Eating tips for young toddlers

Toddlers can eat and enjoy a wide variety of foods and textures. This is the time to encourage your child to share family meals and try many different tastes, flavors and textures. Toddlers and young children have a natural ability to sense when they are hungry and when they are full.

Children learn to eat what the rest of the family eats when they are offered the same food and gently encouraged to try it. Low-fat or restricted diets are not recommended for toddlers, as they may lead to poor growth.

Picky eating can be common in toddlers#

The world has become an exciting place, and food may seem less important when there are so many other things to do. Some of the reasons a toddler’s eating patterns change include:

• Growth slows down during the second year, so toddlers often have smaller appetites and need less food.
• Toddlers rarely follow a set meal pattern, and the amount they eat from day to day can change a great deal.

Although these swings sometimes worry parents, they are normal and do not mean your child is being difficult or is unwell.

Small, regular snacks suit toddlers#

Small, regular snacks suit small stomachs and provide the energy children need to keep moving all day. The amount eaten at mealtimes, especially the evening meal, may be smaller than parents would like.

Children can balance how much they eat with how much they need, as long as they are offered a variety of nutritious foods and are not forced to overeat or to finish everything on the plate. This is why healthy snacks are important: they help provide the energy and nutrition your child needs across the day.

Showing independence is part of normal toddler development, and this often includes refusing foods you offer.

Rejecting a food does not always mean dislike#

If you offer the same food again on another day, your child may happily eat it. Other common toddler eating behaviors include reduced interest in food or filling up on drinks.

Your role as a parent is to decide what food to offer and when to offer it. Your child decides whether to eat and how much to eat. Remember that children eat when they are hungry, and they have a natural ability to sense fullness.

If you insist that your child eats more than they choose to, you may override this natural ability and encourage overeating later. Let your child decide whether they will eat and how much.

Mealtime suggestions for parents#

Some suggestions include:

• Be a positive role model by eating a healthy, varied diet together as a family.
• Serve the same foods the rest of the family eats. Remember that toddlers need small meals and regular snacks, and try not to worry too much, as appetite and intake can vary daily.
• Offer small servings and give more if needed. Let your child tell you they are full, and do not force them to finish everything on the plate.
• To encourage new foods, serve a new food alongside one your child already likes. Be patient and keep offering new foods, even if they are rejected at first.
• Assume your child will like new foods, and offer them in a relaxed setting.
• Do not use food as a reward, comfort or punishment.

Make mealtimes relaxed and happy#

Let your child explore food by touching it, and expect some mess. Let children feed themselves, and help when needed. Enjoy family meals together at a table so toddlers can watch and copy others, try the family foods and enjoy company while eating.

Keep mealtimes calm:

• Avoid too many distractions, such as the television.
• Offer encouragement, but do not argue or force your child to eat.
• Talk pleasantly with your child at mealtimes, not only about food.
• Do not ask your child to eat quickly.

Reduce the risk of choking#

• Always supervise young children while they eat.
• Encourage your child to eat sitting down to prevent falls and reduce the risk of choking.
• Avoid small, hard foods such as nuts, raw carrot and hard candies. Offer lightly steamed vegetable sticks instead.

Drinks for toddlers#

Offer all drinks in a cup. Sometimes children fill up on drinks, especially sweet ones like juice, which leaves less room for nutritious food. Offer water at other times for thirst.

Full-fat milk can be given up to 2 years of age, after which reduced-fat milk may be offered. Offer no more than a few small cups of milk each day, alongside water. Juice and other sweetened drinks are unnecessary.

When to seek professional help#

Many parents worry about their child’s eating at some stage, particularly when food intake and appetite seem to change daily. Consider asking for professional help if:

• You have concerns about your child’s growth.
• Your child is unwell, tired and not eating.
• Mealtimes are causing a lot of stress and anxiety.

Key points#

• Picky eating can be common in toddlers.
• The world has become an exciting place, and food may seem less important when there is so much else to do.
• Healthy snacks help provide the energy and nutrition your child needs during the day.
• Encourage your child to eat sitting down to prevent falls and reduce the risk of choking.

Where to get help#