Feeding a Picky Eater

Be creative, stay patient and calm, and continue to offer new foods

Why is your child refusing to eat foods or eating less?

• How they are feeling – they may be tired or stressed

• Distractions – they would rather play or watch TV

• Pressure – if a child feels pressured to eat something, they will not eat it

• Taste – some children have a sensitivity to taste, smell, shape and texture

• Fear – some children are fearful to try new things

• Drinking too much – some children fill up on milk or water

Work on building healthy habits!

1. Offer a variety of foods
   - Integrate finger foods into their meals such as sandwiches or cut up vegetables
   - Offer a new food in combination with familiar foods when your child is hungry
   - Offer new foods regularly starting with a small amount
   - Don’t feel discouraged: It may take up to 15 times for your child to like a food!
   - Make food interesting and fun by using different shapes, textures and colours

2. Make a routine
   - Having a regular meal and snack time helps children. It leaves space between eating to allow your child to build an appetite
   - Offer 3 meals and 2-3 snacks daily in child-sized portions with child-sized cups, plates, and utensils
   - Limit sweets and snack foods such as candy and chips
   - Limit sweet beverages such as juice
   - Limit milk to no more than 3 cups each day as it can replace other foods
   - Offer water to satisfy thirst in between meals

3. Make meals fun!
   - Eat meals as a family
   - Be a good role model – eat well as a parent, and eat a variety of foods
   - Encourage all family members to eat healthy
   - Avoid distractions during meal times by turning off the TV
   - Let your child leave the table if they are full – they don’t like to sit for too long
   - Let your child help you when you plan and prepare meals

4. Give your child a choice
   - Parents get to make a lot of decisions during meal time.
   - Parents decide which foods to offer, when to offer them, and where everyone will eat
   - Let your child decide how much they want to eat and respect their decision if they want to refuse

References

City of Toronto. (2018). Feeding your child. Retrieved from http://www.toronto.ca/community-people/children-parenting/pregnancy-and-parenting/parenting/feeding-your-child