How to Get a Very Picky 3 Year Old to Eat

Dealing with the picky eating habits of a 3-year-old toddler can be a frustrating experience for any parent --- experienced or not. After all, toddlers need their nutrition to keep growing, so it is important to make sure they eat a balanced diet. However, accomplishing that mission despite picky taste buds requires a bit of parental ingenuity.

Instructions

    • 1

      Refrain from forcing your toddler to eat. Three-year-olds typically need between 1,000 and 1,300 calories per day. However, they may not eat this amount every day. If you force them to eat --- particularly certain foods --- it may reinforce negative habits and thoughts about food, which can affect their development when it comes to healthy eating habits.

    • 2

      Provide a plate of nibbles. Toddlers don't eat like older kids or adults do, with a few larger portions of different foods. They enjoy a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Offer your picky eater small portions of a number of different foods he enjoys. Don't worry if it isn't specific to the mealtime. It doesn't matter if he wants a tray of eggs, sausage and pancakes in the evening and mashed potatoes in the morning, so long as he eats something.

    • 3

      Camouflage healthy foods to get in servings of meats or vegetables. For example, melted cheese over broccoli is a good way to get some green veggies in your little one's tummy. If you put peas under a layer of mashed potatoes, he'll already be chewing the food in his mouth before he even knows he's ingested vegetables.

    • 4

      Allow your 3-year-old to assist in preparing meals. Make it a festive occasion, with a radio in the kitchen, and assign him simple tasks. The more invested he is in preparing the meal, the more likely he will be to want to eat it.

    • 5

      Invite older kids to meal times to show off their eating habits. Three-year-olds love to mimic older kids, and by watching older siblings or friends eat certain foods, they may be so inclined to do so as well.

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