Is Your Child a Picky Eater? 10 Tips to Make Mealtime Easier

It can be challenging when a child has feeding differences (often called picky eating). As a nutritionist, I understand that mealtimes can turn into stressful battles for both parents and kids. The struggle can be rooted in various things, like sensory sensitivities, anxiety around food, or simply a strong preference for certain tastes or textures.  

"Picky eating is common in young children. I am often more surprised when a parent does not report any increased selectiveness with food at certain ages. It can be a strong source of parental anxiety," says Dr. Eileen Murray, a pediatrician at Elliot Pediatrics at Bedford. "However, when it starts to become a bigger familial stress or impacting the child's health, it is important to seek guidance from your child’s health care provider to determine if it is age appropriate or a bigger health concern."  

If you're navigating these challenges, here are ten tips to reduce everyone’s stress and help your picky eater develop healthy eating habits:

1. Accept a division of control: As a parent, it is our responsibility to provide healthy options, but your child decides whether they’re hungry or like the food. 

" Giving a child a sense of control can be a great tool around these challenges. Parents can offer choices and provide limits/structure but allow the child to determine how much of the meal they eat. This can offer the child an opportunity to feel a sense of control around their food, without totally allowing them free reign over their diet," explains Dr. Murray. "It also facilitates a healthier relationship with food and our senses of hunger/fullness." 

2. Variety is the spice of life: Offer a variety of foods and limit the repetition of less healthy options. Kids crave variety! 

3. The rule of fifteen: Offer a food up to fifteen times before expecting acceptance, without forcing it on your child. 

4. Use familiar foods as bridges: Introduce new foods by linking them to familiar favorites. 

5. Be a role model: Your child learns by watching you. Be sure to include a variety of foods on your plate and aim for colorful meals! 

6. Do your best to avoid over-encouraging: Pressuring your child to eat can have the opposite effect.  Instead, offer opportunities and gently reintroduce foods.  Aim to keep the emotion out. 

7. Involve your child in food prep: Involve your child in cooking, shopping, and preparing meals. This helps to pique their interest in different foods. 

8. Serve appropriate portions: Avoid overwhelming your child with large portions. 

9. Resist the urge to use rewards or punishments to encourage your child to eat: Avoid bribes or external incentives, as they can create unhealthy associations with food. Instead, practice patience and consistently reintroduce foods that your child may have rejected, allowing them to develop their own positive relationship with eating. 

10. Consistent approach to refusals: When your child refuses a food, remain calm, offer a plain alternative, and allow them to try the food later.  Be consistent with the plain alternative. It never changes!  The hope is your child will tire of this plain alternative and eventually try the meal refused. 

Patience is the key to expanding your child’s diet. Talk to their pediatrician if you become concerned about your child’s picky eating impacting their health. They will have specific advice for your child and may refer you to a registered dietitian for specialized help.  

Dr. Murry’s advice for parents is simple. "Parents should always feel comfortable asking their child’s health provider for help. Pediatricians can provide support, ease your anxiety about eating issues, or start the process to pursue more diagnostics and supports, such as a pediatric nutritionist." 

Finding the right pediatrician helps keep your child healthy and offers you peace of mind. The Elliot’s world-class pediatric team is always here for you. 

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 Michelle Olsen, RDN, LD is an outpatient dietitian with Elliot Center for Advanced Nutrition Therapy.  For more information about our pediatric practices, visit our website. Looking for a pediatrician? Call Provider Match at 833-920-7473.