If you have a toddler, you’ve probably experienced the battle of the plate. One day, they love strawberries. The next, they won’t touch them. One week, they devour veggies. The next, they refuse everything that isn’t beige.
Toddler eating habits can be unpredictable and frustrating, but they don’t have to be. Research shows that consistent exposure, a positive mealtime environment, and parental modelling play a significant role in shaping a child’s eating behaviour (Journal of Child Nutrition).
The good news? You’re not alone, and there are science-backed strategies that can help. Whether your toddler turns their nose up at vegetables or refuses anything except toast, these proven techniques can make mealtimes smoother and more enjoyable for everyone. For a quick, practical guide on tackling picky eating, explore our Top Ten Tips
Understanding Toddler Eating Behaviour
Before we dive into solutions, let’s first understand why toddlers can be so selective about food.
Why Are Toddlers Fussy Eaters?
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Neophobia: Many toddlers experience a fear of new foods, known as food neophobia, which peaks between 2-6 years of age (Appetite Journal).
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Growth and Appetite Changes: Unlike infants, toddlers experience slower growth rates, which naturally results in a decreased appetite.
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Increased Independence: Toddlers love asserting control, and rejecting food is one way they can do so.
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Sensory Sensitivity: Some toddlers are more sensitive to textures, smells, or flavours, making certain foods overwhelming.
Knowing this, let’s explore practical, research-backed ways to encourage healthy eating habits.
1. Make Mealtime Fun
Toddlers are sensory learners who love engaging with textures, colours, and shapes. Studies suggest that food presentation can influence a child’s willingness to try new foods (Appetite Journal).
Getting your toddler involved in the kitchen isn’t just about keeping them busy—it’s a proven strategy to help them become more open to trying new foods. Research shows that when children participate in meal preparation, they develop a sense of ownership, feel proud of their contributions, and are less likely to reject what’s on their plate (Fraser et al., 2021). Whether it’s washing veggies, stirring ingredients, or picking produce at the store, giving your little one hands-on food experiences fosters healthy eating habits and makes mealtimes fun instead of frustrating. In this blog, we’ll explore easy, age-appropriate ways to get your child excited about cooking—so you can turn your picky eater into a mini chef and adventurous eater! 🍎🥦
Try These Strategies:
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Use fun shapes: Cut food into stars, hearts, or animals using cookie cutters.
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Create colourful plates: Arrange fruits and veggies in rainbow patterns.
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Encourage hands-on eating: Let them build their own wraps, pizzas, or smoothie bowls.
Adding an element of play can reduce food aversions and encourage exploration. Read our guide on fun ways to introduce new foods.
2. Get Them Involved
Research from Public Health Nutrition indicates that children are more likely to eat food they help prepare. Getting your toddler involved in meal preparation is one of the most effective ways to reduce picky eating and encourage healthy food choices. Studies show that when children actively participate in washing, stirring, selecting, and plating food, they develop a sense of ownership, making them more likely to eat what they help prepare (Fraser et al., 2021).
Simple tasks like rinsing veggies, mashing bananas, or arranging food on their plate not only enhance their sensory familiarity with food but also make mealtimes fun and stress-free. By incorporating playful elements such as food art, interactive shopping trips, and hands-on cooking experiences, parents can turn picky eaters into curious, confident food explorers. The key is to offer safe, age-appropriate tasks that make toddlers feel like little chefs, fostering positive eating habits that last a lifetime. 🍎👩🍳✨
Ways to Involve Your Toddler:
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Let them wash fruits and veggies.
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Encourage stirring, sprinkling, or mashing ingredients.
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Allow them to pick produce at the grocery store.
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Give them their own small utensils to “plate” their meal.
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Provide activities in preparing their smoothies
When toddlers take part in the process, they feel more ownership over their food choices.
3. Offer Choices, Not Ultimatums
Mealtime battles with toddlers can be exhausting, but research shows that offering structured choices instead of forcing food can significantly reduce resistance. When toddlers feel a sense of control, they are more likely to accept and eat the food presented to them. Simple choices like "Would you like broccoli or carrots?" or "Do you want your apple sliced or whole?" empower children while still ensuring healthy options.
Providing variety in dips, food presentation, and grocery shopping decisions further encourages a positive approach to eating. The key is to offer two acceptable choices, avoid overwhelming them with too many options, and make mealtimes a collaborative, stress-free experience. By allowing toddlers to participate in small food-related decisions, parents can help develop independent, confident, and adventurous eaters without turning meals into a struggle. 🍎
Instead of asking, “Do you want broccoli?” try:
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“Would you like broccoli or carrots today?”
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“Do you want your apples sliced or whole?”
Giving toddlers a sense of control reduces food refusals, according to The Journal of Paediatric Psychology.
4. Stick to a Routine
Toddlers thrive on predictability. A study in Paediatrics found that structured meal and snack times help regulate hunger cues and reduce food rejection. A consistent food routine can make mealtimes calmer, reduce picky eating, and help your toddler regulate their hunger. When toddlers know when and what to expect, they’re less likely to refuse food or demand snacks all day.
✨ Simple steps to make this work:
✔ Serve meals and snacks at the same time each day. This helps them learn real hunger cues.
✔ Avoid grazing Too many snacks = no appetite for proper meals!
✔ Create a fun pre-meal routine such as washing hands, setting the table, or picking their plate colour makes mealtimes feel predictable and enjoyable.
✔ Sit together when possible. Seeing you eat helps them learn good habits.
💡 Mum Tip: If they refuse a meal, don’t stress! Stick to your routine and they’ll eat when they’re truly hungry! Keep it calm, keep it fun, and watch the food fights fade. 🍽️😊
5. Keep Portions Toddler-Sized
Serving toddler-sized portions is key to reducing food overwhelm and encouraging healthy eating habits. Since a toddler’s stomach is only about the size of their fist, offering too much food at once can lead to rejection, frustration, or waste. The best approach is to start with small portions, use child-sized plates, and let toddlers ask for more if they’re still hungry. Providing bite-sized servings of a variety of food groups ensures they get balanced nutrition without feeling pressured to clean their plate. Research shows that when toddlers have control over how much they eat, they develop healthier eating habits long-term. The goal is to respect their hunger cues, keep portions manageable, and make mealtimes stress-free. 🍽️✨
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Start with small portions and let them ask for more.
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Serve meals on child-sized plates and bowls.
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Offer a variety of foods but keep portions manageable to avoid food waste and overwhelm.
6. No Pressure, No Battles
Forcing toddlers to eat can backfire. Instead, use the “You decide, I decide” method:
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Parents decide what’s on the plate and when mealtime happens.
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Toddlers decide if they want to eat and how much.
This method fosters a healthy relationship with food.
7. Sneak in Nutrition (Without the Fight) – Smart Hacks for Picky Eaters
Getting a toddler to eat nutrient-rich foods can sometimes feel like a battle. If they turn their nose up at vegetables, proteins, or fibre-rich foods, don't worry there are creative ways to sneak essential nutrients into their diet without them even realizing it.
Research shows that exposing children to healthy foods in familiar ways such as blending them into smoothies, mixing them into their favourite meals, or adjusting textures can significantly increase their acceptance of nutritious foods over time (Cooke et al., 2007).
Here are simple, stress-free ways to sneak in more nutrition while keeping mealtimes fun and fuss-free.
Why Sneaky Nutrition Works 🥦✨
✔ Reduces resistance When kids don’t recognize a food, they don’t have a chance to refuse it!
✔ Allows gradual exposure Hiding veggies in meals helps familiarize toddlers with new flavours.
✔ Supports balanced nutrition Even if they reject whole veggies, they’re still getting essential nutrients.
✔ Makes food fun – Adding nutrition creatively keeps mealtimes exciting instead of stressful.
✔ Best Hidden Veggies for Smoothies:
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Spinach or Kale blends well with bananas and berries without altering the taste.
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Avocado gives a creamy texture and healthy fats.
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Cauliflower is virtually tasteless but packed with nutrients!
8. Lead by Example
How Your Eating Habits Shape Your Toddler’s Choices
Toddlers are natural copycats and they learn by observing and mimicking the behaviour of those around them. If they see you enjoying a variety of healthy foods, they are far more likely to try them as well. Research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that children who watch their parents eat a variety of foods are more likely to develop diverse and balanced eating habits themselves (Cooke et al., 2017).
If you want your toddler to eat well, the best strategy is to lead by example. Your habits at mealtime will influence their attitude toward food far more than any tricks or pressure ever will.
Why Leading by Example Works 🧠✨
✔ Toddlers naturally imitate behaviour and they look up to their parents and copy what they see.
✔ Makes trying new foods exciting If they see you enjoying a food, they’ll be curious to try it too.
✔ Encourages long-term healthy eating as healthy eating is normalized, it becomes a lifelong habit.
✔ Removes pressure from mealtimes if they see you relaxed and enjoying food, they won’t feel pressured.
🔎 Example: If your toddler refuses broccoli but sees you happily eating it, they are more likely to take a bite out of curiosity.
How to Be a Role Model for Healthy Eating
Eat Together as Often as Possible 🍽️
✔ Sitting down for meals as a family makes eating a shared experience rather than a chore.
✔ Seeing everyone else eating the same food makes it feel normal and expected.
✔ Make mealtimes a social event—talk about the food, ask questions, and engage with them.
✅ Example: If you’re eating a salad, say “Mmm, this lettuce is so crunchy and yummy! Want to try a little piece?” instead of forcing them to take a bite.
✨ Tip: Even if your toddler is not eating much, still invite them to sit with the family at meal times so they feel included.
9. Embrace the Phases
A food jag is when a child insists on eating the same food repeatedly for days or weeks, while food rejection is when they suddenly refuse something they previously loved. Research shows that these phases are part of a toddler’s journey toward independence and are not a cause for concern (Taylor et al., 2019).
Rather than stressing over temporary preferences, parents can focus on continuing to offer a variety of foods while trusting that these phases will pass with time.
Why Food Jags and Food Rejections Happen ✨
✔ A Way to Assert Independence – Toddlers love control. Insisting on eating one food (or rejecting another) is a way to assert their autonomy.
✔ Taste Preferences Change – Young children’s taste buds develop over time, and what they like today might taste different to them next week.
✔ A Comfort Mechanism – Eating the same food every day provides predictability and security during a time when their world feels full of changes.
✔ Testing Boundaries – Saying “no” to a previously loved food may just be their way of seeing how you react.
🔎 Example: One week, your toddler only wants scrambled eggs for breakfast. The next, they refuse eggs and demand yogurt instead. This is normal!
How to Navigate Food Jags & Rejections Without Stress
1️⃣ Keep Offering a Variety of Foods Without Pressure 🍏🥕
✔ Even if they only want pasta, still place small portions of other foods on their plate.
✔ Keep mealtimes low-pressure—let them explore foods at their own pace.
✔ If they reject a food, don’t remove it from their diet permanently—offer it again in a few days or weeks.
✅ Example: If your toddler suddenly refuses chicken, keep serving small portions alongside foods they like without making a big deal about it.
✨ Bonus Tip: Research shows that repeated exposure (even without eating) helps toddlers become comfortable with new foods over time (Cooke, 2007).
10. Play the Long Game
Play the Long Game – Building Healthy Eating Habits for Life
When feeding toddlers, it’s easy to get caught up in short-term wins—like celebrating when they finally take a bite of broccoli or feeling frustrated when they reject something they ate just yesterday. But the reality is, healthy eating is a journey, not a one-time victory.
Your ultimate goal isn’t to get them to eat everything today, but to help them develop a positive relationship with food that lasts a lifetime. By keeping mealtimes fun, stress-free, and consistent, you set the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits—even if progress feels slow at times.
Why the “Long Game” Approach Works
✔ Eating habits develop over years, not days – One meal doesn’t define their diet!
✔ A positive attitude toward food is more important than temporary success – It’s better for them to enjoy mealtimes than to force them to eat everything.
✔ Consistency matters more than immediate results – The foods you regularly offer shape what they’ll eat in the future.
✔ Reduces stress for parents and toddlers – When mealtimes are about enjoyment, toddlers are more willing to try new foods.
🔎 Example: If your toddler rejects vegetables today, don’t stress. Keep offering them without pressure, and they’ll likely accept them over time.
How to Foster Healthy Eating Habits for Life
1️⃣ Stay Patient – Small Wins Add Up Over Time ⏳🍏
✔ Expect ups and downs – Some days, they’ll eat everything. Other days, they’ll eat next to nothing. Both are normal.
✔ Focus on the bigger picture – One skipped meal or rejected food doesn’t mean failure. What matters is what they eat over time.
✔ Trust that repeated exposure works – Studies show that offering a food 10–15 times (without pressure) increases the likelihood of acceptance (Wardle et al., 2015).
✅ Example: If they refuse green beans this week, keep serving them in different ways—eventually, they might try them!
✨ Tip: Use the “tiny taste” approach—encouraging just one small bite instead of forcing an entire serving.
Why Smoothies Are a Smart Choice for Picky Eaters
Smoothies offer a gentle solution for navigating food refusals, addressing not just taste but also sensory challenges around food textures, colours, and appearances.
Smoothies are effective because:
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They gently mask textures and tastes that toddlers might find overwhelming, creating a comforting experience.
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Multiple nutritious ingredients like spinach, berries, yogurt, and chia seeds can easily blend into a tasty and nutrient-packed drink.
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Research indicates that repeated, gentle exposure through smoothies increases children's acceptance of new ingredients later on (Spill M, Callahan E, Johns K, et al. 2019).
At Optivance, we've specially crafted smoothie blends like the Optivance Toddler Smoothie to help bridge nutritional gaps effortlessly and deliciously.
Final Thoughts
Some days, they’ll eat everything. Other days, they’ll eat next to nothing. That’s normal. Keep offering, keep modelling, and most importantly, don’t stress. You’ve got this! 💛
Want an easy way to ensure they’re getting essential nutrients?
Try the Optivance Toddler Smoothie—a fuss-free, nutritious option for even the pickiest eaters. See our recipes here that mum’s have told us to work for them.
About the Author
Kristy Petersen is a passionate nutritionist specialising in gut health and children’s nutrition. With years of experience, she is dedicated to helping families achieve optimal health through balanced dietary practices.
Learn more about Kristy here
