You know your child needs to eat to stay healthy and grow. But there are many times when, no matter what you cook, your toddler won’t eat.

Picky eaters can be a challenge. They simply close their mouth and refuse to taste what you’ve prepared. If you’re dealing with a situation like this, you aren’t alone. It’s a common childhood struggle that’s frustrating for both parents and kids.

But there is hope! With a little bit of patience, some creativity, and the right attitude, you can help your child learn to enjoy healthy foods. Keep reading for nine strategies to help your toddler become a better eater.

What To Do When Your Toddler Won’t Eat

1) Set The Mood

Has your dinner table become a battleground? If your toddler has started connecting mealtimes with fighting, they’re less likely to want to eat. Instead, they’ll be mentally preparing for the argument that’s about to begin.

To reduce meal-related stress, try to make eating a relaxing experience. As a family, create some basic rules for dinner time. You might decide that there’s no yelling allowed or that everyone stays in their seat until the whole family is done eating.

Then, try to make your table an inviting place. Set out placemats or fun place cards. Ask your child to help with this. They can also set out a simple centerpiece, like a vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit.

Once you’ve prepared the table and gathered everyone together, focus on relationship-building strategies instead of what people are eating.

For example, take turns sharing about your day. You can ask everyone to share one good thing that happened and one bad thing. This keeps a positive atmosphere in the room.

It might take some time for your child to learn to relax again at the table, so be patient. And no matter how long it takes for them to eat, stick to the rules you created. Otherwise, you risk recreating the battlefield.

2) Read Books About Food

Take conversations about food outside of the kitchen by reading books about food together. The right book can help open a child up to the idea of trying new foods.

Here are a few you can enjoy:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• How to Eat Pizza by John Burgerman
• Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
• D.W. the Picky Eater by Marc Brown
• Vanilla Bean: A Story About Trying New Things by Katie Turner

As you read, use the stories and illustrations to encourage your child to talk. Have them point to different types of food on the page. Ask them to show you which food in the book is their favorite and which ones they don’t like.

These types of questions help you understand your child’s perspective and give you insight into their attitudes about a variety of foods. This information can help you work through the picky eating phase.

3) Let Your Child Choose And Help

If your child gets to pick what’s for dinner, they’ll be more willing to eat it. Give them a chance to choose their favorite meal. Or, let them select some side dishes to go along with the main dish you’re making.

Once they’ve made their selection, build anticipation before the meal. Tell them you’re excited to eat the food they picked and that you’re looking forward to dinner time together.

When it’s time to prepare the meal, let your child help. Give them age-appropriate tasks to do, such as:

• Stirring ingredients
• Spreading butter on bread
• Pouring a measuring cup
• Scooping ingredients
• Peeling mandarins (once you get them started)
• Using a butter knife to cut bananas

As they help you in the kitchen, encourage them to use their senses. Let them smell the vanilla extract. Give them a bit of bread dough to feel and shape. Have them taste the different spices.

These experiences help create positive memories about food.

4) Limit Snacks

Are you filling your toddler up with snacks throughout the day? If they eat too much between meals, they might not be hungry for dinner. Try limiting them to one snack to see if it helps, or cut snacks out altogether.

It’s also important to make sure any snacks you give your toddler pack a nutritional punch. Offer healthy foods — such as fruits, vegetables, cheese sticks, or whole-grain crackers — instead of heavily processed foods.

Drinks can also be a problem. Certain liquids, like milk and soda, tend to fill a child’s belly more than others. When they’re thirsty outside of mealtime, try giving them a glass of water instead, and limit how much they drink during meals as well.
Your child might complain about these changes at first. They’ve gotten used to the way things are. But if it helps them eat better, it’s worth changing.

5) Remember Every Child Is Different

No two kids are alike. Even siblings can have vastly different tastes. Take your child’s habits and preferences into account before you start switching things up.

For example, if your toddler won’t eat when they first wake up, don’t make them sit down for breakfast right away. Instead, let them color, look at some books, or play on the Learn & Grow App. Then, have breakfast a bit later.

It’s also important to remember that our sense of taste is coded in our genes, and our taste buds send signals to our brains to create our sense of flavor. This means our likes and dislikes can vary widely, and some children may have “pickier” taste buds.

Embrace each child where they are and work from there. Think about what foods they do eat, and serve at least one thing your child enjoys at each meal.

6) Hide Healthy Foods

Hiding healthy foods in foods that your child enjoys is a great way to make sure they’re getting the nutrients they need.

For example, if macaroni and cheese is a favorite, add a bit of cauliflower puree into the cheese the next time you make it.

7) Check Their Mouth

Picky eating isn’t always the diagnosis when your toddler won’t eat. If their appetite changes suddenly, it’s important to look for other potential causes.

Look in their mouth. Are they cutting any molars? Are there any sores that might make eating painful?

If there are, don’t fret about the food issues. Instead, focus on getting their mouth healed. Once they’re no longer in pain, your child should get back to eating better.

8) Try Drinks If Your Toddler Won’t Eat

Not eating and dehydration can go hand in hand. If your child refuses to eat, make sure they’re getting enough fluids. Offer water throughout the day, and praise your child for keeping their body hydrated.

You can also try experimenting with healthy smoothies and shakes. Some toddlers who won’t eat vegetables will happily down an entire green smoothie. It’s a good way to get some extra nutrients into their body.

As you’re working with your picky eater, keep an eye on their overall intake and output. If you notice a sudden change in wet diapers or trips to the bathroom, it could be a sign that they need to drink more.

9) Role-Play Meal Time

Kids learn through play. Help them learn more about food and nutrition by using role-play.

Set up a toy kitchen or turn a cardboard box into a pretend stove. Then, let your child cook for you. Pretend to eat the food they serve and remember to say “thank you.” You could also pretend you’re in a restaurant and let your toddler take your order and bring your food.

While you’re playing, talk about how each type of food makes you feel and share which ones are your favorite. This type of pretend play can encourage your child to have fun and try new foods.

10) Don’t Give Up

Children (and adults alike) tend to love sweet and salty things because our brains associate them with having sufficient nutrition for energy output. And most of us don’t like bitter foods because toxins usually have a bitter taste.

While we certainly want our children to eat healthily and get the nutrition they need, don’t get frustrated if things aren’t going as planned. It can take up to 10 times of introducing a particular food for your child to like it.

This is normal! Just keep offering healthy foods (and hiding them when necessary).

When To Call The Doctor If Your Toddler Won’t Eat

Sometimes, no matter what strategies you try, your toddler still won’t eat. And while it’s normal for kids to be a bit picky, there’s a difference between a slightly picky eater and a toddler who won’t eat anything but a few select foods.

If you believe your child’s eating habits could lead to a medical issue or you’re concerned about their development, talk to their pediatrician.

Most of the time, picky eaters outgrow their poor eating habits. But other kids need help. If your child’s doctor thinks it’s necessary, they might refer you to a feeding specialist for further evaluation or therapy.

Enjoying Mealtime Again

It’s stressful when your toddler won’t eat. But if you have patience and avoid getting frustrated, you can help your child build healthier eating habits over time.

Take it slowly and try one new strategy at a time. Soon, you’ll be enjoying meals together, and when that happens, you’ll be glad you stuck with it.

The Learn with Sesame Street app is an effective tool that helps kids learn and develop their social and emotional skills. With the help of their Sesame Street friends, kids learn how to express their emotions, empathize with others, and create healthy relationships. Explore the Learn with Sesame Street app today!