Better Childhood Nutrition: 10 Expert Tips to Help You Address Picky Eating

Is your kindergartener still eating the same three foods they’ve preferred since they were two? Do you make separate meals for your grade-schooler because they refuse to eat family meals? 

Whether your child only has an appetite for buttered noodles, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, or boxed cereal, you’re probably concerned about their nutritional intake — and more than ready for them to expand their palate.  

Here, our team at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics provides insight into the common childhood problem of picky eating and offers 10 tips to help you address the issue successfully. 

Picky eating is a common childhood concern

Picky eating is an ongoing pattern of strong food preferences and limited food variety, a reluctance to try new foods, and a rejection of familiar and unfamiliar foods. It occurs on a spectrum ranging from mild to extreme. Your picky eater might: 

• Eat only certain foods or specific textures
• Reject entire food groups, like vegetables 
• Strongly resist trying new foods or textures 
• React to new foods with strong emotions

Picky eaters often go on “food jags,” eating the same food or meal for several days or weeks, before shifting to another favorite. They also tend to prefer snacking instead of eating normal family meals. 

Factors that can contribute to picky eating 

As a parent, you control your child’s food availability and meal frequency. But your child decides whether or not to eat it and how much they’ll eat. Surprisingly, certain parental feeding practices contribute to picky eating, including:

• Pressuring your child to “clean their plate” at mealtime 
• Punishing your child when they don’t try new foods
• Using food as a reward, bribing your child with “treats”
• Only offering familiar favorites, making separate meals

It’s important to recognize that younger children are more likely to be picky as they explore and develop their food preferences. Increased sensitivity to textures, tastes, or smells can also cause kids to develop food aversions that make them pickier. 

Helpful strategies for overcoming picky eating 

Remember, virtually all children engage in “picky eating” at some point — deciding what to eat and what to leave on the plate is a common way for kids to assert their independence. 

But if your child is especially stubborn and selective about their food preferences, or if those limited preferences have lasted long enough to cause concern, you can help them cultivate a better relationship with food by:

The first category of tips is about adjusting the conversation and environment around food. Start by creating a relaxed, low-stress, and enjoyable mealtime atmosphere.  

1. Eat together

Family meals emphasize the social aspect of eating. This takes pressure off a picky eater, giving them space to try new foods of their own accord. It also allows them to see other family members enjoying a variety of healthy foods. 

2. Involve your child

Allow your child to help with simple mealtime prep tasks, like choosing recipes, grocery shopping, stirring ingredients, or setting the table.  

3. Minimize distractions

Use mealtime to connect and catch up with one another — make the kitchen table a phone-free, TV-free zone. 

4. Stick to a schedule

Establish regular meal and snack times to prevent hunger and overeating. A small, protein-rich snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon (i.e., apple slices with peanut butter) can tide your child over without spoiling their appetite for mealtime. 

5. Make it worry-free

Mealtime shouldn’t be a battle of wills. If your child doesn’t want to try something new, simply remove the food without fuss. 

The next group of tips centers on introducing new foods with consistency. Kids with limited food preferences can’t overcome picky eating unless they routinely encounter other foods to try. 

6. Offer new foods repeatedly

It may take up to a dozen attempts before a child accepts a new food; keep trying. 

7. Serve small portions

Don’t overwhelm your child with large quantities of new foods. Instead, encourage them to try a small amount of something new, preferably when you know they’re hungry.

8. Use “food bridges”

Try introducing new foods with similar flavors, textures, or colors to foods your child already likes. 

9. Combine new with familiar

Combine a new food with something your child enjoys (i.e., top their favorite pasta with cherry tomatoes). Make it simple by introducing only one new food at a time.

10. Make food feel fun 

Cut foods into interesting shapes, make colorful plates, or have your child invent their own recipes. Name their creations (i.e., “Jake’s Fabulous Fruit Salad”) and include them in your meal-planning rotation. 

When to seek expert care for your picky eater 

If your child’s picky eating has you worried about nutritional deficiencies, inadequate weight gain, strong emotional reactions, or all the above, we’re here to help. Schedule a visit at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics in Norwalk or Darien, Connecticut, today.