Inside The Mind Of A Picky Eater Toddler

To truly correct a picky eater, you have to understand a picky eater. If you can understand them at a young age, you can treat them differently and show them by example so that they will grow out of that stage on their own, instead of becoming an actual picky eater throughout their childhood and into adulthood. Here are the 3 main reasons a toddler starts to act like a picky eater.

1. I'm not hungry all the time like before. I know everyone wants me to eat but I'm just not that hungry. As a baby I wanted food all the time. But now that I'm a toddler I'm just not into eating as much.

After one year, the rapid growth that occurred will start to slow down. Birth weight triples the first year of life but then doesn't quadruple until the second year. Children between age 2 and puberty gain an average of 4.5 to 6.5 pounds per year. This shows up in their meal patterns which can include days in which they seem disinterested in food. As long as their growth is on track, you can't expect your child to eat the same amounts every day.

2. I'm really afraid. No, really! New foods and certain textures scare me. I'm afraid that something bad will happen if I eat it. I wish my parents wouldn't push it so much. Maybe watching them eat a bunch of times will help me calm down.

“The thinking is that food neophobia, the fear of new foods, has evolved to protect kids as they become more mobile and are able to ingest foods,” says Jennifer Orelet Fisher, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health at Temple University.

Fisher explains how this developmental phase, which peaks between ages 2 and 6, has evolved from a time where fear of strange foods kept kids from eating harmful toxins. Even though people no longer hunt for food, kids are biologically driven to be skeptical of unfamiliar foods. She says food neophobia will vary in children and often matches temperament. So you might see a cautious kid also cautious about new foods and a more easygoing one less afraid.

3. I want some control. I know my parents did everything for me when I was younger, but I'm older now and want some say in the matter. Plus, food seems to be such a hot button issue!

Picky eating typically starts in toddlerhood, right when kids are beginning to understand they are separate people from their parents. Just as in other areas, they will test their limits during mealtime as they establish a sense of autonomy. This is a very normal part of development.

Huffington Post gave a great article about this. To read more of their reasons why toddlers are picky eaters, go here:

Inside The Mind Of A Picky Eater Toddler