Have you ever struggled with getting your toddler to eat new foods? Well, you’re not alone! Picky eating is actually a normal part of toddler development, and every child goes through it to some degree. The way parents react to picky eating can have a big impact on whether it gets better or worse. In fact, there are 7 common mistakes that parents often make when trying to encourage their child to eat new food. Mistakes like using bribes, pressure, hiding new food, and letting the child graze throughout the day can actually make the picky eating phase longer and more difficult to manage. But don’t worry, there are simple fixes for each of these mistakes that can make the process much easier for both you and your little one. By avoiding these mistakes, you can make the fussy eating period shorter, easier to deal with, and end up with a child who is willing to eat a wider variety of food. So let’s dive into the top 7 mistakes and learn what to do instead to help make this picky eating phase as stress-free as possible.
Understanding Picky Eating in Toddler Development
Picky eating is a normal part of toddler development. Even the best eaters go through a period of fussiness and food refusal. It’s important for parents to understand that this behavior is completely normal and not a result of anything they have done wrong. However, the way parents react to picky eating can have a significant impact on whether it gets better or worse.
Common Mistakes Parents Make
There are 7 common mistakes that parents often make when trying to encourage their child to eat new food. These mistakes can inadvertently make picky eating worse and prolong the phase.
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Using bribes: Offering rewards or incentives for eating new food can actually decrease a child’s preference for that food. It sends the message that the new food is unpleasant and needs to be rewarded with something better. Instead, it’s important to avoid using bribes and allow the child to develop their own taste preferences.
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Using pressure: Pressuring a child to eat, whether through coaxing, punishment, or force-feeding, can create anxiety and stress around mealtime. This stress response can shut down the child’s appetite and suppress their hunger, making them less motivated to eat. It can also lead to a disregard for internal hunger and fullness cues, potentially leading to overeating in the future.
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Hiding new food: While it may be tempting to hide new foods inside a child’s favorite food, it’s not an effective strategy. Children will usually notice the difference in taste, texture, or appearance and may stop eating both the new food and the favorite food. Hiding new food can also erode trust and make children less willing to eat any food given to them.
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Letting the child fill up on liquids: Allowing a child to consume excessive amounts of milk, juice, or sugary drinks can suppress their appetite and make them less hungry for solid foods. It’s important to limit these liquids to two to three servings of dairy per day and encourage the child to eat balanced meals.
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Using distractions: Using screens or other distractions to get a child to eat can result in mindless eating. When children are focused on a screen, they are less likely to pay attention to the taste, smell, and appearance of the food. This can lead to a lack of awareness of hunger and fullness cues and make it more challenging for them to develop a preference for new food.
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Letting the child graze throughout the day: Allowing a child to snack or graze throughout the day can suppress their appetite and make them less motivated to eat regular meals. Structured meal and snack times, with spacing of two to three hours between each, can help regulate appetite and prevent grazing habits.
Benefits of Avoiding Mistakes
By avoiding these common mistakes, parents can help make the picky eating phase shorter and easier to manage. There are several benefits to adopting alternative strategies that promote a healthy relationship with food:
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Shorter and easier phase of picky eating: Avoiding bribes, pressure, and other ineffective strategies can help the child develop a more positive attitude towards food and a willingness to try new things.
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Trusting the child to determine their own food intake: By providing the food and allowing the child to choose how much to eat, parents can foster a sense of autonomy and self-regulation in the child.
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Providing food while allowing the child to choose how much to eat: Understanding portion sizes and respecting the child’s hunger and fullness cues can help prevent overeating and promote a healthy relationship with food.
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Development of a preference for new food through family-style meals and avoiding distractions: By involving the child in family meals and creating a positive eating environment free from distractions, parents can help the child develop a preference for new foods and expand their palate.
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Avoiding suppression of appetite and lack of motivation to eat through grazing: Structured meal and snack times can ensure that the child maintains a healthy appetite and is motivated to eat during regular meal times.
Strategies to Encourage Eating and Trying New Food
To encourage children to eat at the table and try new food, it is recommended to space out their meals and snacks throughout the day, with a spacing of two to three hours. This helps regulate appetite and prevents grazing habits. Offering a variety of foods at each meal and avoiding only giving children familiar foods can also promote exposure to new flavors and textures. Research has shown that it takes 10 to 20 exposures to a new food for a toddler to be willing to try it. Continual exposure to new foods, even if they are not eating them initially, is key in overcoming picky eating.
Solutions for Common Challenges
If a child refuses to come to the table or reacts negatively to new food, there are solutions to address these issues. To address refusal to come to the table, parents can create a positive eating environment by involving the child in meal preparation, setting a regular mealtime routine, and making mealtime enjoyable and stress-free. If a child reacts negatively to new food, parents can introduce new foods gradually, alongside familiar foods, and provide positive reinforcement and encouragement for trying new foods.
Overall, understanding picky eating as a normal part of toddler development and adopting effective strategies to encourage eating and trying new food can make the process easier and help children develop a healthy relationship with food. By avoiding common mistakes and providing a supportive environment, parents can guide their child through this phase and foster a positive attitude towards food.