I would venture to say at least half of toddler visits include some form of statements like “She won’t eat anything!” or “He’s a picky eater and only likes chicken nuggets!” Etc… Take comfort in knowing you are not alone!

Your toddler is starting to develop taste preferences, and it can be a tricky process. Favorites foods might be pushed away & accompanied with “I don’t like that,” even though they ate it just the day before. For weeks, they may just eat 1-3 foods they “want” and nothing else.  Believe it or not, it’s normal. Please don’t worry or get frustrated with your toddler. Keep offering healthy choices and let patience do it’s perfect work, so to speak.

Here are some tips I tell my patients to help with that “I only eat chicken nuggets” kiddo:

1. Share the meal together- That’s right- make it a family thing! Make one meal for the family and include a “safe” item your child likes and go from there. Resist the urge to make something else if your child refuses what’s on the plate. Model healthy eating and stay consistent offering an average of 4 items at meal time so they have some variety.

2. No pressure- When your child refuses to eat, try not to pressure or punish them for not eating their meal.  This can actually lead to food aversion in some cases.

3. Don’t give up- Keep giving your child healthy new choices over and over again. It can take more than 10 exposures before your toddlers may actually eat certain foods.

4. Make food fun-  Creating a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes may attract your toddler to exploring the new foods.  I’ve personally purchased these fun and exciting tools to help cultivate meal time fun!  https://amzn.to/3Ps6t55

5. Allow your toddler to listen to their body- If they are hungry they will eat...eventually! Most toddlers choose one meal to eat and tend to be “picky” the rest of the day. Limit snacks close to meal times, so your child can listen to those hunger cues.

6. Create tiny chefs- (This should be a TV show,) and get your kids involved! If you didn’t make a mess, did you even cook?😏😂

**Doctor Schutt’s blogs may include some affiliate links through trusted companies like Amazon. Purchases made using these links may earn Doctor Schutt a small commission.  She uses those small commissions to create content like this to help with her mission in growing healthy children and empowering parents in her community and nationwide.  She donates a percentage of this commission to organizations that share her mission and values.