Your child has an innate sense of how much food his body needs to grow and be healthy, and it's up to him to decide what he's going to eat. The best thing you can do is to provide a wide variety of healthful foods in a positive, relaxed environment so that mealtimes will be enjoyable for everyone.
Here are some specific tips on how to handle a picky eater:
1. Serve a variety of good foods for your toddler to eat at each meal. When you do offer a new food, simply place it on your child's highchair tray without making a a big deal about it. Make sure the food you choose is age-appropriate.
2. Introduce new foods one at a time and in small amounts. Instead of offering an entire meal of unfamiliar foods, for example, offer standard fare or favorites along with something new. Always offer a meal that includes at least one thing you know your toddler likes.
3. Use toddler-size portions. A serving of bread for a 1-year-old is only 1/4 slice, and a serving of rice, potatoes, or pasta is only about 2 tablespoons — much smaller than an adult serving size.
4. Understand that some children's palates are more sensitive than others' and they simply won't like the texture, color, or taste of some foods. That's why a child might claim to dislike a food he has never even tried.
5. Look for ways to boost the nutritional value of the dishes your toddler enjoys. Add some wheat germ or tuna to his macaroni casserole and little chunks of fruit to his favorite cereal, for example.
6. Resist the urge to offer sugary foods in an effort to get your toddler to eat more. You want to develop his sense of culinary adventure, not his sweet tooth!
7. Minimize distractions at the table. If a sibling is running around nearby, your toddler may have trouble maintaining interest in the food being served.
Here are some specific tips on how to handle a picky eater:
1. Serve a variety of good foods for your toddler to eat at each meal. When you do offer a new food, simply place it on your child's highchair tray without making a a big deal about it. Make sure the food you choose is age-appropriate.
2. Introduce new foods one at a time and in small amounts. Instead of offering an entire meal of unfamiliar foods, for example, offer standard fare or favorites along with something new. Always offer a meal that includes at least one thing you know your toddler likes.
3. Use toddler-size portions. A serving of bread for a 1-year-old is only 1/4 slice, and a serving of rice, potatoes, or pasta is only about 2 tablespoons — much smaller than an adult serving size.
4. Understand that some children's palates are more sensitive than others' and they simply won't like the texture, color, or taste of some foods. That's why a child might claim to dislike a food he has never even tried.
5. Look for ways to boost the nutritional value of the dishes your toddler enjoys. Add some wheat germ or tuna to his macaroni casserole and little chunks of fruit to his favorite cereal, for example.
6. Resist the urge to offer sugary foods in an effort to get your toddler to eat more. You want to develop his sense of culinary adventure, not his sweet tooth!
7. Minimize distractions at the table. If a sibling is running around nearby, your toddler may have trouble maintaining interest in the food being served.
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