Winning strategies for your picky eater

Caring for a young child often feels like a never-ending food adventure. This journey can become frustrating and confusing if your child refuses to eat or only wants cheese. It's especially disappointing when you remember the same child once happily ate pureed peas and squash.

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports it is common and even “normal” for young children to not eat everything you serve. During infancy, your child experienced a rapid growth rate and an appetite to go with it. But as a toddler or a preschooler, their growth rate has slowed down, and they are developing food preferences.

Your child will probably have a couple favorite or preferred foods, and want to only eat that for several days. Be patient. Your child is still growing and developing. Here are some tips to encourage your child and you during mealtime.                       

• Serve small portion sizes.    
• Be a role model by eating a variety of foods.           
• Involve your child in food prep. They are more likely to eat something they helped make.     
• Eat meals as a family and establish a mealtime routine.  
• Offer a variety of foods.           
• Minimize mealtime distractions.          
• Let your child decide how much they eat without pressure or bribes. I know this is difficult, but it helps them learn to self regulate.            

Finally, here’s a sweet story about picky eaters. The book, Nope. Never. Not for Me! By Samantha Cotterill is about a dinosaur-loving picky eater. During the story the caregiver praises the child saying, “You’re a brave ‘Try’ceratops that tried something new.” Check out the list below for more fun picky eater reads.