Help, my toddler won’t eat healthy food!

Everyone wants their child to be a good eater. There is nothing more disheartening than trying to feed a child that doesn’t want to eat.

We all want to nourish our children and give them the very best start in life and to do that they need to be eating healthy foods like fruit and vegetables every day.

As a nutritionist and mummy, I often get asked about picky eating and the research in this area is extensive, there is so much you can do to help your child love healthy food, but here are some Q&A’s to get you started. 

Q) Why has my toddler got soooo picky?

Food fussiness is a normal developmental phase, presumed to arise from children having an in-built liking of sweet foods (that are likely to be a good source of energy) and a distrust of bitter foods (that may be poisonous or harmful.)

Babies at weaning age are much more open to new flavours and are more likely to accept a new flavour quicker (3-5 exposures) than a toddler who may take up to 10 exposures if they are being really stubborn!

Q) What can I do about it?

• Offer new foods regularly: the best thing you can do to encourage your child to like new foods is to offer those foods regularly. It is so easy to cook the same meals that we know our children will eat but the evidence shows that the more variety we offer our children, the more likely they are to eat well.
• Don’t pressure them to eat it: just because there are new foods on your child’s plate doesn’t mean they are going to love them overnight, remember what I said with up to 10 exposures? Pressuring children to eat anything has been associated with negative relationships with food later in life, here’s what to do instead….
• Love healthy food: has your toddler every made you laugh with their imitations of you? Perhaps they love hoovering or playing on your phone because that is what they see you do? We know that children love to imitate their parents, this is a process called modelling and it’s how they learn. Use it to your advantage and eat healthy food as often as you can in front of them. Talk about how much you’re enjoying it “what a juicy apple” “Umm sweet carrot” without any pressure that your child should try it too, unless they ask you of course!

Finally, make dinner time enjoyable: your child’s most nutritious meal of the day is likely to be served up when they are most tired. Turn off any distractions and sit down with your child when they eat, perhaps eat a small portion of vegetables with your child if this isn’t the time you usually eat your main meal. 

Use this opportunity to talk to them about the foods on their plate. Make it fun and entertaining “that broccoli looks like a tree!” “I’m going to eat the most peas!” and remember that mealtimes should be a time they feel relaxed and at ease.

When your child feels relaxed, they are far more likely to try something new.

Happy, healthy eating everyone!