Quick Tips to Help Picky Eaters Love Healthy Foods

Ugh, the dreaded beige foods. 

Is this all your kids will eat?

Breads, crackers, cereal, chips, cheese…

If you’ve ever struggled to get your child to eat anything other than chicken nuggets or plain pasta, you’re not alone! In fact, most kids I work with are incredibly picky and only eat 3-4 foods consistently. 

As parents, who know better, we can get incredibly frustrated or even triggered by our kids’ picky eating. 

Most of us grew up eating the food placed before us without question. Maybe we didn’t like it, but we ate it because then we got dessert. 

Also, starving kids in Africa…need I say more? 

Clean plate club anyone? 

I shutter at the memories (sorry mom!). 

Most kids go through some phase of picky eating, it’s part of them learning about autonomy and making their own decisions.  

And there’s nothing more fun than a 3-year-old exerting his or her independence…

What is picky eating?

Picky eating is a spectrum, like most things. It can range from the opinionated toddler to the kid who eats only one brand of Mac & Cheese and that’s it (she was my best friend growing up). 

There is currently no uniform definition of picky eating, it varies from clinician to clinician. I define picky eating as a child who has limited food repertoire based on the food groups or colors who is either losing foods in their repertoire or is not adding new foods to their repertoire.  

This might look like a 18-month-old who can’t seem to progress out of the puree food category. 

Or it might look like a 5-year-old who only eats carbohydrates. 

Or an 11-year-old who is so brand specific that if a food is out of stock at the grocery store, they are not willing to try a replacement and instead will restrict food intake. 

All of these are very different but equally frustrating to the caregiver. 

Let’s start by talking about “what’s normal” when it comes to picky eating. 

• Developmental Stages: We have to consider how old a kiddo is chronologically but also developmentally. If your child was born premature, they get bonus time to achieve their milestones, including eating! They may not be ready at 6-months-old to start solids; you may need to wait longer for the digestive system and oral motor system to be ready for real food. Additionally, if you have a kiddo who has been fed purees solely until 18-months, they may have a hard time skipping textured purees and jumping right to whole, real food. Eating is a very complex skill and a child’s gag reflex needs time to adjust, their tongue has to learn to move in various directions, and they have to figure out how to break down food with their teeth and gums. Like I said, complex.   

• Sensory Sensitivities: Whether your child has sensory sensitivities or seems to do fine with various sensory experiences, eating a meal is a full-blown sensory experience. From the smell in the kitchen as the food is being prepared, to the way foods look, how they feel in the mouth, and how they feel being swallowed, there’s lots of opportunity for a child to not have a positive experience. If a child has a negative experience with a food, they often do remember it. This does not mean stop exposing them to it, but it does mean you might need to re-think your approach to help them feel safe with that food. 

• Fear of the New (Food Neophobia): Ever notice how your child sometimes turns up their nose at a food they’ve never even tried? This is a completely normal behavior called food neophobia—essentially, the fear of new foods. Food neophobia is an instinctive reaction in many children, especially around ages 2-6. At this stage, kids often become wary of new or unfamiliar foods as a natural survival mechanism. Their brains are wired to protect them from potentially unsafe foods, so when they see something new and different on their plate, a little red flag goes up: “Is this safe to eat?”  

This instinct served our ancestors well. Long ago, when children might have come across unknown plants or berries, hesitation kept them from eating something potentially harmful. Today, though, it can make introducing new, healthy foods challenging, especially when kids are seeing bright greens or unusual textures.

But here’s the good news: With gentle exposure and a little creativity, we can help kids get more comfortable trying new foods, even if it takes a few tries! By reducing pressure around mealtime and making food exploration fun, we can guide kids past their food neophobia, one taste at a time.

• Parental Influence: In this busy world, it’s very common for children to eat separately from their parents or even separately from other siblings. When this happens, kids are missing out on a major learning opportunity. I have helped many picky eaters just by supporting the family to switch to family meals. 

• Kids learn best by watching and through play. A family meal supports both of these strategies. If they do not see someone eating broccoli, why on earth would they want to try a food that looks like a tree? 

Ok, it’s normal, but what if it becomes NOT normal?

Fun Strategies to Introduce New Foods

One of things I work with clients on (well, parents of clients), is that just because a kiddo shows us they don’t like a food doesn’t mean we should stop putting that food in front of them. 

Don’t give in to the pickiness. 

Don’t force them to eat it either. 

The key to getting picky eaters excited about healthy foods is to make the experience fun and pressure-free. 

It’s so important to keep the exposures small, fun, and completely on their own agenda. 

When we avoid giving a child a certain food because it either made them gag, throw it, or refuse it, we are missing an incredible opportunity to teach them about the food. What ensues is that the child develops an irrational anxiety or fear of this food (although to them it’s totally rational). I have seen this develop incredibly young. 

And I have yet to work with a picky eater who doesn't have some level of meal time anxiety. 

Here are some of my tried-and-true strategies to help not only decrease anxiety but help children feel safe exploring new foods. 

• Involve Kids in Cooking: Letting kids participate in meal prep—from washing vegetables to stirring ingredients—makes them more curious about the foods and helps dispel anxieties because there is no pressure to try the food. Over time, kids are often more willing to try the final dish. This can start surprisingly young. With older kids, have them pick out cookbooks from the library and try a few recipes they are interested in (even if they are brownies). 
• Food Play and Exposure: Letting kids play with their food or smell it without the expectation to eat helps reduce anxiety around new foods. Ignore the mantra you heard from your parents about not playing with your food. Not only is it great to let kids play with their food, it’s AMAZING if you model playing with your food also. Be silly and have fun. 
• Always offer options: When kids are young, your job is ALWAYS to have food accessible for them on their plate that you know they will eat. It can be alongside other foods you WANT them to eat, but you MUST have something on that plate that will fill up their bellies. This food helps them feel safe and will increase the chances that they are regulated and willing to try other new foods at the table. As they get older, I love using family style meals once a week where the child can choose what goes on their plate but still has to walk by and consider other foods. 
• “Food Chains”: This is a method that gradually transitions a kiddo from a food they like (e.g., a plain cracker) to a healthier option with similar texture or flavor. This is a commonly used approach but I find that I often need a step before a child is ready for this. I will have families offer both preferred items and new items side by side and talk about the differences and similarities while modeling play with and consuming it. I will also have families blend veggies and meats in tiny quantities into favorite foods like pasta or mac and cheese. This is HIGHLY successful in getting kids' microbiomes to shift and start having interest in different foods. Yes, our gut actually dictates not only our appetite but what we crave! 

• Remove food toxins: I have families remove food dyes, harmful preservatives and flavor enhancers. You can download my full list here. These unnecessary ingredients not only alter the neurochemical processes in the brain (like attention, behavior, etc), but they make foods taste hyper sweet and make them literally addictive. No. Thank. You. 

Simple Recipes Kids Enjoy

Here are a few quick and nutritious recipes that even the pickiest eaters might fall in love with! These dishes are packed with hidden nutrients, simple flavors, and are easy to customize to suit your child’s tastes.

• Sneaky Veggie Mac and Cheese: A classic comfort food with pureed veggies like carrots and cauliflower in the cheese sauce for added nutrients. I will also add pumpkin or pureed sweet potato. The key is to start in small quantities and then build. I will also all collagen powder to give it a protein boost. 
• Fruit and Veggie Popsicles: Mix fruit with a small amount of spinach or cucumber—kids love these cool, colorful snacks, and they’re super easy to make.
• Mini Pizza Bites: Use whole-grain English muffins or pitas, with tomato sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and their favorite veggie toppings, making it fun for kids to personalize. If your child does like homemade pizza, I have families blend meat and lots of veggies directly into the sauce. 
• Smoothies: I will have families make “unicorn” or “princess” or “transformer” smoothies by adding strawberries for pink or blue majik/spirulina or other antioxidant powders that are colorful. I recommend making them sweet to start so that they are appealing to kids. Then we start adding nutrients like flax meal, avocados, etc to give them even more of a nutrient boost. 

If you have a picky eater and you are done with the guesswork and feeling frustrated at meal time, I’m here to help. Visit me here and let’s get a consult set up. It’s time to create a plan to eliminate stress, frustration, and anger at the table.

If you are ready to ditch the processed foods and reset for the New Year and your health goals, join us for our first free challenge of the new year. The 7-day The Clean Eating Kickstart: 7 Days Without Processed Foods will push you out of your comfort zone (don't let that scare you!) and right into a new year filled with energy, good sleep, and achievement of those body goals! Save your spot here. 

I'm rooting for you and your picky eater, 

Katie