Is Your Toddler a Finicky Eater?
Many parents worry about their toddlers diets. Generally, it’s not what they are eating, but what they are not eating that concerns parents.
I’ve heard countless complaints of toddlers continuously turning away food that they once loved. As if that’s not enough, toddlers seldom try new foods and tend to eat the same food items over and over again – every day – every meal.
This lack of variety causes a great deal of anxiety for many parents. However, this dependence on the familiar while rejecting the new is a normal phase of development for your toddler. They are both excited and scared of new experiences and they find comfort in what they know.
When it comes to food, they will eat what they want, when they want. There is no real point in trying to force them. If you have a toddler you know what I mean. Simply keep offering a variety of foods and let your toddler eat what they want.
Eventually, their diet will have more variety. In the meantime, take comfort in knowing that your toddler won’t starve themselves and that this phase will pass with time.
Reference: Feeding Your Toddler
Reference: Nutrition Guide for Toddlers
This entry was contributed by Amy Leigh.
April 24th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
My 2 yr old son is a finicky eater! All he wants is either raisens, hot dogs, or chocolate! I try and offer him other foods at meal times so that at least he gets a chance to try it. If he decides he doesn’t want it, then i will make him something else.
April 24th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Just don’t try and force him, and try not to worry, as Amy said, they won’t starve themselves. Try to offer the same foods frequently and really overdo the praise when they try a new food, eventually they will try it, my 2year old son is the same - but at least raisins are healthy
May 13th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Good information! I truly feel this is a real challenging time for parent’s and we do tend to stress about what our toddler is eating — or lack thereof. Howecer, you gave some really good advice, and most importantly, parents must remember that children will grow out of this stage. I always remember my own mother telling me I would never live to be a teenager
I was so picky it was frightening. Needless to say, I made it and quite a few more years :-, so take heart — there is hope.
May 19th, 2007 at 3:04 am
I’d be interested to know how many toddlers outgrew this, and how many just grew up into finicky eaters. I know I haven’t been comfortable to open up my diet until well into my twenties, and my parents insist it’s because they pandered to me as a toddler. It certainly makes me wonder whether there’s such a thing as being too obliging with fussy eaters!!