Advice for the Picky Eater in Your Family

Parents come to us asking about trying new foods. I like to say, if you just have some variety for your child and be patient with this, it’ll be fine.

If it’s an infant or toddler when you’re introducing a new food, I’ll tell parents it’s going to take ten, 12 or even 15 tries sometimes. And that “try” might just be a lick or a taste or smell.

As kids get a little older and you want to have them trying new foods, engage them in getting those foods. So, if you’re going shopping, let them pick between a couple of fruit choices or vegetable choices; don’t just let them pick whatever they want because if you do, they’re going to have a lot of cookies in the bag. At the same time, having that patience and role modeling this is really important. I want you to try to think about what foods you are going to eat and what foods you absolutely hate. Don’t put that on the plate, if you’re not ready and willing to have that food yourself. This is a good time to just be patient with yourself, with your child. Don’t jump at the quick fix. And always remember, you can talk to your pediatrician. They’ll be able to give you the right advice and reassure you that your child’s actually getting the right amount of calories and the right mix of foods.