Thanks for watching! Which tip are you going start doing first? Don’t forget to get your free Mealtimes Essentials Guide with links to all my favorite plates, cups, cutlery and more here: brightestbeginning.com/bb_optin/mealtime-essentials-guide/
Miss my son is at the age of 2.He daily eats banana, porridge, custard,milk,boil eggs or rice except this if I try anything else his diarrhea takes place .It's happens usually when I strive to add anything except these meal.
In the 90’s my mum would put vegetables on the table first (before she started preparing the meal). We would then proceed to steal the food and she would say “close all the doors we have rats in the kitchen!!” Or “call the police we have thieves in the kitchen!!”. We hid and ate the vegetables before stealing the next round. Very smart, works for me too. Or I have them put the vegetables on skewers as a craft before the meal (when they are most likely to be hungry).
@@ayeshasanaullah1238same is with my baby. He doesn't even like snacks. He would stay ok for a whole day without eating anything and will fell a sleep at night. He doesn't feel hungry. He is underweight. I always cry at meal time....😢😢
My 2 year old will not eat meat....like any meat. Nuggets, meatballs, in sauce, in dips nothing. We are constantly having to make him something different because otherwise he would never get protein
Enjoyed this video! 2 things we've had luck with in getting our 2 year old to eat new things is 1- small portions. Very small. Like 4 French fries and probably 3 bites of meat small. She can always get more but it's less overwhelming and she's more likely to try something if there's only a little rather than a whole plate. And 2- giving positive attention when she eats the new foods and not bringing attention to it when she's inspecting it or refusing to eat it. A lot of times kids act out to see the reaction of caregivers. If we don't give a reaction, she's less likely to do it again. But positive reactions when she eats it will make her want to eat it again, or at least try things.
@Bernadette Barbosa something like "wow this broccoli was new and you tried it! Great job trying something new! I thought it was yummy. What did you think?" Or it could be making a game/fun miment out if it. For example, sometimes we will "cheers" with our two year old and clink our food together before we take a bite. Then she's happy because she's getting attention and it's positive, and she will ask to cheers for every bite (and keep eating more bites to keep "cheers"-ing with us)
Thanks for the recommendation about spacing meals 2.5hrs apart. Since my little one turned one, the amount of information going forward seems to dry up - right when you still need it! Something as simple as knowing how to space out meals is not as readily accessible as pre-one-year old info. My little man seems to really enjoy his food, but at 14 months I'm already starting to notice aversions (he'll eat pretty much any fruit in mush form, but is still picky about it in it's natural form).
I really like how are you are you saying toddler in the video but you were showing older kids possibly four or five years old. This is very helpful to make people understand just because you’re not two years old you can still be picky and there’s still something to do about it
Great tips! I have 3 small kids that are for the most part good eaters and what helped us was: 1) No other options, but make their choices feel heard. My job is to provide plenty of wholesome food and if they don't like what is being offered, and they personally choose not to eat it, then that is their decision. After going to bed hungry because of their choices a couple of times, they learn that mommy and daddy aren't going to give in and overall they are better eaters and eat more diverse nutritious food because of it. But I also understand we don't all have the same palette. If they don't like a vegetable, for example my husband likes asparagus but none of my kids do, I will make peas and carrots just for them. My daughter doesn't like melted cheese, so if I make a casserole, tacos, soups...etc. I will keep her portion cheese- free. 2) Have healthy foods as the snack. Toddlers do like grazing. I don't always give them snacks to save their appetites for meals, but when snack options are only fruits, vegetables, cheese, nuts, dried fruit... they will often pick them over nothing. We don't usually keep empty calorie snacks like goldfish, pretzels, cakes, or crackers in the house. And when they've already munched on a plate of raw vegetables with hummus and berries mid-afternoon, it's not so big of a deal when they don't really want the dinner vegetable.
Agree with all the other stuff, but not going to bed hungry. That's not good to anyone and for sure you can give a child a piece of bread if he doesn't like anything you are serving. If a small child can't sleep because he is hungry, neither can't you. My one year old who can't talk or walk yet is not currently eating much and if I don't give him something he for sure eats during the evening, it only means more breastfeeding through the night. 🙈
My thought process for, offering the food and they can take it or leave it, was for big toddlers/ little kids, 3+. For infants / little toddlers that are still breastfeeding and trying out food I would not be this strict.
So true! The safety food is a big one. But still my little guy refuses to try a ' new dinner' even if it has components he likes. Like pasta with green sauce instead of the usually white/cream sauce. So I let him feed me and before I know it he's stealing food from my plate and when he realizes it's yummy he'll start eating (the same) food from his own plate. Makes a huge difference! But I do have to say, sometimes walking away and getting rid of the pressure also makes a huge difference. Especially for foods that he already knows and loves, but it's obvious he's trying to get into a control/will battle with me. Then I walk away and do the dishes and before I know it he's feeding himself some yogurt. :)
Great advice! Especially the moment at 01:33 where you mentioned *spacing out toddler's meals* and giving them water between meals instead of juices or milk. That's what I benefit the most. 😊
I am anticipating that my almost 14 month old twins will start getting picky soon, and I am hopeful that the large range of different foods they've eaten so far will help. I have found that they are willing to eat basically anything that is in a spiced tomato sauce. Three things that I think have helped so far: I started giving them really strongly flavoured food really early - like, we discovered they loved tinned sardines in tomato sauce at around 7 months, and they were eating curry not to long after. When I feed them, they are next to each other, so they have the added fun of stealing from each other, while also being able to see each other eat. This last one probably only works because they haven't been picky so far, but if they really hate something I respect that. I am not going to make them eat kasha again unless they seem interested. They don't seem to like cabbage but love basically every cruciferous vegetable, so brocoli, bok choi, and cauliflower it is. I figure if I as an adult am allowed to hate certain foods, then there is no reason why they should not be allowed to hate certain foods too, and I think because I have the luxury of being able to respect this, it goves them more confidence to try new things.
If you do this yourself with your child and found you’ve gained unwanted weight, I would suggest you go back to three meals, no snacks. ( watch dr Jason Fung videos )
I have to say one thing about this channel. There are bilions of different tips out there but Emma telling is exactly the same what my doctor, my midwife and my kindergarten teacher told. Many tips helped my little one a lot. Also if you bub is putting a banana into pesto sauce, let him do.
We’re starting to struggle with throwing and pickiness (we’ve always had some pickiness with her) with our 11.5 month old. Some of it I think is difficult because she doesn’t know how to communicate well right now. She’s getting better at pointing or gesturing, and throwing is sometimes to tell us she doesn’t want something (I’ve been trying to show her how to put it on the side of her tray, but that isn’t working). Another issue is the grazing. She’s still young, and I don’t see how I can make her wait for food. I give her a snack at 4pm before 5:30 dinner time, because I found she was very fussy before dinner if I didn’t offer a snack. But she’s often too fussy even still before dinner because she wants dinner now. But she’s been eating less in general lately, with that emerging toddler appetite, so she doesn’t end up eating much for dinner. For now, I’ve been giving her healthy dinner foods for her snack, but I am not sure how I can eventually make her wait longer for food. I’m sure there are different issues and ways to fix things for 1 year olds.
My son is 14 months old and we have the same issues. I am sure he is teething and that's one of the reasons he doesn't want to eat certain foods. I think all these tips are not good with smaller toddlers or babies like yours.
@@Maiju86 She’s 20 months old now, and it finally started to get better when she was 18 months old or so. Indeed, communication was a big aspect of it. It was finally clicking that she could shake her head no that she didn’t want certain foods, rather than throwing it (having her put food to the side/in a small ‘no’ container never really worked for us). She started to hand us foods that she didn’t want, and would shake her head no. The past month or so, she will tell me yes or no if she wants a certain food when I offer it before I heat it up or take it out. I offer cheese, bacon, beef, etc, showing her the container, and she will shake her head no, or say yes and nod her head. A lot of foods she still says no to, even ones she sometimes loves, like cheese. There is almost no food she will always say yes to, even her ‘favorite’ foods. She just needs new foods all the time, on a rolling ~3 day basis or so. She will not eat recent leftovers most of the time. Now I know not to waste leftovers by heating them up unless she indicates she wants them. So I try to freeze her little leftovers and offer them later. It’s so much less wasteful. I would dread cleaning out the fridge before, getting rid of all her rejected leftovers. Sometimes it seems like she will keep rejecting certain foods when I keep mentioning or bringing them out, too. Like if we ignore the possibility of yogurt for a few days and then I bring it up, she will want it more likely when I bring it up later. But this is hard to do when she refuses so many foods. She will eat pretty healthy as I try to offer her proteins first before anything else, but I need to have lots of different proteins to offer her. It helps that I can now offer her certain foods in the freezer before heating them up.
My one year and a couple of months old has started getting picky. Definatly will be trying to not cook something different... in part I have to admit I did (just last night) cook a different meal soooo gonna be training myself to not do that! Thanks for the tips!
This is one thing I am concerned about, I am an autistic soon-to-be-mum who had Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (aka super picky eater) and I'm worried I will pass that on to my child if they see me avoiding food even if their dad is eating it. I guess if I can find alternatives in my safe list that match the colour that could reduce some of the issue. I also had a lot of issues once my ARFID was established when I started school, the distraction of my sensory environment in a busy cafeteria, teachers telling me off for leaving food, and being told how financially wasteful it is in restaurants has made me very anxious about eating around others. I can try something new from my husband's plate in our house, but as soon as there is anyone else present I am really scared to try it.
1. What about getting my toddler not to pick up dirty things to place in her mouth? I have already made her aware and she knows but she can't resist. Is this just something she will eventually grow out of? 2. She is quite busy and when given an activity prefers to try and dismantle than to use it for it's purpose. Any advice? 3. The above is linked to this, prefers to just throw the item meant to keep her busy. I am sure there is something I am not doing right, advice would be great. Perhaps I need to be more firm on her and be consistent. However if you have advice like a tool I can use to encourage her, I would appreciate it.
Im really thankful for your videos...from what toys are best ,baby monthly milestones ,each month i look for tips from your channel.. from a year your my savior
Thank you for this. My 27 month old is still a picky eater and I’m running out of things to give her. I’m just hoping it doesn’t get to the situation that my mom is in with my 12 year old sister. My mom still makes separate meals for her. She didn’t do that for me and my brother growing up though.
Hi Ebonnee it's really common for little ones at this age to be picky eaters. Just keep presenting food without forcing her to eat it and always make sure you include a food you know she will eat for each meal. This will avoid the need to make whole other meal, as you know there is always something she will happily eat.
I remember being a slightly picky eater as a kid. One thing that helped was seeing what goes into the food we eat. So maybe try to bring the little one into the cooking process and have them help out while you describe what your doing. Keeping safety in mind of course.
My twin girls just turned 1. One eats anything and everything. The other has her moments. She loves fruits or all kinds, but when I try to introduce a new type of savoury food, she will initially take a bite and almost immediately spit it out. After that she will refuse to take further bites (unless it has a sweet flavour, then she's all for it hahaha) I think she inherited my sweet tooth (: So I am so happy you made this video. I will definitely be trying out some of these techniques.
Hi Emma..thank you so much..just have a grand baby girl in October. Need some advice on first solid food and what age should I start giving her.. thank you again.👍👍
All in how the food is prepared! I used to not like bell peppers until someone skinned the peppers and cooked em. Watch Good Eats sometime and it'll help build a foundation!
Helps to let them eat with you out of one plate when you start them on food. Sit them on your lap and eat together , sharing bites until they’re comfortable eating everything. When they’re older you move them on to a small plate of the same, still with you and finally their own chair. In your case let your husband do that 😂
I hated spinach,broccoli,cauliflower, andive, leak, cabbage. Until I started cooking myself and cooked the food in a different way. I like them all now
That role models bit is so true. I always had us all eat dinner together at dinner even before he was old enough to eat. I believe in incorporating children and including them in life. I never really put or son away from us until Naptime. We eat traditional Mexican food as both my husband and I are native Mexican blends. Normally it takes a long time to get kids to eat lettuce or veg and such but since or kid sat with us watching us eat things like pico de Gallo, sope, tacos, posole and etc. He eats any veggies we put in front of him so long as they are diced or seasoned. He'll even eat cabbage and spinach if it has chamoy on it. Anything daddy eats is gold to him and he has to have it.
It’s only this past year that I realized it was even a thing to have kids have different meals! My sister and sister in law both do it for my nieces and nephews and it was a novelty to me but I didn’t comment on it. When we were kids we had to eat the same food! But there were also 5 of us all a year apart so 1) couldn’t afford to be picky and 2) maybe influence of group think? If one kid ate it then maybe another would try etc.
Okay, but once my toddler tries something, how do I convince him to combine it with things he already likes? 😅 As in: How do I get my point across that having the cheese on the bread is just as good as having the cheese in one hand and the bread in the other? That would make preparing lunchboxes a lot easier...
Hi Emma, thank you for ALL your help in raising up these littles. Question, if you stopped breastfeeding and baby turned one, what is the best milk you suggest they transition to? Out 13 month baby girl is having a reaction to the whole cows milk. Thank you for your help! Blessings
I’m going to try sauce. It’s veggies that trip up my 14 month old. He loves fruit, bread, cheese, rice, sometimes meat and now I think of it, the meat is more likely to go down with sauce. Maybe this will transfer over to zucchini and broccoli. It hurts my heart to see my favorite veggies thrown on the floor
One issue we have had with adding dips is that my son will use the vegetable or main dish as a utensil to just eat the dip and then cry when the dip runs out without eating the rest of the meal. The little guy loves condiments so we try to avoid them if the meal does not call for it to make sure he eats something else.
On a serious note: I don't force my children to eat anything. I serve them the same food I'm eating. There is always a variety of food available at meal time. Their hunger cues handle the rest.
I was told the same. That and to not praise them everytime they take a bite. Like say you yourself is eating dinner and your spouse or parent tells you"good job! you're doing great! Keep eating you can do it! There you go!" Would be annoying right? Not to mention it causes pressure and no longer feels like dinner. Starts to feel like eating is a chore to satisfy the person who is praising.
I struggle during dinner because my 1 yo usually eat a lot in daycare and wants breastmilk once we reach home as a comfort thing. So by the time dinner time arrives, he is already full. What I noticed helps him is if I only put small amounts of food on his tray and we just eat together as a family. He is not pressured to eat anything but it is there if he wants to. Also, we just play him music through his Yoto player instead of a tablet or TV. It seems he is more interested to try the food if he is not looking at the screen. 😊
My 2¼ won't eat any fruit or vegetables (unless well hidden!) and it's been this way for over a year. We're doing all of the above and just trying to be patient. But my main bugbear is around sauces. We've tried offering dips, but it backfires spectacularly as he'll happily eat nothing but mayonnaise or sour cream for dinner and have a conniption when it's all gone, even when there's other foods he likes on his plate.
I would cut out both especially the mayo/switch it for ghee. You have a bot eliminate soy as it mimicks a female hormone and will make him over weight and feminine. Here for a picky eater too.
What to do if nothing does not work. NO grazing, no snacks, no autism (checked out by specialist) NO fruit, wont eat it hidden in sauces ( if it looks orange or green its NO) , no juice, giving safe food but then will eat that alone and say no to everything else. Seriously nothing works and im not giving excuses. I eat with her and eat the same food. Just made a smoothie. she knows something is in it that she doesnt like (carrots) she normally would drink juice she refused it. Its good and all getting all these examples but then what do you do with the child who doesnt fall for any of it. At this point, its starvation because im on day 2 of not giving in and she is willing to starve herself :( I do offer her dinner or milk. She now refuses both dinner and milk. Novelties also do not work. Preparing the food with her also does not work. She will not touch the fruit or vegetable. Especially if its sticky. Been at it for months now since she is 18 months then ended up giving her chips and nuggets and pasta so she wouldnt starve. Now i dont give in and its very heart breaking watching her not eat
My child's pediatrician suggested giving a multivitamin, probiotic,calcium chews,and fish oil. Said that if I put the right vitamins and things in her then she should start to be open to trying new food I say take a trip to your local vitamin shopp
So now what do i do when they also refuse to eat their preferred/ tried and enjoyed foods as well? Its 50/50 if my 2yo will eat anything!! Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Every single meal is a gamble!
Same. My kids loved my lasagna the first night- so we ate the leftovers the next night and it was the most disgusting thing ever and was thrown on the floor. I even added more sauce and cheese. Like… what? Lol
Same here with my 2.5 yr old. He was loving raw broccoli and cauliflower that I would boil in a bouillon cube. Now, he won’t even look at it. It’s so frustrating!
Anyone else's toddler wont eat meat? Like my daughter will eat chicken nuggets, but when we try to serve her a meal with rice, chicken, and veg (just an example) she will eat the rice and some veg, but will avoid the meat completely, even though she obviously doesn't dislike chicken. And she's like this with all meats, they have been introduced in ways she likes, but then she will only eat them those certain ways, regardless of the seasonings, tenderness, or size of the newly introduced ways. Before ever hearing these tips we have tried all of them (except for the 5 meals, but she has been obviously hangry at times a dinner with meat was served and still refused it), and none of them have worked, except for occasionally forcing a new food in her mouth which she then realizes tastes good and will eagerly eat it for that meal, but if the same thing is served again we're back at square one. I just don't get it.
same ! Mine will just eat rice and bread but not veggies or meat but he will drink this healthy Green (full of veggies, fruit ) Smoothie we get from supermarket
My 2.5yr old refuses to basically eat any meat. The closest I got was homemade turkey meatballs, lightly seasoned, with finely diced apples. I’m going to try and get him to eat them again, but I’m not having faith. He won’t even eat chicken nuggets, like what kid doesn’t like chicken nuggets?!
My 2 year old has started labelling every food he dislikes as “spicy” including banana, strawberries etc.. he just refuses to even look at those food 😢 will try your tips
I have a tip for you! My son is extremely picky. Freeze very ripe bananas and strawberries. Can buy the already-frozen strawberries if you want. Anywho, then blend 3 large strawberries and 1.5 bananas with a little of sweetened vanilla almond milk (great calcium addition!) -just a little to help blend it. It turns into ice cream!!!!! You call it ice cream and your kid will love it. I started adding cinnamon and ground flax seed (for omega 3s) and omg, he can't tell! One time I didn't grind it tiny enough and he wouldn't try the ice cream. Now, we started adding an oatmeal cereal too that has iron because his iron is low (he's super picky). Eventually we want to add a few leaves of spinach too. Try it and tell me how it goes!
my son ate everything. and then it stopped and he wouldn't eat anything. Then he was eating olives..yes.. olives! at daycare and we started giving it to him. he also likes tomatoes sometimes and bell peppers.but that's it on the veggie part. We are going to try this. it's worth the shot.
I have the same problem. We was a trashcan until 3. Now if there is a vegetable in the meal he will hunger strike. I have a suspicion their appetite is lower and when their appetite increases they will come back around.
I've tried so many things to get my child to eat, short of starving her. None of them work. She likes to help me prep and cook (we cook a lot, with a good variety too). She knows the names of the ingredients, we also play food-based or restaurant games. She only plays with her food but won't eat. We tried different color bowls, plates, utensils, variety, 1 or 2, 2-3 pcs on the plate, hide n seek, nothing. She only eats a handful of things. She doesn't even like candy, chips, or juice (we tried giving her some just to get her to try anything) let alone fruits, veg, meat. She only eats one brand of milk, choco milk, yogurt, cereal, plain pancakes and waffles, plain straight cut fries, creamy Skippy, and a couple types of cracker. She inspects everything that goes into her mouth visually and thru smell. We tried giving her Pediasure, Ascenda, she would gag. She won't even touch gummy vitamins. Doc says she'll get over it as she gets older. She's tiny, but full of energy and loves different activities like reading, playing and tumbling. But I'm getting really stressed over it.
My toddler is the same way! He’s 2.5. We exposed him every fruits and veggie and meat under the sun, and he ate it. Now, he refuses it eat any kind of vegetable and basically meat. I don’t understand why, because we avoid highly processed food in our house. Hence, why I am here looking for tips and advise. We do eat meals as a family. The struggle is real.
@@emmyrae9368 My daughter was never a big eater, but she used to eat quite a variety of things like spaghetti, fish, and miso soup. She stopped eating all of a sudden at 2 yrs old. She'll be 4 soon, and recently she refuses to drink milk. We've been looking for a food therapist here in Manila, no luck. My husband and I are at our wits end trying to get her to at least try something. 😣
Yes! We’ve experienced similar situations too. Not that this helps, but I do feel a little better that I’m not alone. I do hope you can find someone, even if it’s thought video conferencing. My toddler would rather snack on the dogs food vs eating dinner lol. It’s not funny but at this point, I have laugh or else I’ll cry lol. I hope she grows out of it soon. I think we decided on trying to b out the food in common bowls on the table for us all to grab from. We do all eat the same food together. If he doesn’t eat, then he doesn’t eat. He’s certainly not going to starve; I hope it eventually gets hungry enough to eat what he’s given. I feel like we’ve tried everything mentioned in the video aside of what I mentioned above. I’ll try to remember to check back in a few months with an update. Hang in there friend 🫶🏻
@@emmyrae9368 I appreciate your kind and encouraging words very much. It really does help knowing that we're not alone in this situation. I do hope and pray our children learn the joys of eating if not now, then soon! Thank you and please just comment if you need to! Best of luck! 😊
Any idea on how to get my toddler to eat food that she out of nowhere decided she didn't like anymore but has been eating since she could eat solids? Her father passed away and she regressed on a lot of things like talking and walking which we are working on but food is a whole new issue. We do all of these tips already
My only tip is, and I can't stress this enough, don't make a big deal out of it. Let them explore naturally and in their own time driven by their own curiosity. This includes not "encouraging" them to try new food. The reward is the experience. Taste perception needs time to form. Let them touch food, play with it, taste it. There is absolutely no need to throw a tantrum because of food on your plate if there is no one pressuring you to eat it. Give them a chance to develop their autonomy, at least in this part of their lives.
I stop offering new food for my 18 month old. I just start eating and when he wants to he can try it. Usually he comes running to the table as soon as he can see me eating something. I don't now wether this is going to work when he gets older but so far he is really adventurous with new foods. He would try anything he has never seen before as long as I don't explicitly offer it 😆
Perfect timing although not sure any of these will actually help as I've already tried most of them...my lo was a great eater up until he choked after being sick (he vomited but was sleeping on his back so struggled to breath for a few seconds...). After that it was all downhill and now he only accepts to eat solid food (no more purees) and only fruits, avocado, bread, humus and soft cheese, yogurts and banana pancakes. He's very VERY selective and we have a medical appointment at the end of this month with a pediatrician specialized in food aversion. Any tips for something caused by trauma like arfid/food aversion? I'm running out of ideas...I keep serving him the only foods I know he'll eat + something out of his comfort zone (so...basically anything else) but no luck until now.
Hi Sara sounds like it was a very scary experience for your little one. It's great you have been able to get into a paediatrician specialising in food aversion.Unfortunately, it's difficult to give advice without seeing your little one in person. I use the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) feeding approach when working with children with food aversion and find it really beneficial. So it might be worth seeing if there are therapist who specialise in this approach if the pediatrician does not provide therapy services. I am sorry I couldn't have been of more help.
@@EmmaHubbard thank you so much for taking the time to answer my comment. The pediatrician that we're going to see is in charge of the feeding issues clinic and they have a pluridisciplinary team with therapists who work with that kind of approach so I suppose she'll put us in contact with them if she deems necessary. As he eats fruits and proteins and still has a good amount of breast milk I'm not overly worried (for now) but better to work these issues now than letting them get worse...
I am on edge of crying My boy is 2 years old, he barely accepts food And starts crying for his bottle whenever he sees me feeding his 3 month old brother I am frustrated, help me
@@NextLevelMeNow hi thk u for ur reply. Yes I have tried different bottles and he dint like fruit juices. Hav to try again. Even now at 14 months he stil drinks only 50ml of water a day
My 2.5yr old isn’t a fan of water, but I do add one or two drops of liquid flavoring, like crystal light. Literally just two little drops to add a subtle, very mild flavoring. I’m not sure if this is the best approach, but he only consumes this and milk. We don’t buy juices, or things like Capri Sun, due to the sugar content.
Hi Emma, my 13 month old was a fantastic eater. However now he only grabs fruits, he doesn’t touch a thing in his plate except for fruits. Any advice? Should I stop offering him fruits at mealtimes? When I serve him meals without fruits he is just waiting for me to drop the fruits and if he doesn’t receive them he wants to get out of the chair
Hi! Yep it is ok to try a toddlers food, I would just recommend having another plate and putting it on your plate. You can take it from their plate if they are ok with that but I would not recommend you put the food in their hand and then help them place it in their mouth. I would just encourage them to explore the new food by saying " You can smell it" or " You can poke it with your finger" etc. I hope that helps!
My one year has multiple food allergies and sensitivities. He’s still breastfed because he refuses to put food in food in his mouth. We’re struggling to get him to eat and now affecting his health. What should we do???
My toddler refuses all vegetables except an occasional piece of lettuce. He instantly throws all the vegetables on the floor. He will eat what he wants and then throws the rest when he is done. We eat meals with him, I even make a point of showing him the food I am eating and sharing directly with him. I've been coating everything in cheesey sauce, ranch or ketchup and still no success. I really think some kids are just picky and there really isn't anything you can do because we have been trying for almost a year and following the instructions of an OT.
I totally understand this my 3 year old is the same it’s so frustrating I am starting to dread meal times takes one bite shakes her head no or says yuck very difficult
My 17 month has food envy so he wants what I'm eating lol not the case for everyone but it's just funny how they are all unique people and what works for one, doesn't work for another. Don't get discouraged parents.
I think I’ve tried all the tips possible and did so much to avoid this problem with food, but eventually I got a toddler who excluded most of his food and his menu is barely 3-4 foods😓😓😓
It's extremely frustrating but very normal for toddlers to become fussy eaters (after eating everything when they were younger). The key is to continue presenting food and not applying any pressure to eat the non preferred food. With continued exposure to the non preferred food, your little one will start to explore the food by smelling it, touching it, squashing it etc and then eventually eating it. Good luck!
Girl, I am in the same boat. My son ate everything from oranges to avocado to squash. Now, he basically turns his nose to any vegetables and meats. It’s so frustrating 😔
The issue with eating the same food as my child is I have so many allergies. I can’t eat beef pork tomatoes dairy products etc so I can’t eat with him and he gets upset when he has food at all. He won’t even eat the food he used to like. Today to get him to eat I had to put his meatloaf in his oatmeal /:
Wish would of watch this sooner my 19 month old just wants to snack alot and not eat veggies. Just wants fruit and dairy. I've had to rap her meat in cheese to get her to eat meat. I try and pre make some small meals. And try 5 meals
Hope that helps! It's not uncommon for toddlers to dislike vegetables. Just keep presenting them and eating them around her and when she is ready she will have a taste.
My toddler is 4, she doesn't snack, nor eat fruits or drink milk, even she is hungry for 6-8 hrs she doesn't like to eat, has no interest in food & always have to force feed her still takes more than an hour to complete food, We eat with her, give her what we r eating, tried everything but nothing works, enrolled her in daycare so that she will eat seeing her friends but it doesn't work too, can anyone help?? I am an Asian mom, she doesn't eat anything else, but eats lentil, rice & vegetables but is full after having 2-3 spoon, so again we should force feed her which is a bad parenting but nothing works on her case, she barely eats food or feel hungry, even if she is hungry she is always fussy to eat, would appreciate if someone helps me in this, have struggling with her feeding since birth, hoping that she will learn but it's sooo frustrating she doesn't want to eat n it's always not someday, It's too depressing for me 😢😢
Sauce works. At first my little one would just shovel the sauce in her mouth by hand 😭. But she's getting there. She's got a mad sweet tooth and dosent trust anything that looks like a veggie lol. But slowly but surely
I don’t necessarily agree that I have to eat with my child ….. it’s more important to teach kids that there is a time n place for everything ……sasses are Not necessary especially for healthy eating…… children can’t miss what they have never had✌🏽😇
i have done all of those things mentioned besides looking good thing. I ask parents on mom groups what their kids eat and they all say, what they eat. My 2 year old can somehow tell if something has a veggie in it, as soon as she sees any colors in the rice, pasta she picks them, yep tiny cut, and then she doesnt touch the food, I cannot put a few things in her plate because she will eat one and wont touch the other. no veggies, cant put a few things, no matter how many times you can keep putting it as a (keep offering it method) she will not eat it. no fun, no dancing , no hopping make this baby open her mouth and try or eat anything she decides not to. One day she is find with potatoes the next she wont touch it, the same with eggs, I went from cooking veggies with all the meals to no veggies , plain pasta and rice with all 3 of us because of 4th family member age of 2 who dictates what we eat. I thought she is a carnivore, but we gave her fish, chicken at first she was choosing it over sides, then she stopped, Im loosing my mind, i literally prepare 3 meals for her , just in case she refuses one gets another. Not because i want to, but she wont eat it, like for lunch i made her tortilla cheese egg burrito, she used to eat it, she took a few bites refused it, she loves tortillas, she used to love sweet potato fries, she stopped, so i dont know what to do, as you can see a book size comment tells you how desperate i am.
I’m in the same boat with my 2 year old. He used to love cheesy eggs, steak, beans, rice, etc etc and literally only eats bacon, cheese taco, chips, and specifically nuggets and fries from McDonald’s will not take homemade fries. It is exhausting and we’re struggling to get him to gain weight. His pediatrician is on our case about his weight and eating habits and had us try to force feed him at one point and I think that just made the issue 10x worse for us. Now he doesn’t trust us to have him try anything. I hope you find something that works for you guys! I just started buying cookie cutters to make fun shapes with pancakes and such we will see how this goes 😒
@alyssakelsey3267 gosh. I'm sorry, I understand your struggle. Thank you for sharing, not a lot of people admit that they have these issues. So incase feeling alone.
With my toddler she would smell the food if it does not satisfy her the smell of the food then she won’t eat it I was happy when my daughter ate oats for breakfast but for eggs she used to like to eat scramble eggs now just hard boil and she would just eat the white part
To be honest in the west everything is sooo mentally draining. Not comparing but I hardly see this concept growing up in different country such as Asian. I moved to the west and started hearing about such things because often we think by not giving options, we are not good parents and not introducing the children to values is too much for the kids. Unfortunately, thars why children are sooo fussy about everything in this part of the world. We need to keep a balance of some sort being parents. Encouraging table manners, eating together without external disturbances and involving children in preparation of the food is not bad. If a child doesn't get to see, feel or taste variety of foods, how they can even eat it. Being too much obsessed with it also creates problems. Just like many adults who don't like certain foods it's normal for kids. Encouraging them through different ways does take hell out of your lives but it's worth it in the end. ❤
sometimes i don't know what to cook 😢😢 am 29 am in Europe no mother no father and my first child i really don't know what to do with my son he don't like eating new things
My son doesn't like anything. He doesn't even dare to taste anything, what do I do then? He turns 3 in July and hasn't eaten real food since he was 1. He receives meal allowances
I can relate, my daughter is 3 on the 14th and will pretty much only eat fries, fruit, crackers, cheese, peanut butter jelly sandwiches or peanut butter toasts. On the sometimes list is meatballs, chicken nuggets, oatmeal and yogurt. I can get veggies in her through baked goods or pouches.
My toddler is 2 years old and eats only semi solid food. He shows no interest in eating solids and throws it away. Need you help on how can I make him eat solid food
It is very helpful to know the genetics of the child as it pertains to vegetables. People with two copies of the gene that codes for the taste of vegetables will complain that all vegetables are bitter. With one copy of the gene, there may be vegetables the child will eat willingly. Kids with zero copies of the gene will not be influenced as much by the taste of vegetables.
I've a 1yo. She only has her bottom 2 teeth and struggle with protein, even soft fish becomes a mass on her mouth and she spits it, how can I help her eat a more varied food without teeth?
Blend 3 strawberries and 1.5 bananas with a little bit of sweetened milk (We do almond milk) and it comes out like ice cream. Also mashed potatoes. Hope this helps, my son is super picky, I tried everything and most things don't work
This is all about toddlers, which is great and all... But, what about my 8yr old who will only eat a certain brand of chicken nuggets, and not much else?
These tips will help but for your little one I would recommend you link in with an occupational therapist or speech pathologist who is trained in picky eating. The reason your little one might be picky might be due to sensory preferences or an oral motor delay. For these kids a graded approach works best. My preferred approach is using the Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding. So if you can find a therapist trained in that approach I am sure it will help.
Nope 1.) My son hates dips and sauces. 2.) Tried eating the same thing at the same time, he just won't eat. 3.) Doesn't matter if it's paired with food he likes and most of the time he won't even eat what he likes if the unwanted food is present 4.) He won't eat meat, he won't eat sandwiches or any kind of bread, even cake and cupcakes and sometimes cookies. He will eat the icing off the cake and leave the cake somewhere 5.) Peer pressure doesn't work. He attend Montessori and they all eat together, that doesn't make him eat new food. 6.) Won't eat anything white or red. 7.) He loves dinos and unicorns, made those shapes and nope won't eat it. He loves looking at it but won't eat it.
I can't eat the same foods with kids; I am allergic to eggs and I don't want to eat meat. Also my one year old has very few teeth, so he can't eat all the same foods as the rest of the family. Or if we eat salty things (ready made and salt can't be removed), he of course can't have those.
My kid will eat the same thing over and over. I thought I was picky, but she takes the cake. We eat with her and she still refuses to try new foods. I have to bribe her.
Oh, I tried it all. She has 3-4 food she eats and that's it. She never touches the new option. Kid has starved herself in front of full plates, even with food she likes but was just not in the mood to eat. And then you listen to other people blaming you while your kid tried to become a walking skeleton. I eat with her, I cook freshly every day, she only wants the same garbage. In olden times, that child would have died.
Thanks for watching! Which tip are you going start doing first? Don’t forget to get your free Mealtimes Essentials Guide with links to all my favorite plates, cups, cutlery and more here: brightestbeginning.com/bb_optin/mealtime-essentials-guide/
So from when can I start to follow these steps?☺️
Miss my son is at the age of 2.He daily eats banana, porridge, custard,milk,boil eggs or rice except this if I try anything else his diarrhea takes place .It's happens usually when I strive to add anything except these meal.
Kindly suggest something.His all test reports are cleared but his stomach does not accept any other variety of food.
In the 90’s my mum would put vegetables on the table first (before she started preparing the meal). We would then proceed to steal the food and she would say “close all the doors we have rats in the kitchen!!” Or “call the police we have thieves in the kitchen!!”. We hid and ate the vegetables before stealing the next round. Very smart, works for me too. Or I have them put the vegetables on skewers as a craft before the meal (when they are most likely to be hungry).
This is so clever! Your mum really knew how to make it fun 🙂
My daughter never shows any thing... i e is she hungry or not and doesn't show any interest in eating anything .not meat nor snacks
@@ayeshasanaullah1238 what a struggle! Have you tried to make purée out of vegetables and mix it in with things she does eat like sauces etc?
@@ayeshasanaullah1238same is with my baby. He doesn't even like snacks. He would stay ok for a whole day without eating anything and will fell a sleep at night. He doesn't feel hungry. He is underweight. I always cry at meal time....😢😢
My 2 year old will not eat meat....like any meat. Nuggets, meatballs, in sauce, in dips nothing. We are constantly having to make him something different because otherwise he would never get protein
Enjoyed this video! 2 things we've had luck with in getting our 2 year old to eat new things is 1- small portions. Very small. Like 4 French fries and probably 3 bites of meat small. She can always get more but it's less overwhelming and she's more likely to try something if there's only a little rather than a whole plate. And 2- giving positive attention when she eats the new foods and not bringing attention to it when she's inspecting it or refusing to eat it. A lot of times kids act out to see the reaction of caregivers. If we don't give a reaction, she's less likely to do it again. But positive reactions when she eats it will make her want to eat it again, or at least try things.
Thanks so much for sharing these additional tips!
@Bernadette Barbosa something like "wow this broccoli was new and you tried it! Great job trying something new! I thought it was yummy. What did you think?" Or it could be making a game/fun miment out if it. For example, sometimes we will "cheers" with our two year old and clink our food together before we take a bite. Then she's happy because she's getting attention and it's positive, and she will ask to cheers for every bite (and keep eating more bites to keep "cheers"-ing with us)
Thanks for the recommendation about spacing meals 2.5hrs apart. Since my little one turned one, the amount of information going forward seems to dry up - right when you still need it! Something as simple as knowing how to space out meals is not as readily accessible as pre-one-year old info. My little man seems to really enjoy his food, but at 14 months I'm already starting to notice aversions (he'll eat pretty much any fruit in mush form, but is still picky about it in it's natural form).
Glad it was helpful!
If you get a chance to offer the mush and fresh at the same time that might help your little one realize they are the same and transition better.
I used to say we're having little trees today. And the children loved broccoli.
I really like how are you are you saying toddler in the video but you were showing older kids possibly four or five years old. This is very helpful to make people understand just because you’re not two years old you can still be picky and there’s still something to do about it
Great tips! I have 3 small kids that are for the most part good eaters and what helped us was:
1) No other options, but make their choices feel heard.
My job is to provide plenty of wholesome food and if they don't like what is being offered, and they personally choose not to eat it, then that is their decision. After going to bed hungry because of their choices a couple of times, they learn that mommy and daddy aren't going to give in and overall they are better eaters and eat more diverse nutritious food because of it.
But I also understand we don't all have the same palette. If they don't like a vegetable, for example my husband likes asparagus but none of my kids do, I will make peas and carrots just for them. My daughter doesn't like melted cheese, so if I make a casserole, tacos, soups...etc. I will keep her portion cheese- free.
2) Have healthy foods as the snack.
Toddlers do like grazing. I don't always give them snacks to save their appetites for meals, but when snack options are only fruits, vegetables, cheese, nuts, dried fruit... they will often pick them over nothing. We don't usually keep empty calorie snacks like goldfish, pretzels, cakes, or crackers in the house. And when they've already munched on a plate of raw vegetables with hummus and berries mid-afternoon, it's not so big of a deal when they don't really want the dinner vegetable.
Agree with all the other stuff, but not going to bed hungry. That's not good to anyone and for sure you can give a child a piece of bread if he doesn't like anything you are serving. If a small child can't sleep because he is hungry, neither can't you.
My one year old who can't talk or walk yet is not currently eating much and if I don't give him something he for sure eats during the evening, it only means more breastfeeding through the night. 🙈
My thought process for, offering the food and they can take it or leave it, was for big toddlers/ little kids, 3+. For infants / little toddlers that are still breastfeeding and trying out food I would not be this strict.
Step 0: make sure the food doesn't suck.
😂
Hi?
So true! The safety food is a big one. But still my little guy refuses to try a ' new dinner' even if it has components he likes. Like pasta with green sauce instead of the usually white/cream sauce. So I let him feed me and before I know it he's stealing food from my plate and when he realizes it's yummy he'll start eating (the same) food from his own plate. Makes a huge difference!
But I do have to say, sometimes walking away and getting rid of the pressure also makes a huge difference. Especially for foods that he already knows and loves, but it's obvious he's trying to get into a control/will battle with me. Then I walk away and do the dishes and before I know it he's feeding himself some yogurt. :)
My baby girl is the same EXACT way!!!!!!!!
Great tips! And so important to rule out any underlying medical issues too!
Great advice! Especially the moment at 01:33 where you mentioned *spacing out toddler's meals* and giving them water between meals instead of juices or milk. That's what I benefit the most. 😊
Glad it was helpful!
This video had more information in 6 minutes than a lot of videos have in 10+. Thanks! Going to try this today!
I am anticipating that my almost 14 month old twins will start getting picky soon, and I am hopeful that the large range of different foods they've eaten so far will help. I have found that they are willing to eat basically anything that is in a spiced tomato sauce.
Three things that I think have helped so far:
I started giving them really strongly flavoured food really early - like, we discovered they loved tinned sardines in tomato sauce at around 7 months, and they were eating curry not to long after.
When I feed them, they are next to each other, so they have the added fun of stealing from each other, while also being able to see each other eat.
This last one probably only works because they haven't been picky so far, but if they really hate something I respect that. I am not going to make them eat kasha again unless they seem interested. They don't seem to like cabbage but love basically every cruciferous vegetable, so brocoli, bok choi, and cauliflower it is. I figure if I as an adult am allowed to hate certain foods, then there is no reason why they should not be allowed to hate certain foods too, and I think because I have the luxury of being able to respect this, it goves them more confidence to try new things.
My toddler is a grazer so I’m going to start doing the 5 meals a day! Thanks Emma for another great video! Keep them coming please 😄
You're so welcome!
If you do this yourself with your child and found you’ve gained unwanted weight, I would suggest you go back to three meals, no snacks. ( watch dr Jason Fung videos )
I have to say one thing about this channel. There are bilions of different tips out there but Emma telling is exactly the same what my doctor, my midwife and my kindergarten teacher told. Many tips helped my little one a lot.
Also if you bub is putting a banana into pesto sauce, let him do.
Thanks so much!
We’re starting to struggle with throwing and pickiness (we’ve always had some pickiness with her) with our 11.5 month old. Some of it I think is difficult because she doesn’t know how to communicate well right now. She’s getting better at pointing or gesturing, and throwing is sometimes to tell us she doesn’t want something (I’ve been trying to show her how to put it on the side of her tray, but that isn’t working). Another issue is the grazing. She’s still young, and I don’t see how I can make her wait for food. I give her a snack at 4pm before 5:30 dinner time, because I found she was very fussy before dinner if I didn’t offer a snack. But she’s often too fussy even still before dinner because she wants dinner now.
But she’s been eating less in general lately, with that emerging toddler appetite, so she doesn’t end up eating much for dinner. For now, I’ve been giving her healthy dinner foods for her snack, but I am not sure how I can eventually make her wait longer for food. I’m sure there are different issues and ways to fix things for 1 year olds.
My son is 14 months old and we have the same issues. I am sure he is teething and that's one of the reasons he doesn't want to eat certain foods. I think all these tips are not good with smaller toddlers or babies like yours.
@@Maiju86 She’s 20 months old now, and it finally started to get better when she was 18 months old or so. Indeed, communication was a big aspect of it. It was finally clicking that she could shake her head no that she didn’t want certain foods, rather than throwing it (having her put food to the side/in a small ‘no’ container never really worked for us). She started to hand us foods that she didn’t want, and would shake her head no.
The past month or so, she will tell me yes or no if she wants a certain food when I offer it before I heat it up or take it out. I offer cheese, bacon, beef, etc, showing her the container, and she will shake her head no, or say yes and nod her head. A lot of foods she still says no to, even ones she sometimes loves, like cheese. There is almost no food she will always say yes to, even her ‘favorite’ foods.
She just needs new foods all the time, on a rolling ~3 day basis or so. She will not eat recent leftovers most of the time. Now I know not to waste leftovers by heating them up unless she indicates she wants them. So I try to freeze her little leftovers and offer them later. It’s so much less wasteful. I would dread cleaning out the fridge before, getting rid of all her rejected leftovers.
Sometimes it seems like she will keep rejecting certain foods when I keep mentioning or bringing them out, too. Like if we ignore the possibility of yogurt for a few days and then I bring it up, she will want it more likely when I bring it up later. But this is hard to do when she refuses so many foods.
She will eat pretty healthy as I try to offer her proteins first before anything else, but I need to have lots of different proteins to offer her. It helps that I can now offer her certain foods in the freezer before heating them up.
My one year and a couple of months old has started getting picky. Definatly will be trying to not cook something different... in part I have to admit I did (just last night) cook a different meal soooo gonna be training myself to not do that! Thanks for the tips!
This is one thing I am concerned about, I am an autistic soon-to-be-mum who had Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (aka super picky eater) and I'm worried I will pass that on to my child if they see me avoiding food even if their dad is eating it. I guess if I can find alternatives in my safe list that match the colour that could reduce some of the issue.
I also had a lot of issues once my ARFID was established when I started school, the distraction of my sensory environment in a busy cafeteria, teachers telling me off for leaving food, and being told how financially wasteful it is in restaurants has made me very anxious about eating around others. I can try something new from my husband's plate in our house, but as soon as there is anyone else present I am really scared to try it.
1. What about getting my toddler not to pick up dirty things to place in her mouth? I have already made her aware and she knows but she can't resist. Is this just something she will eventually grow out of?
2. She is quite busy and when given an activity prefers to try and dismantle than to use it for it's purpose. Any advice?
3. The above is linked to this, prefers to just throw the item meant to keep her busy.
I am sure there is something I am not doing right, advice would be great. Perhaps I need to be more firm on her and be consistent. However if you have advice like a tool I can use to encourage her, I would appreciate it.
This doesn’t work for me. He just eats the food he likes and doesn’t eat the food that he doesn’t know
Tried your tips for the first time and they quite worked. Hope they will help us in the long run!
Im really thankful for your videos...from what toys are best ,baby monthly milestones ,each month i look for tips from your channel.. from a year your my savior
Thank you for this. My 27 month old is still a picky eater and I’m running out of things to give her. I’m just hoping it doesn’t get to the situation that my mom is in with my 12 year old sister. My mom still makes separate meals for her. She didn’t do that for me and my brother growing up though.
You should take Solid Starts course
Hi Ebonnee it's really common for little ones at this age to be picky eaters. Just keep presenting food without forcing her to eat it and always make sure you include a food you know she will eat for each meal. This will avoid the need to make whole other meal, as you know there is always something she will happily eat.
I remember being a slightly picky eater as a kid. One thing that helped was seeing what goes into the food we eat. So maybe try to bring the little one into the cooking process and have them help out while you describe what your doing. Keeping safety in mind of course.
My twin girls just turned 1. One eats anything and everything. The other has her moments. She loves fruits or all kinds, but when I try to introduce a new type of savoury food, she will initially take a bite and almost immediately spit it out. After that she will refuse to take further bites (unless it has a sweet flavour, then she's all for it hahaha) I think she inherited my sweet tooth (: So I am so happy you made this video. I will definitely be trying out some of these techniques.
Hopefully these techniques increase her willingness to try the savoury food a second time!
Hi Emma..thank you so much..just have a grand baby girl in October. Need some advice on first solid food and what age should I start giving her.. thank you again.👍👍
Watching for myself because im the pickiest eater 🤣🤣🤣 hoping baby takes after dad and eats everything in front of him
All in how the food is prepared! I used to not like bell peppers until someone skinned the peppers and cooked em.
Watch Good Eats sometime and it'll help build a foundation!
😂 Just try and keep a neutral face and neutral comments when your little one eats/explores foods you're not a big fan of and it should be fine.
Helps to let them eat with you out of one plate when you start them on food. Sit them on your lap and eat together , sharing bites until they’re comfortable eating everything. When they’re older you move them on to a small plate of the same, still with you and finally their own chair. In your case let your husband do that 😂
I hated spinach,broccoli,cauliflower, andive, leak, cabbage. Until I started cooking myself and cooked the food in a different way. I like them all now
That role models bit is so true. I always had us all eat dinner together at dinner even before he was old enough to eat. I believe in incorporating children and including them in life. I never really put or son away from us until Naptime. We eat traditional Mexican food as both my husband and I are native Mexican blends. Normally it takes a long time to get kids to eat lettuce or veg and such but since or kid sat with us watching us eat things like pico de Gallo, sope, tacos, posole and etc. He eats any veggies we put in front of him so long as they are diced or seasoned. He'll even eat cabbage and spinach if it has chamoy on it. Anything daddy eats is gold to him and he has to have it.
It's so good you have been able to include your little one in your family meals. It sounds like it worked so well!
One of the best and most helful videos I came across! Thank you!!!
You're very welcome!
"Toddler" is such a great word 🙂
It's such a fun age too!
It’s only this past year that I realized it was even a thing to have kids have different meals! My sister and sister in law both do it for my nieces and nephews and it was a novelty to me but I didn’t comment on it. When we were kids we had to eat the same food! But there were also 5 of us all a year apart so 1) couldn’t afford to be picky and 2) maybe influence of group think? If one kid ate it then maybe another would try etc.
Same with us- I had 3 siblings and we ate what was on the table or nothing. And after dinner my Mom would shout “Kitchens CLOSED!” 😅
Okay, but once my toddler tries something, how do I convince him to combine it with things he already likes? 😅 As in: How do I get my point across that having the cheese on the bread is just as good as having the cheese in one hand and the bread in the other? That would make preparing lunchboxes a lot easier...
Hi Emma, thank you for ALL your help in raising up these littles. Question, if you stopped breastfeeding and baby turned one, what is the best milk you suggest they transition to? Out 13 month baby girl is having a reaction to the whole cows milk. Thank you for your help! Blessings
I think the barista version of oatmilk ( is fatter ) or almond milk
I’m going to try sauce. It’s veggies that trip up my 14 month old. He loves fruit, bread, cheese, rice, sometimes meat and now I think of it, the meat is more likely to go down with sauce. Maybe this will transfer over to zucchini and broccoli. It hurts my heart to see my favorite veggies thrown on the floor
One issue we have had with adding dips is that my son will use the vegetable or main dish as a utensil to just eat the dip and then cry when the dip runs out without eating the rest of the meal. The little guy loves condiments so we try to avoid them if the meal does not call for it to make sure he eats something else.
Ha- my twins do this too. Hummus, yogurt dip, spinach dip- a carrot is a giant spoon
On a serious note: I don't force my children to eat anything. I serve them the same food I'm eating. There is always a variety of food available at meal time. Their hunger cues handle the rest.
Thanks so much for sharing!
I was told the same. That and to not praise them everytime they take a bite. Like say you yourself is eating dinner and your spouse or parent tells you"good job! you're doing great! Keep eating you can do it! There you go!" Would be annoying right? Not to mention it causes pressure and no longer feels like dinner. Starts to feel like eating is a chore to satisfy the person who is praising.
I struggle during dinner because my 1 yo usually eat a lot in daycare and wants breastmilk once we reach home as a comfort thing. So by the time dinner time arrives, he is already full. What I noticed helps him is if I only put small amounts of food on his tray and we just eat together as a family. He is not pressured to eat anything but it is there if he wants to. Also, we just play him music through his Yoto player instead of a tablet or TV. It seems he is more interested to try the food if he is not looking at the screen. 😊
same here ! with the breastmilk
Thank you this was really helpful 😊
You’re welcome 😊
My 2¼ won't eat any fruit or vegetables (unless well hidden!) and it's been this way for over a year. We're doing all of the above and just trying to be patient. But my main bugbear is around sauces. We've tried offering dips, but it backfires spectacularly as he'll happily eat nothing but mayonnaise or sour cream for dinner and have a conniption when it's all gone, even when there's other foods he likes on his plate.
I would cut out both especially the mayo/switch it for ghee. You have a bot eliminate soy as it mimicks a female hormone and will make him over weight and feminine. Here for a picky eater too.
Have things improved for you?
Girl, I am in the same boat! And I don’t know what else to do!
What to do if nothing does not work. NO grazing, no snacks, no autism (checked out by specialist) NO fruit, wont eat it hidden in sauces ( if it looks orange or green its NO) , no juice, giving safe food but then will eat that alone and say no to everything else. Seriously nothing works and im not giving excuses. I eat with her and eat the same food. Just made a smoothie. she knows something is in it that she doesnt like (carrots) she normally would drink juice she refused it. Its good and all getting all these examples but then what do you do with the child who doesnt fall for any of it. At this point, its starvation because im on day 2 of not giving in and she is willing to starve herself :( I do offer her dinner or milk. She now refuses both dinner and milk. Novelties also do not work. Preparing the food with her also does not work. She will not touch the fruit or vegetable. Especially if its sticky. Been at it for months now since she is 18 months then ended up giving her chips and nuggets and pasta so she wouldnt starve. Now i dont give in and its very heart breaking watching her not eat
My child's pediatrician suggested giving a multivitamin, probiotic,calcium chews,and fish oil. Said that if I put the right vitamins and things in her then she should start to be open to trying new food I say take a trip to your local vitamin shopp
Sauces and dip really help
So now what do i do when they also refuse to eat their preferred/ tried and enjoyed foods as well? Its 50/50 if my 2yo will eat anything!! Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Every single meal is a gamble!
Same. My kids loved my lasagna the first night- so we ate the leftovers the next night and it was the most disgusting thing ever and was thrown on the floor. I even added more sauce and cheese. Like… what? Lol
Yes the same with my 4 year old! He won't eat the same foods again, even if he likes them, unless he's in the right mood.
Same here with my 2.5 yr old. He was loving raw broccoli and cauliflower that I would boil in a bouillon cube. Now, he won’t even look at it. It’s so frustrating!
Anyone else's toddler wont eat meat? Like my daughter will eat chicken nuggets, but when we try to serve her a meal with rice, chicken, and veg (just an example) she will eat the rice and some veg, but will avoid the meat completely, even though she obviously doesn't dislike chicken. And she's like this with all meats, they have been introduced in ways she likes, but then she will only eat them those certain ways, regardless of the seasonings, tenderness, or size of the newly introduced ways.
Before ever hearing these tips we have tried all of them (except for the 5 meals, but she has been obviously hangry at times a dinner with meat was served and still refused it), and none of them have worked, except for occasionally forcing a new food in her mouth which she then realizes tastes good and will eagerly eat it for that meal, but if the same thing is served again we're back at square one. I just don't get it.
same ! Mine will just eat rice and bread but not veggies or meat but he will drink this healthy Green (full of veggies, fruit ) Smoothie we get from supermarket
My 2.5yr old refuses to basically eat any meat. The closest I got was homemade turkey meatballs, lightly seasoned, with finely diced apples. I’m going to try and get him to eat them again, but I’m not having faith. He won’t even eat chicken nuggets, like what kid doesn’t like chicken nuggets?!
My 2 year old has started labelling every food he dislikes as “spicy” including banana, strawberries etc.. he just refuses to even look at those food 😢 will try your tips
I have a tip for you! My son is extremely picky. Freeze very ripe bananas and strawberries. Can buy the already-frozen strawberries if you want. Anywho, then blend 3 large strawberries and 1.5 bananas with a little of sweetened vanilla almond milk (great calcium addition!) -just a little to help blend it. It turns into ice cream!!!!! You call it ice cream and your kid will love it. I started adding cinnamon and ground flax seed (for omega 3s) and omg, he can't tell! One time I didn't grind it tiny enough and he wouldn't try the ice cream. Now, we started adding an oatmeal cereal too that has iron because his iron is low (he's super picky). Eventually we want to add a few leaves of spinach too. Try it and tell me how it goes!
But start just with the 3 ingredients. 🍓 🍌 🥛. He calls it pink ice cream and he loves it.
@@mareezy awesome thanks so much 😊
@@kingnov2543 I hope it works!
Omg! Yes, my 2.5yr old son does the same! He, too, labels anything he dislikes (but used to love) as “spicy” and won’t eat it.
my son ate everything. and then it stopped and he wouldn't eat anything. Then he was eating olives..yes.. olives! at daycare and we started giving it to him. he also likes tomatoes sometimes and bell peppers.but that's it on the veggie part. We are going to try this. it's worth the shot.
I have the same problem. We was a trashcan until 3. Now if there is a vegetable in the meal he will hunger strike. I have a suspicion their appetite is lower and when their appetite increases they will come back around.
My son like this too, 2 years wouldn't eat anything, turned out he has SPD and we have to get him a therapy.
All I got from that is "Unicorn corn holders to hold corn"
JK, was great thanks! haha
😁
Subscribed!!💓
Good tips! Wish there was a video about how to get kids to drink water…
Thanks for the suggestion.
I've tried so many things to get my child to eat, short of starving her. None of them work. She likes to help me prep and cook (we cook a lot, with a good variety too). She knows the names of the ingredients, we also play food-based or restaurant games. She only plays with her food but won't eat. We tried different color bowls, plates, utensils, variety, 1 or 2, 2-3 pcs on the plate, hide n seek, nothing. She only eats a handful of things. She doesn't even like candy, chips, or juice (we tried giving her some just to get her to try anything) let alone fruits, veg, meat. She only eats one brand of milk, choco milk, yogurt, cereal, plain pancakes and waffles, plain straight cut fries, creamy Skippy, and a couple types of cracker. She inspects everything that goes into her mouth visually and thru smell. We tried giving her Pediasure, Ascenda, she would gag. She won't even touch gummy vitamins. Doc says she'll get over it as she gets older. She's tiny, but full of energy and loves different activities like reading, playing and tumbling. But I'm getting really stressed over it.
My toddler is the same way! He’s 2.5. We exposed him every fruits and veggie and meat under the sun, and he ate it. Now, he refuses it eat any kind of vegetable and basically meat. I don’t understand why, because we avoid highly processed food in our house. Hence, why I am here looking for tips and advise. We do eat meals as a family. The struggle is real.
@@emmyrae9368 My daughter was never a big eater, but she used to eat quite a variety of things like spaghetti, fish, and miso soup. She stopped eating all of a sudden at 2 yrs old. She'll be 4 soon, and recently she refuses to drink milk. We've been looking for a food therapist here in Manila, no luck. My husband and I are at our wits end trying to get her to at least try something. 😣
Yes! We’ve experienced similar situations too. Not that this helps, but I do feel a little better that I’m not alone. I do hope you can find someone, even if it’s thought video conferencing. My toddler would rather snack on the dogs food vs eating dinner lol. It’s not funny but at this point, I have laugh or else I’ll cry lol.
I hope she grows out of it soon. I think we decided on trying to b out the food in common bowls on the table for us all to grab from. We do all eat the same food together. If he doesn’t eat, then he doesn’t eat. He’s certainly not going to starve; I hope it eventually gets hungry enough to eat what he’s given. I feel like we’ve tried everything mentioned in the video aside of what I mentioned above. I’ll try to remember to check back in a few months with an update.
Hang in there friend 🫶🏻
@@emmyrae9368 I appreciate your kind and encouraging words very much. It really does help knowing that we're not alone in this situation. I do hope and pray our children learn the joys of eating if not now, then soon!
Thank you and please just comment if you need to! Best of luck! 😊
Any idea on how to get my toddler to eat food that she out of nowhere decided she didn't like anymore but has been eating since she could eat solids? Her father passed away and she regressed on a lot of things like talking and walking which we are working on but food is a whole new issue. We do all of these tips already
Same with my son.. from eat any food and then stop what he used to eat. Turned my son has SPD
Happening with my baby now, lazy to eat all the time.. I was in need of this video thank u 😊
You’re welcome 😊
This definitely sounds good
My only tip is, and I can't stress this enough, don't make a big deal out of it.
Let them explore naturally and in their own time driven by their own curiosity. This includes not "encouraging" them to try new food. The reward is the experience. Taste perception needs time to form. Let them touch food, play with it, taste it.
There is absolutely no need to throw a tantrum because of food on your plate if there is no one pressuring you to eat it.
Give them a chance to develop their autonomy, at least in this part of their lives.
With the first tip the trouble I have is then he only focuses on eating that food and won’t even touch the others…(he’s 19months)
Emma please how can one teach a toddler how to chew, to get him taking solid finger foods and chewing. Please can you reply this
I stop offering new food for my 18 month old. I just start eating and when he wants to he can try it. Usually he comes running to the table as soon as he can see me eating something. I don't now wether this is going to work when he gets older but so far he is really adventurous with new foods. He would try anything he has never seen before as long as I don't explicitly offer it 😆
Sounds like you have worked out a method which work for your little one!
My daughter is 15 months and it is definitely hard to get her to try new foods. What she does like, she eats a lot of. Mostly fruit
It's great your little one loves fruit. Hopefully these tips will help her branch out and try other food
Perfect timing although not sure any of these will actually help as I've already tried most of them...my lo was a great eater up until he choked after being sick (he vomited but was sleeping on his back so struggled to breath for a few seconds...). After that it was all downhill and now he only accepts to eat solid food (no more purees) and only fruits, avocado, bread, humus and soft cheese, yogurts and banana pancakes. He's very VERY selective and we have a medical appointment at the end of this month with a pediatrician specialized in food aversion. Any tips for something caused by trauma like arfid/food aversion? I'm running out of ideas...I keep serving him the only foods I know he'll eat + something out of his comfort zone (so...basically anything else) but no luck until now.
Hi Sara sounds like it was a very scary experience for your little one.
It's great you have been able to get into a paediatrician specialising in food aversion.Unfortunately, it's difficult to give advice without seeing your little one in person. I use the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) feeding approach when working with children with food aversion and find it really beneficial. So it might be worth seeing if there are therapist who specialise in this approach if the pediatrician does not provide therapy services.
I am sorry I couldn't have been of more help.
@@EmmaHubbard thank you so much for taking the time to answer my comment. The pediatrician that we're going to see is in charge of the feeding issues clinic and they have a pluridisciplinary team with therapists who work with that kind of approach so I suppose she'll put us in contact with them if she deems necessary. As he eats fruits and proteins and still has a good amount of breast milk I'm not overly worried (for now) but better to work these issues now than letting them get worse...
I wish these had worked for my son ☹️ He is 11 and still such a picky eater. But my other 2 kids are no where near as picky.
I am on edge of crying
My boy is 2 years old, he barely accepts food
And starts crying for his bottle whenever he sees me feeding his 3 month old brother
I am frustrated, help me
@Emma Hubbard Hi Emma pls make a video of how to make one year old drink enough water tried everything and still doesn’t work
@@NextLevelMeNow hi thk u for ur reply. Yes I have tried different bottles and he dint like fruit juices. Hav to try again. Even now at 14 months he stil drinks only 50ml of water a day
My 2.5yr old isn’t a fan of water, but I do add one or two drops of liquid flavoring, like crystal light. Literally just two little drops to add a subtle, very mild flavoring. I’m not sure if this is the best approach, but he only consumes this and milk. We don’t buy juices, or things like Capri Sun, due to the sugar content.
Hi Emma, my 13 month old was a fantastic eater. However now he only grabs fruits, he doesn’t touch a thing in his plate except for fruits. Any advice? Should I stop offering him fruits at mealtimes? When I serve him meals without fruits he is just waiting for me to drop the fruits and if he doesn’t receive them he wants to get out of the chair
Is it ok to try a toddlers food when offering to them?
Hi! Yep it is ok to try a toddlers food, I would just recommend having another plate and putting it on your plate. You can take it from their plate if they are ok with that but I would not recommend you put the food in their hand and then help them place it in their mouth. I would just encourage them to explore the new food by saying " You can smell it" or " You can poke it with your finger" etc. I hope that helps!
Use your own spoon if you can. Just in case you have the bacteria for cavities ( S. mutans) or gum disease. That way you don't share
My one year has multiple food allergies and sensitivities. He’s still breastfed because he refuses to put food in food in his mouth. We’re struggling to get him to eat and now affecting his health. What should we do???
My toddler refuses all vegetables except an occasional piece of lettuce. He instantly throws all the vegetables on the floor. He will eat what he wants and then throws the rest when he is done. We eat meals with him, I even make a point of showing him the food I am eating and sharing directly with him. I've been coating everything in cheesey sauce, ranch or ketchup and still no success. I really think some kids are just picky and there really isn't anything you can do because we have been trying for almost a year and following the instructions of an OT.
I totally understand this my 3 year old is the same it’s so frustrating I am starting to dread meal times takes one bite shakes her head no or says yuck very difficult
Hang in there I think they go through phases of this but not sure
My 17 month has food envy so he wants what I'm eating lol not the case for everyone but it's just funny how they are all unique people and what works for one, doesn't work for another. Don't get discouraged parents.
I think I’ve tried all the tips possible and did so much to avoid this problem with food, but eventually I got a toddler who excluded most of his food and his menu is barely 3-4 foods😓😓😓
Ya I already tried the dip thing and he will only lick off the sauce. So how do i actually get him to eat
My 19 month old babygirl used to love peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken...and now she literally only wants to eat salmon and some fruits 😵💫
It's extremely frustrating but very normal for toddlers to become fussy eaters (after eating everything when they were younger). The key is to continue presenting food and not applying any pressure to eat the non preferred food. With continued exposure to the non preferred food, your little one will start to explore the food by smelling it, touching it, squashing it etc and then eventually eating it. Good luck!
@@EmmaHubbard thank you. I appreciate you responding to me 💕
Girl, I am in the same boat. My son ate everything from oranges to avocado to squash. Now, he basically turns his nose to any vegetables and meats. It’s so frustrating 😔
The issue with eating the same food as my child is I have so many allergies. I can’t eat beef pork tomatoes dairy products etc so I can’t eat with him and he gets upset when he has food at all. He won’t even eat the food he used to like. Today to get him to eat I had to put his meatloaf in his oatmeal /:
@3:04 i usually end up eating 2 bananas.
Wish would of watch this sooner my 19 month old just wants to snack alot and not eat veggies. Just wants fruit and dairy. I've had to rap her meat in cheese to get her to eat meat. I try and pre make some small meals. And try 5 meals
Hope that helps! It's not uncommon for toddlers to dislike vegetables. Just keep presenting them and eating them around her and when she is ready she will have a taste.
My toddler is 4, she doesn't snack, nor eat fruits or drink milk, even she is hungry for 6-8 hrs she doesn't like to eat, has no interest in food & always have to force feed her still takes more than an hour to complete food, We eat with her, give her what we r eating, tried everything but nothing works, enrolled her in daycare so that she will eat seeing her friends but it doesn't work too, can anyone help?? I am an Asian mom, she doesn't eat anything else, but eats lentil, rice & vegetables but is full after having 2-3 spoon, so again we should force feed her which is a bad parenting but nothing works on her case, she barely eats food or feel hungry, even if she is hungry she is always fussy to eat, would appreciate if someone helps me in this, have struggling with her feeding since birth, hoping that she will learn but it's sooo frustrating she doesn't want to eat n it's always not someday, It's too depressing for me 😢😢
Maybe your child has sensory disorder like my son. He won't eat anything like other childs do.. we got him therapy but seems so slow
Sauce works. At first my little one would just shovel the sauce in her mouth by hand 😭. But she's getting there. She's got a mad sweet tooth and dosent trust anything that looks like a veggie lol. But slowly but surely
Thanks for sharing!!
I don’t necessarily agree that I have to eat with my child ….. it’s more important to teach kids that there is a time n place for everything ……sasses are Not necessary especially for healthy eating…… children can’t miss what they have never had✌🏽😇
Hi my son is 19 months old he only eats gerber cereals he don’t home food when I bring food plate by seeing he turn his face
i have done all of those things mentioned besides looking good thing. I ask parents on mom groups what their kids eat and they all say, what they eat. My 2 year old can somehow tell if something has a veggie in it, as soon as she sees any colors in the rice, pasta she picks them, yep tiny cut, and then she doesnt touch the food, I cannot put a few things in her plate because she will eat one and wont touch the other. no veggies, cant put a few things, no matter how many times you can keep putting it as a (keep offering it method) she will not eat it. no fun, no dancing , no hopping make this baby open her mouth and try or eat anything she decides not to. One day she is find with potatoes the next she wont touch it, the same with eggs, I went from cooking veggies with all the meals to no veggies , plain pasta and rice with all 3 of us because of 4th family member age of 2 who dictates what we eat. I thought she is a carnivore, but we gave her fish, chicken at first she was choosing it over sides, then she stopped, Im loosing my mind, i literally prepare 3 meals for her , just in case she refuses one gets another. Not because i want to, but she wont eat it, like for lunch i made her tortilla cheese egg burrito, she used to eat it, she took a few bites refused it, she loves tortillas, she used to love sweet potato fries, she stopped, so i dont know what to do, as you can see a book size comment tells you how desperate i am.
I’m in the same boat with my 2 year old.
He used to love cheesy eggs, steak, beans, rice, etc etc and literally only eats bacon, cheese taco, chips, and specifically nuggets and fries from McDonald’s will not take homemade fries.
It is exhausting and we’re struggling to get him to gain weight. His pediatrician is on our case about his weight and eating habits and had us try to force feed him at one point and I think that just made the issue 10x worse for us. Now he doesn’t trust us to have him try anything.
I hope you find something that works for you guys! I just started buying cookie cutters to make fun shapes with pancakes and such we will see how this goes 😒
@alyssakelsey3267 gosh. I'm sorry, I understand your struggle. Thank you for sharing, not a lot of people admit that they have these issues. So incase feeling alone.
With my toddler she would smell the food if it does not satisfy her the smell of the food then she won’t eat it
I was happy when my daughter ate oats for breakfast but for eggs she used to like to eat scramble eggs now just hard boil and she would just eat the white part
To be honest in the west everything is sooo mentally draining. Not comparing but I hardly see this concept growing up in different country such as Asian. I moved to the west and started hearing about such things because often we think by not giving options, we are not good parents and not introducing the children to values is too much for the kids. Unfortunately, thars why children are sooo fussy about everything in this part of the world. We need to keep a balance of some sort being parents. Encouraging table manners, eating together without external disturbances and involving children in preparation of the food is not bad. If a child doesn't get to see, feel or taste variety of foods, how they can even eat it. Being too much obsessed with it also creates problems. Just like many adults who don't like certain foods it's normal for kids. Encouraging them through different ways does take hell out of your lives but it's worth it in the end. ❤
Earrings are not much visible :(
On a serious tone: good content, keep it up
What do you do if she doesn t eat even her favorite food anymore ?
My toddler doesn’t eat any sauce or dipping sauce… we usually eat with him but he still refuses to most of food we eat. 😢
Awesome !
We do that, have the same food to get him to eat but it doesnt matter 😢
sometimes i don't know what to cook 😢😢 am 29 am in Europe no mother no father and my first child i really don't know what to do with my son he don't like eating new things
My baby is 11 months old, and he struggles to eat solids we have tried about everything
My mom wanted us to eat beetroots but we hated them so she mixed it with mashed potatoes and said it was barbie mashed potatoes. I ate them all. 😂
My 1 and 3 years old didnt eat the food i prepare.
My son doesn't like anything. He doesn't even dare to taste anything, what do I do then? He turns 3 in July and hasn't eaten real food since he was 1. He receives meal allowances
I can relate, my daughter is 3 on the 14th and will pretty much only eat fries, fruit, crackers, cheese, peanut butter jelly sandwiches or peanut butter toasts. On the sometimes list is meatballs, chicken nuggets, oatmeal and yogurt. I can get veggies in her through baked goods or pouches.
My toddler is 2 years old and eats only semi solid food. He shows no interest in eating solids and throws it away. Need you help on how can I make him eat solid food
I have a 15th month old the same!
It is very helpful to know the genetics of the child as it pertains to vegetables. People with two copies of the gene that codes for the taste of vegetables will complain that all vegetables are bitter. With one copy of the gene, there may be vegetables the child will eat willingly. Kids with zero copies of the gene will not be influenced as much by the taste of vegetables.
I've a 1yo. She only has her bottom 2 teeth and struggle with protein, even soft fish becomes a mass on her mouth and she spits it, how can I help her eat a more varied food without teeth?
Blend 3 strawberries and 1.5 bananas with a little bit of sweetened milk (We do almond milk) and it comes out like ice cream.
Also mashed potatoes. Hope this helps, my son is super picky, I tried everything and most things don't work
This is all about toddlers, which is great and all... But, what about my 8yr old who will only eat a certain brand of chicken nuggets, and not much else?
These tips will help but for your little one I would recommend you link in with an occupational therapist or speech pathologist who is trained in picky eating. The reason your little one might be picky might be due to sensory preferences or an oral motor delay. For these kids a graded approach works best. My preferred approach is using the Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding. So if you can find a therapist trained in that approach I am sure it will help.
@@EmmaHubbard Thank you for the reply
My toddler eats only new foods. And dislikes things she has already had previously😂
My autistic 3 year old is very picky, we have a list of only 10 things he eats
His brother isnt autistic but even picmier....and he is 18 months old
Nope
1.) My son hates dips and sauces.
2.) Tried eating the same thing at the same time, he just won't eat.
3.) Doesn't matter if it's paired with food he likes and most of the time he won't even eat what he likes if the unwanted food is present
4.) He won't eat meat, he won't eat sandwiches or any kind of bread, even cake and cupcakes and sometimes cookies. He will eat the icing off the cake and leave the cake somewhere
5.) Peer pressure doesn't work. He attend Montessori and they all eat together, that doesn't make him eat new food.
6.) Won't eat anything white or red.
7.) He loves dinos and unicorns, made those shapes and nope won't eat it. He loves looking at it but won't eat it.
I can't eat the same foods with kids; I am allergic to eggs and I don't want to eat meat. Also my one year old has very few teeth, so he can't eat all the same foods as the rest of the family. Or if we eat salty things (ready made and salt can't be removed), he of course can't have those.
My 17 month old doesn't want to eat anything except baby wafers and drink formula. he is teething. I offered different foods he's still not eating
My kid will eat the same thing over and over. I thought I was picky, but she takes the cake. We eat with her and she still refuses to try new foods. I have to bribe her.
Oh, I tried it all. She has 3-4 food she eats and that's it. She never touches the new option. Kid has starved herself in front of full plates, even with food she likes but was just not in the mood to eat.
And then you listen to other people blaming you while your kid tried to become a walking skeleton.
I eat with her, I cook freshly every day, she only wants the same garbage.
In olden times, that child would have died.
My 2year baby girl eats nothing no milk no solid only breastfeed i tried everything every medication plz help me she is so stubborn so fussy