Are you worried that your child might become a ‘picky’ eater? You’re not alone.

What many parents consider picky eating is often just a normal phase of children learning about food and eating.

Typical Eating Behaviours

The reality is most young children are selective or ‘picky’ about food. As your child learns about food and eating, you may notice that they:

• Are cautious with new foods.
• Accept some new foods the first time you offer them but need more time with others.
• Refuse to eat new foods or change their minds about foods they ate before.
• Eat a food one day but refuse it the next time you offer it.
• Eat a lot one day and only a little the next day.
• Eat one or two foods at each meal.
• Refuse to eat at all.
• Want to eat the same foods over and over again.

It is natural for children to be cautious about food and eating. Your child becomes familiar with each new food by exploring it with their senses. They look at it, touch it, smell it, taste it and eventually eat it. Be patient. You may need to offer your child a food 20 times or more before they learn to eat it! With enough time and exposure, they’ll become more familiar with these foods and be more likely to eat them. Keep in mind that your child’s appetite will vary from meal to meal, and their likes and dislikes may change often.

Helping Your Child Learn to Eat Well

Remember that you are in it for the long haul. You can help your child through this phase and support them to learn the skills related to food and eating by being patient and consistent. Check out Raising Your Child to Eat Well and Feeding Your Young Child (1-5 Years) for information and tips.

Ditch the ‘Picky Eater’ Label!

Instead of seeing ‘picky’ eating as a problem, we can recognize it as a normal part of learning to eat. Shifting our view can help us to refocus on the bigger picture – helping your child develop the attitudes and skills they need to eat well for life, rather than focusing on what your child eats at a particular meal.

Services related to this information:

• Contact your Public Health Nurse.
• 811 HealthLine/Dial-a-Dietitian (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555