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First up, to a certain extent, “picky eating” is normal.

Yes, 99.99% of little ones will refuse foods at some point, stop eating foods that they loved two weeks ago, and put up a fight at mealtimes. So, rest assured, if you’re reading this you are not alone (trust me, you should see my DMs).

What is Normal Picky Eating?

Food refusal, throwing food, shaking their head “no,” pushing food away, only eating the fruit- is actually all normal. I’d honestly be super shocked to hear that a toddler has never once in their life refused food or shown that they didn’t like something.

It’s important to know that there are “preferences” and then there is true “picky eating” or “problem feeding.” It is totally okay to have preferences. For example, cottage cheese? No way is that going in my mouth. Feta, cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss, pepper jack? Yeah, I’ll eat those by the block. That is called a preference and that is OKAY.

Typically if your little one refuses a food, but they eat other foods within that same food group or consume other foods that provide similar nutrients, its not something to concerned about.

That doesn’t mean to just stop offering foods that are refused. Some babies need 20 presentations or more (some needing close to 100 presentations) to accept the food. For example, I have been offering eggs to my now 20 month old since she was 6 months old. She just now started asking for eggs for breakfast after refusing them for over a year. I kept offering and finally one day she wanted what I was eating. So, keep refused foods in rotation, just don’t put the pressure on them to eat them. Keep those refused foods close by and see what happens!

If your little one says no to foods sometimes but is eating a handful of foods across the food groups that your family eats, there is likely nothing to be worried about.

Yes, it’s okay if your little on prefers chicken over steak for their protein, or berries over kiwi, or peppers over squash. Look at food groups as a whole and see what your little one eats in there. If you’re noticing that one food group is a little light on foods, now is a good time to focus on that food group.

Look at Nutrition

We want to look at nutrients as a whole when looking at the foods your little one eats! If your baby or toddler eats a handful of iron-rich foods, high-protein foods, healthy fat foods, fruits, vegetables, dairy products- that is good! Even if they have “limited” diet across food groups, they are likely getting a decent spread of nutrients across their preferred foods.

For information about baby’s iron needs (one of the most important nutrients when starting solids especially), check out this blog!

Look at Texture

Pickiness isn’t just about different foods. It’s about texture, too. Along with the number of foods your little one is eating and the different food groups they will eat, we also want to look at the textured foods they are managing. For example, I won’t touch cottage cheese. But, I will eat rice pudding, lumpy corn pudding, crunchy peanut butter, tuna salad, etc. Again, I have food preferences, which is okay!

If your little one refuses some foods but eats foods that are similar in texture to that one, it’s likely not something to be concerned about.

This texture hierarchy from our Moving Past Purees Handbook can help you see all of the textures, all in one place.

Signs of Picky Eating

Now that we know what is “normal,” let’s dive into what would classify a little one as a “picky eater”:

If they have eliminated an entire food group or texture profile or refuse to eat almost all foods in a food group or within a texture profile
If they consume less than a handful of foods or do not eat enough variety for different meals to be served regularly
If there are concerns with weight gain or nutrition
If parents are very stressed out about what their little one will eat due to pickiness or food refusal
If most mealtimes are very challenging or contain lots of crying, yelling, or general negative experiences

If you are battling picky eating and want some help navigating that, we have several feeding specialists on our team that can help!

What Causes Picky Eating?

Many research studies have found that staying on lowered textured foods for too long can contribute to picky eating (1). A longitudinal research study found that parents who introduced texture before 10 months of age were less likely to label their child is “picky” in toddlerhood (2). So, while we aren’t able to say that something for sure causes picky eating, we do know that texture plays a large role!

If you are just starting solids, keep in mind that offering a variety of textures early on is the best way to prevent picky eating! Try to keep purees, mashed solids, and soft solids in rotation. TIP: To make it easier on yourself, offer one food within different textures (e.g., a slice of banana, mashed banana, pureed banana) at the same meal, so baby can continue to enjoy the food if they are having trouble with a certain texture.

We expect little ones to go all the way through that texture hierarchy by about a year of age, so if your little one isn’t quite there yet, or is stuck on lower textures, the Moving Past Purees Handbook is a great resource that can help!

Picky Eating Tips for Parents

Keep these tips in mind as you are offering meals to your little one:

Portion Perception

Remember this general rule: 1 tablespoon per food per year old. Yep, that’s all you need to offer. If your little one is 1 year old, it’s only expected that they eat about 1 tablespoon of each food on their plate (2-3 foods offered is typical for this age). If they are 2 years old, 2 tablespoons and so on! Of course, you can always offer more, but keep these portions in mind as you start meals. It’s not necessary to join the Clean Plate Club at every meal!

Less is MORE

You don’t need to offer an entire plate of food (yes, despite what social media is showing you with these perfectly curated buffet style looking toddler plates). Too much food can be very overwhelming. Try only 3-4 pieces of food in front of your little one at a time and see what happens. Offer more foods as they show signs they want more.

Fruits are your friend.

Yes, it is A OKAY that your little one likes fruits! Not only are fruits super nutritious, they have a higher water content making them a great constipation preventer! Did you know that most vegetables are actually fruits (squash, pumpkin, peppers, etc)? Fruits also pair very nicely with dips and other “purees” that can help get your little one interested in other foods. And yep, a smoothie jam-packed with fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats is a great snack! We actually have an entire Smoothie Recipe Book for free here!

Food prepared impacts food consumed.

When you include your little one in the PROCESS of making foods (e.g., making a smoothie, putting cheese on pizza, mixing a bowl of ingredients), they are MORE LIKELY to eat the food once it’s placed in front of them. Toddler towers are a great way to get them up to the kitchen counter. Food prep activities take the pressure off of eating, and once that pressure is removed, they are more likely to explore the food themselves.

Location, location, location.

If your little one is starting to melt down the second the meal starts, it’s time for a relocation! If they are old enough to try a booster seat or toddler stool, use it! Or just pop their high chair on the porch or in the backyard for a change in scenery. It’s amazing what a little change can do.

Stay Positive at Mealtimes

Remember, fostering a positive relationship with food can really set the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits. By incorporating creativity and a bit of playfulness into your daily routine, you can turn mealtimes into everyone's favorite part of the day. You’ve got this!

Wherever you are on your feeding journey, we can support you:

Sources:

Taylor CM, Emmett PM. Picky eating in children: causes and consequences. Proc Nutr Soc. 2019 May;78(2):161-169. doi: 10.1017/S0029665118002586. Epub 2018 Nov 5. PMID: 30392488; PMCID: PMC6398579.
Pauline M. Emmett, Nicholas P. Hays, Caroline M. Taylor, Antecedents of picky eating behaviour in young children, Appetite, Volume 130, 2018, Pages 163-173, ISSN 0195-6663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.07.032.