their best interests in mind at all times, they are in the process of figuring out the world. That being said, this is the time where their choices, thoughts, and feelings truly matter. To help them gain confidence in their own abilities, give them the illusion of choice. Offer them a salad bar or taco bar with lots of toppings and tiny portions of foods to eat. This makes finding healthy food for picky toddlers a breeze.
Food for picky toddlers | Terrible twos | Toddler picky eater