Picky eating in toddlers: what is normal and what helps

Many toddlers who ate everything as babies suddenly refuse vegetables, want the same food every day or eat very little at some meals. This is common. Growth slows after the first year, so appetite often drops, and wariness of new foods is a normal stage.

A helpful division of roles

Feeding specialist Ellyn Satter describes a simple split. Adults decide what food is offered, when and where. The child decides whether to eat and how much. This takes the fight out of mealtimes, and most children eat enough across a week, even when single meals are small.

What helps

• Offer new foods again and again. Many children need to see and taste a food many times before accepting it. A small amount next to familiar foods is enough.
• Eat together. Children learn by watching adults enjoy food.
• Keep regular meal and snack times, so the child arrives hungry but not overtired.
• Limit milk and juice between meals. Filling up on drinks reduces appetite for food.
• Let them help. Washing vegetables or stirring makes food more familiar.
• No screens at the table. Children eat more attentively when they can notice hunger and fullness.

What usually backfires

• Forcing, hand-feeding a child who is refusing, or chasing them with food.
• Using dessert or sweets as a reward for eating vegetables.
• Cooking separate meals on request every time.

When to ask for advice

Speak with a doctor if your child is losing weight or not growing as expected, often gags, chokes or vomits with food, eats only a very small range of foods that keeps getting smaller, or if mealtimes cause serious distress. A doctor may involve a nutritionist, speech and language therapist or occupational therapist, depending on the cause.