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| Having a picky eater can be tough, but there are a variety of tips and techniques parents can use to help their toddlers become a little more adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. Check out the ideas and information included here to make your life easier, and |
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your toddler's life healthier.
If you are concerned that your child’s picky eating has lasted for a long time or is very restrictive, speak with your child’s pediatrician.
Quick Links
• Types of Picky Eaters
• Tips for Coping with Picky Eaters
• Tips to Get your Picky Eater to Try New Foods
Try these tips from MyPyramid.gov for getting your toddler to try new foods.
Print or email a PDF to post to your fridge and share with your friends and family.
- Sometimes, new foods take time. Kids don’t always take to new foods right away. Offer new foods many times. It may take up to 15 tries for a child to accept a new food. Kids may not accept the new food that they just tried but they may go back to an earlier food and start to like it.
- Small portions, big benefits. Let your kids try small portions of new foods that you enjoy. Give them a small taste at first and be patient with them. When they develop a taste for many types of foods, it’s easier to plan family meals.
- Be a good role model by trying new foods yourself. Describe its taste, texture, and smell.
- Offer only one new food at a time. Serve something that you know your child likes along with the new food. Offering too many new foods all at once could be overwhelming.
- Offer new foods first, at the beginning of a meal, when your child is the most hungry.
- Serve food plain if that is important to your preschooler. For example, instead of a macaroni casserole, try meatballs, pasta, and a vegetable. Also, to keep the different foods separate, try bowls and plates with sections. For some kids the opposite works and serving a new food mixed in with a familiar item is helpful.
Make mealtime more exciting for your little one with Evenflo’s Smart Steps toddler feeding products. Take a look at our collection of Smart Steps cups, eating utensils, plates and more.