Speak to any parent of a toddler and they’ll agree that at some point after turning 1 – whether it’s 18 months or closer to 2 years – one of their child’s most used words becomes ‘no’ and it often comes hand in hand with a change in their eating habits.
While you may have had a baby who would eat whatever is served, toddlerhood can be very different.
Fruit on the plate that may have previously been loved now gets a resounding NO NO NO, and let’s not mention green vegetables – it’s either a ‘no’ or it’s straight for the floor!
So why do toddler’s eating habits change?
Can we let you in on a little secret? Toddlers are supposed to be fussy. It’s actually completely normal as there are so many big developmental changes happening around this time. Here are some of the main ones:
1. Growth slows
First up, physical growth slows right down between 12 – 24 months of age. As a parent you might be thinking, the older your child gets, the more they need to eat. But this isn’t how it works. Kids usually eat more when they are growing a lot. So as growth rate slows (i.e. around 12-24 months), we expect their appetite to also reduce.
2. Back molars
It’s also the time where many children start to develop their back molars. This is where babies and toddlers do most of their chewing. It can make eating painful so your little one can become cautious when eating.
3. Sensory Awareness
Around this time, your child’s sensory awareness is at an all time high. Colours, smells, sounds and tastes become overwhelming in their expanding world. Cognitive development reaches its peak and all of a sudden, it’s like a lightbulb turns on in their world and that stalk of broccoli looks SO green and that browning banana needs to GO AWAY IMMEDIATELY!.
4. Food Neophobia (i.e. food refusal)
On top of all of the above, toddlers around this age often experience ‘Food Neophobia’. This is essentially the refusal of new foods. Around this time you might notice that you’re child suddenly becomes disinterested in a food they have previously enjoyed or becomes wary of trying new foods. There is some thought that this is an innate survival mechanism for the newly mobile toddler to avoid eating harmful foods that could be poisonous or dangerous. Of course, toddlers today are not in the wilderness foraging for their meals and are generally not at risk of encountering dangerous foods. However, it’s thought that they remain genetically hardwired to reject a new food even before tasting it.
All of this can amount to very frustrating mealtimes for you and your little one!
So what can you do to support your new little toddler?
The good news is that there are lots of strategies that you can try to support your child through the fussy toddler phase and (hopefully) keep mealtime meltdowns to a minimum.
1. Tasting Plates
Consider offering your little one a ‘tasting plate’ for meals and/or snacks. Preparing a platter with a small variety of foods for your toddler to nibble and explore is a great way to introduce new flavours. Think some chopped tomato with a small handful of berries and some boiled egg.
Tasting plates work because they give your child autonomy over which foods they’re willing to taste and how much of it they want to try. This takes the mealtime pressure away – they don’t have to finish everything on the plate, but it’s offered ‘just in case’. If you’re toddler doesn’t eat some or any of the foods you’ve offered, try not to be disheartened and remember that exposure to different foods is so valuable.
2. Portion sizes
Consider the portion sizes you’re serving up. Trying a new food can be daunting. Serving up a whole plate of something new can mean your little one checks out before they’ve even given it a chance. How would you feel if you were served a whole plate of oysters and had never tried them before? Overwhelmed? Uncertain? We’d feel the same way!
Focussing on little serves at a time can reduce that feeling of overwhelm, and make new foods feel more manageable. After all, it’s challenging work being a toddler!
3. Introduce new foods away from the table
Teach your child to crack an egg, encourage them to choose a new fruit at the supermarket or ask for help decorating homemade pizzas. By exposing your little one to positive food experiences outside mealtime, their willingness to engage with food increases and this leads to progress over time. They might even ask to try that veggie pizza – What a win!
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Looking for more strategies and support when it comes to feeding your family?
- Head over to Little Bites, where we’ve got plenty more strategies to help your toddler overcome their fussy-food phase. Sign up and check it out here.
- Follow our kids nutrition account @thebitingtruthkids on Instagram