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Picky Eating

Tips and tricks for getting the picky eater in your life to branch out and try new foods. Picky eating is listed as one of the most stressful parts of mealtime, so I provide ways to help minimize the stress.

My Toddler Won’t Eat Meat!

toddler won't eat bowl of food in front of her

Believe it or not this is one of the most common complaints I hear from parents. It’s super common for toddlers to suddenly reject eating meat, even if they ate meat totally fine as a baby. There can be many reasons that your toddler won’t eat meat, but most of the time, it’s not something that you need to stress too much about.
If your family is vegetarian or vegan, there is no reason that you NEED to serve your child meat (or any food). This is more for families who usually eat meat, but are finding that their child has been rejecting it.

When Your Toddler Prefers Milk Over Solids

toddler drinking milk

Toddler preferences are a part of parenting. One common concern parents face is that their toddler prefers milk over solid foods. Whether it’s breastmilk, cow’s milk, or a milk alternative, a toddler needs more than just milk to meet all of their nutritional needs. While breastmilk and/or formula make up the bulk of your child’s nutrition prior to age one, after age one, milk should become more of a supplement.

Sensory Play for Picky Eating

picky eater pushing away food and looking disgusted

You were probably told many times to not play with your food as a child, so you may find it very surprising that I am recommending food play to help with picky eating. Sensory play in particular can be incredibly helpful for picky eating. Many picky eaters are hypo-or hyper-sensitive to different sensory experiences, so exploring them during play can help get them more comfortable.

ADHD and Picky Eating

picky eater pushing away food and looking disgusted

Many parents are surprised to find out that there is an association between ADHD and picky eating. It turns out that it is quite common for kids with ADHD to be picky eaters. That doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do about it. Many of the tips that we recommend for neurotypical kids work well for kids with ADHD as well!

Vegetables for Picky Eaters

picky eater staring at plate of vegetables untouched

I am often asked “what are the best vegetables for picky eaters” or “how can I get my kid to eat veggies?” I wish I could just print out a list of vegetables for parents and send them on their way, but as with most parenting things, it’s not that simple. Most of my advice is very personalized depending on the preferences of the picky eater themself.

Hiding Veggies in Food

kid with magnifying glass over eye looking shocked implying that he has found the hidden veggies

Whether or not their child is eating enough veggies is one of the biggest concerns I hear from parents of picky eaters. First and foremost, there is no food that your child NEEDS to eat. It’s totally possible for them to meet their nutrition needs without eating a plateful of veggies. That being said, many parents wonder if hiding veggies in their kids food is a good way to give their kids a little nutrient boost.

Benefits of Working with a Pediatric Nutritionist

teal background with krystyn parks, pediatric nutritionist/dietitian and lactation consultant

I may be a bit biased, but I think that every parent could benefit from working with a pediatric nutritionist. Most pediatricians get very minimal training in nutrition and often don’t have the time to answer questions in depth. Dietitians, however, specialize in just feeding and often our appointments are longer, giving us more time to focus on any area of concerns you may have.

7 Reasons Why Kids Get Picky

hand feeding peas to a picky eater child with mouth closed

You’re so proud, because it seems your baby will eat anything. You think you’ve prevented picky eating and then BAM! Your child stops eating many of the foods they used to love. Sound familiar?
Some level of food preference is expected. There are probably some foods that you prefer and other that you don’t. It’s the same with kids. We all have varying tastes.

Food Chaining for Picky Eaters

Food chaining graphic illustrating example of applesauce to sliced pears with details. Applesauce pouch to bowl to applesauce with diced apples to diced apples to sliced apples to sliced pears.

Put simply, food chaining is a technique where you make gradual changes over time to introduce your child to a new food. You start with a food that your child prefers and make small changes to it. The change can be as small as cutting a sandwich horizontally instead of diagonally. Once your child has accepted one small change, you can begin working on another. Over time, you can introduce brand new foods.

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