Have you ever found yourself negotiating with a tiny dictator about eating a pea? You are not alone. Almost half of all children go through a phase of picky eating, which usually peaks around age three.
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors developed a natural aversion to unfamiliar foods and bitter tastes to avoid ingesting toxins. They also learn to find and store certain types of high-energy, tasty food to avoid going hungry during food shortages.
But the food we eat from an early age shapes our lifelong food preferences and diets. So what can you do if your child is reluctant to eat familiar or new foods, or wants to restrict their diet?
Here are five of the most common types of picky eating – and how to overcome them.
1. Eat only beige or white foods
When it comes to picky eating, beige and white foods often dominate. This is because these foods are:
Familiar – they are the color of breast milk and the food we usually use when introducing solid foods, such as baby cereal
Bland or mild flavors – they don’t overwhelm toddlers with more than 30,000 taste buds (compared to more than 10,000 for adults)
Simple – They are usually soft and easy to chew, appealing to young children developing chewing skills
Non-threatening – They’re the opposite of what our hunter-gatherer ancestors made us avoid: brightly colored and poisonous foods found in the wild.
While it may be tempting to eat chicken nuggets at every meal, a diet consisting only of beige and white foods can be highly processed and low in dietary fiber. This can lead to constipation and the depletion of healthy gut bacteria.
A beige/white diet may also be deficient in vitamins and minerals needed for healthy development and growth, including vitamins B and C and iron.
To add healthier food choices and more color to a young child’s diet:
Mix things up. Combine less healthy beige and white foods with healthier foods, such as white beans and broccoli mixed into mashed potatoes
Make a healthy exchange. Gradually replacing the most popular white breads, pastas and rice with whole wheat versions; For example, mix brown rice into one serving of white rice
Use familiarity to your advantage. In addition to the familiar beige and white foods, colorful food options can be introduced, such as offering fruit to dip into yogurt, or healthy red or green sauces with pasta.
2. Say no to anything but milk
It’s no surprise that toddlers love milk. It has been a constant in their lives since birth. It’s not just about satisfying hunger – it’s there when they’re tired and falling asleep, when they’re upset and need reassurance, and when they’re enjoying intimate time with mom or dad.
It also contains lactose, a sugar found naturally in milk, so it tastes sweet and triggers our hunter-gatherer instinct to seek out foods that are naturally high in sugar to stave off hunger.
The child poured the milk into the cup
Milk isn’t just about satisfying hunger. Ekaterina Borovtsova /Pexels
While dairy provides essential calcium for young children, it needs to be part of a balanced diet. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that young children consume 1-11/2 servings of milk (1 cup = 1 serving), yoghurt (200g = 1 serving) and cheese (2 slices = 1 serving) (or substitutes) per day.
If your child drinks too much milk, they are at risk of iron deficiency, as milk is a poor source of iron and can interfere with our body’s ability to absorb iron.
To keep young children away from milk, try:
Fact-finding. When your child asks for milk, ask questions to find out what they really want. Are they hungry, thirsty or want reassurance? Please provide instead
Eat the solids first. Tempt your child with healthy and fun foods, and offer milk only after they have eaten solid foods
A smaller serve. Use smaller cups for milk.
3. Avoid textured foods
As young children develop sensory and oral motor skills, it is common to refuse to eat foods that are lumpy, chewy, or have strange textures.
It is also common for parents to continue to puree these foods, as experimenting with different textures is often accompanied by unsettling vomiting.
To support your child’s transition to quality food and ensure they are developing the muscles they need to eat safely:
Slowly raise the texture. Start with foods your child likes, such as pureed carrots, then gradually mix to shorten the time to retain some lumps.
If your child vomits, stay calm. Let them know it’s okay and give them time to work it out on their own. After they cough it up, encourage them to take another spoonful or try it again next time.
4. Say no to vegetables
To overcome a young child’s aversion to vegetables, get creative. The appearance of food affects our perception of the taste of food, so the appeal of vegetables can be enhanced by arranging them into interesting plate art.
Extend this creativity by introducing vegetables in new ways, for example, by grinding carrots or kale into muffins and using a spiral mechanism for zucchini noodles.
Focus on serving sweeter tasting vegetables, such as peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes, and bake them to bring out their natural sweetness. Children are more likely to choose sweeter tasting vegetables over bitter vegetables like broccoli.
5. Avoid eating meat
Meat contains protein and iron, but many young children refuse to eat it because of its tough, chewy texture and rich taste.
If you want your child to consume protein daily (for example, 80 grams of cooked chicken or 65 grams of lean cooked beef) but you find this challenging:
Start small. Offer leaner, lighter tasting meat in smaller portions that are easy to chew, such as minced chicken or slow-cooked meat
Involve your child in meal preparation. Let them choose the meat for dinner and have them help prepare it.
As you work to overcome their aversion to meat, you can also offer some alternatives. Eggs, tofu, beans, lentils and fish are also high in protein.