Tips for Picky Eaters

Tips for Picky Eaters

Keep Trying. Offer a new food multiple times.

• If your child doesn’t want new food, that’s okay! You can always try it again later.
• Many kids need to see and taste a new food several times (15 or more!) before they learn to like it.

Kids learn to like new foods by:

• Having them offered over and over.
• Having them served with familiar foods.
• Seeing friends, older kids, and grown-up eating these foods.
• Tasting them prepared in different ways.
• Picking out their food from 2 healthy choices that you offer.
• Starting with small amounts.

Try new foods in different ways:

• Serve fruits and vegetables raw with a side of dip.
• Steam, roast, and bake veggies—and fruits, too!
• Warm fruits like apples, pears, and peaches for a softer texture.
• Try frozen or canned fruit—but make sure to find ones packed in 100% juice or water.

Taste new vegetables:

• If your children are unsure of vegetables, top them with cheese sauces, peanut sauces, ranch dips, and pesto to make them more appealing.
• Mix vegetables with foods that your kids already like.
• Try vegetables as pizza toppings for more color and flavor!
• Hide vegetables in mash potatoes or in sauces like spaghetti sauce.
• If you find a vegetable that they like, keep serving it!

What does your child eat?

• Knowing what tastes your child prefers can help you figure out which new foods they might prefer.
  • If your child likes sweet foods, try sweet tasting vegetables like carrots, parsnips, or beets.
  • If your child enjoys bananas, they might like other soft fruits like avocados. They may also enjoy soft canned fruits and vegetables.
• Get more good ideas from these sources:
  • https://www.choosemyplate.gov/browse-by-audience/view-all-audiences/children/health-and-nutrition-information/preschoolers-picky-eating

Provide many healthy options, but let kids serve themselves.

• Kids like to make choices. Let them do that by providing many healthy options that they can choose from.
• Start out small. Give them a spoonful. If they like it, they can get more.
• Let children eat how much they would like—whether that be a lot or a little. Forcing them to eat a certain amount will not create a fondness for the food.
• Have fresh fruit ready to eat:
  • Chop and store fruit in the refrigerator.
  • Store whole fruits on the counter.
  • Have canned fruits in the pantry.
• Keep salad or easy-to-grab vegetables in the fridge during the week.
• Store frozen vegetables in the freezer and microwave later.
• Cookies and crackers can be an occasional treat.

Every child is different.

• Every kid has different tastes, just like every adult. Some children will be adventurous, and others will need time to get used to new foods. Patience is the key!
• Because all kids have different tastes, you shouldn’t compare your child’s preferences to others of the same age.