Tired of your child’s picky eating? Learn how to win over your little foodie and get them to try new flavors.

Being a picky eater is an integral part of being a child. Just like many other perfectly normal but exasperating behaviors in toddlers, the growing need for independence and control (yes, even at this age) is a significant contributing factor — and mealtime is the only place where they can exercise some control.

Many toddlers are also resistant to change — and trying new foods is a big change. Others may simply have sensitive taste buds and prefer bland foods for now.

Tips for Getting a Picky Eater to Try New Foods

Your child will likely outgrow their picky eating habits in due time. But in the meantime, there are ways to encourage them to finish a meal.

Get Your Child Involved in Food Preparation

Your picky eater may be far more interested in trying something new if they’ve had a hand in putting it together. Take your child shopping at the market or a local farmer’s market and let them help choose the foods they’d like to eat.

Once you’re home, let them help prepare the meal. Even a toddler can mix fruits into yogurt or squirt mustard onto bread.

Or, try planting an herb or vegetable garden in a corner of your yard or on your windowsill. Let your child help water the plants and watch them sprout. Encourage them to taste what they’ve grown.

Offer Them Choices

Fill your picky eater’s plate with several different foods, though at least one should be something they already enjoy. Then, encourage them to explore one of the new foods — touch it, smell it, and examine it — to make it more familiar to them.

Or, try giving them two options: “Would you prefer bananas or peaches with your cereal?” By allowing your child to choose what they eat, you satisfy their appetite for autonomy.

Don’t Be Too Pushy

It’s okay to encourage your child to “try” a new food (or even an old one). But if they refuse, don’t pressure them, bribe them, or even say “just try one more bite.” You won’t win this battle, and standing firm might backfire, making your child associate food with frustration.

Remember: you’re responsible for serving the food — your toddler is responsible for how much they decide to eat.

Try the “Food Chain” (or “Food Bridge”)

This simply means serving foods that are similar to what they already like. For example, if your child eats melon, try offering them a little ripe melon — they might eat it right up. If they like tortellini, they might also enjoy ravioli in the same bowl. If they’re a fan of sliced zucchini, try placing some thin slices of seedless cucumber on their plate.

Present Food in a New Way

Maybe steamed carrots aren’t their thing — but mashed carrots might be a great option. If yogurt isn’t a good choice, try giving them a yogurt drink or squeezable yogurt in a tube. A child who dislikes tofu might like pureed soy in their mouth instead.

Host a Playdate (and a Meal)

Children learn a lot from other children their age. Arrange a lunch with your picky eater’s friends and discover what they enjoy eating — then invite them over and let them be great role models. Food always seems more appealing on someone else’s plate — especially when it comes with the approval of a best friend.

Give Foods a New Name

If your child loves broccoli but turns up their nose at cauliflower, call the cooked cauliflower “white broccoli.” Or, if your child is crazy about mashed potatoes, refer to sweet potatoes as “orange potatoes.”

You might even convince your child to eat a vegetable quiche by calling it “pie.” Later, when they’ve developed a taste for it (or once they graduate high school, whichever comes first), you can reveal the real names.

Make “Food Art”

A sandwich cut into four squares is still the same old boring sandwich. But shaping it into a snowman with a cookie cutter or decorating the bread with a “face” — cucumber eyes, blackberry nose, red pepper mouth, and grated yellow squash for hair — can make it more appealing. Who knows, this cartoon character sandwich might just tempt your child to take a bite.

Be a Good Example

Children learn by watching their parents. So, show enthusiasm for the healthy foods you serve at meals. (“Mmm… the tomatoes in this salad are so delicious!”)

Don’t Give Up

Just because your child rejected something the first time you offered it doesn’t mean they won’t eat it next time. Keep offering that new food, and eventually, once it becomes a familiar sight, your child may venture to try it.

But be patient. It may take up to 15 attempts before your picky eater gets used to a new taste.

Best Foods for Picky Eaters

As easy as it is to prepare another bowl of pasta, try expanding your child’s culinary horizons with a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables (which are packed with nutrients), iron-rich meats, and healthy whole grains.

Just make sure to cut the foods into small enough pieces to avoid choking hazards.

To spark your child’s interest in meals, try enhancing the flavors with spices (like cinnamon), herbs, and lemon juice.

Here are some picky eater favorites:

• Apples
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Beans
• Blueberries
• Cheese
• Chicken
• Cucumbers
• Eggs
• Peppers
• Raspberries
• Salmon
• Strawberries
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Yogurt

When to Talk to Your Child’s Doctor About Picky Eating

As long as your child is getting enough calories — and isn’t surviving solely on cheese crackers — restrictive eating patterns aren’t harmful to their long-term health. Keep in mind, as a parent, it’s your responsibility to serve healthy food to your child — but it’s up to them to decide how much they want to eat.

Children’s appetites naturally decrease in early childhood compared to when they were babies. However, if you notice that your child isn’t gaining weight or seems weak, lethargic, or unusually irritable, talk to your pediatrician, who can help ensure your child is getting all the nutrients they need.

Chances are, however, your child’s picky eating is just a phase. Hang in there — they’ll likely outgrow it.