A toddler's temperament can be similar to his or her eating habits - it can change instantly and can be exasperating for parents. Toddlers can become very picky eaters, making it incredibly difficult to feed your toddler a healthy and well-balanced diet. Thankfully there are things you can do to help toddlers eat healthy, even when they are picky - for whatever reason.
How to get your toddler to eat a balanced diet. There are many issues around toddlers being picky eaters and ideas on how to get them to eat. Here are a few of the common dilemmas and solutions.
All of the sudden your toddler won't eat foods he or she loved. This is sometimes called food fatigue and it is not unusual. Adults sometimes experience this too but the difference is that adults can voice their displeasure whereas toddlers haven't acquired the language skills to tell you they no longer like a food and why. Don't overreact and assume that the child will never want that food again. Do be flexible on what you feed your child and don't worry about it. It could be that your toddler is teething or not feeling well, which can cause toddlers to reject certain foods. Just be sure to serve a plate consisting of foods from each food group so that your toddler can find something that he or she would like to eat.
Your toddler will only eat a few foods. Many parents cook food that they think is kid-friendly to entice their toddlers to eat and at times, the toddlers will turn their noses up even at those foods. They might refuse to try any new foods (known as food neophobia) without even tasting them first. No one really understands why this phenomenon is common in toddlers but it is. To try to get your toddler to eat a new food, give your toddler a tablespoon of the new food early in the day but don't pressure him or her to eat it. Also, try to involve your toddler when preparing new foods for meals. And of course, be a positive role model for your toddler. Children are very suggestible so if you want your toddler to eat some broccoli, then Mom or Dad should eat it too. Lastly, keep trying. Don't give up trying new foods as it can take up to 10 exposures to a food before the toddler will accept it and eat it.
Your toddler turns his or her face away from the entire plate of food you serve. Sometimes toddlers need to experience something new and parents need to be creative on serving the foods. Give your toddler a utensil to eat. If he or she has been eating with fingers, perhaps give them a toddler-sized spoon or fork. If your toddler has been eating with such a utensil then perhaps trying giving him or her a full-sized spoon or fork. Try putting the food on a plate with their favorite characters on it. Or if you usually serve the food on a plate, put it in a bowl. Sometimes all that is needed is a simple change for a toddler to show some interest in eating again.