Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

Toddler not eating? Try these genius ideas and tips

A toddler who won't eat anything is normal, but why do they refuse food?

Kelli Catana
By

It’s a tale as old as time — a toddler who doesn’t want to eat a single bite. You started with a super easy baby who eats everything you give them, from mushy peas to pureed meats. Once your amenable baby becomes a toddler, all of that changes. Suddenly you have a child who won’t eat anything other than Goldfish crackers, chicken nuggets, and Cheez-Its. Toddlers don’t get a bad rap for nothing. The terrible twos and “threenager” years have earned their titles because these are the stages of development when children master the word “no.”

One of the main ways toddlers exert their newfound independence is by refusing to eat anything that they previously loved. It’s an incredibly frustrating time for parents, but having a toddler who suddenly won’t eat isn’t the end of the world. It’s actually common, and in some cases, completely normal. Here are a few ideas and tips if your toddler won’t eat and what to do if you have concerns.

Related Videos
Boy sitting in a chair and refusing to eat

What’s normal?

A toddler who won’t eat or has suddenly become a picky eater is not uncommon. According to Healthline, most toddlers are picky eaters. Transitioning from a baby who happily munches on every new food introduced to them to a picky toddler who will only eat chicken nuggets and Goldfish is rarely cause for concern and is just another phase in their development.

“Selective (or picky) eating often shows up between 12 and 18 months,” explained registered dietician and nutritionist Yaffi Lvova. “The official term for this is ‘food neophobia’: the fear of new foods.” Eating or not eating is one of the ways toddlers are able to exert control over their bodies. If they don’t like what they’re being offered or simply don’t feel like eating, they won’t.

A mother feeding food to her child.

What can parents do when a toddler won’t eat?

Although it’s comforting to know that your toddler’s sudden disinterest or pickiness at mealtime is completely normal, it’s still frustrating for parents. Family Doctor suggests that parents continue to model healthy eating habits around their child, if the toddler won’t eat anything. You can’t force your toddler to eat, but you can show them how enjoyable it is to eat healthy foods.

They also suggest giving your toddler a say in what’s to eat. If you present your little one with a few different healthy options to choose from, it will encourage them to try something new. This helps your tot feel as though they have control over their diet.

Don’t let your child’s refusal to eat something stop you from serving them dinner either. Just because your child doesn’t like a new food the first time they try it doesn’t mean that they’ll turn their nose up at it the second or third time. Toddlers need time for their palates to evolve and that means introducing new foods more than once.

Having a set schedule so your child always eats at the same time helps them look forward to eating. You should also involve them in the preparation of the meal. Bringing your toddler into the kitchen to observe and even help prepare what’s for dinner is a great way for them to get excited about eating.

A toddler not wanting to eat their food

Be cautious about bargaining

It’s tempting to strike a deal with your toddler when it comes to eating. Bribing them to take a few bites of something in return for extra playtime may seem like a good idea at the time, but leads to an endless battle over food.

Kids Health warns that negotiating over food — especially if parents are bribing their toddler to eat their main meal with the promise of a sugary dessert — promotes unhealthy eating habits and places different “values” on food.

Bribery and negotiating over food may work temporarily, but it rarely has long-lasting positive effects. Instead, you find yourself faced with a battle at every meal as your child knows they have the power over what and when they eat.

Toddler sitting in their highchair with strawberries on plates in front of them

When to worry

Although most toddlers go through a phase where they don’t eat or become incredibly picky about what food they like, there are times when parents should be concerned. If you have questions about food sensitivities, allergies, stomach issues, autism, or other medical issues, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your pediatrician. Lvova told Healthline that it’s time to contact your doctor if your child exhibits any of the following behavior:

  • Is losing weight
  • Dislikes or refuses entire food groups (grains, dairy, proteins, etc.)
  • Goes for several days without eating at all
  • Is committed to certain food brands or types of packaging
  • Requires a different meal from the rest of the family
  • Is anxious in social situations because of food
  • Has a dramatic emotional response to disliked foods, such as screaming, running away, or throwing objects

It’s easy to be concerned when your toddler doesn’t eat, but it really is a typical phase of development. Toddlers experience a lot of physical growth spurts and as a result, their appetite often comes and goes in spurts as well. Keep modeling healthy eating behavior, stay on a feeding schedule, and encourage your toddler to try new things to put the picky eating in the past.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
What is normal teen sexual behavior? We’ve got answers to help you understand your teenager
Read this to find out if your teen's sexual behavior is "normal"
Two teenagers on a date outside

What can parents actually expect when their kids turn into teens and start exploring their sexuality? It can be an uncomfortable subject, but being educated about typical sexual development and what your teen may be hearing from their peers is important to make sure you can talk openly with your child about protection, consent, risk reduction, and other issues.
Teens will be talking about sex and exploring this new part of their lives eventually and it's perfectly natural. Having your head in the sand won't make it go away, so the information below will prepare you with information to tackle this new stage of parenting.

Puberty
The onset of puberty is what can start the beginning of this stage of life for teens, but it doesn't mean they're ready for sex; just that they may start experiencing sexual thoughts like crushes or urges like feeling aroused. On average, puberty begins between ages 8 and 14.

Read more
Going through the IVF process? Here’s what to expect
Ready for the IVF process? The steps and expectations from start to finish
A woman undergoing an ultrasound

Because of modern science, the birds and the bees aren’t precisely what they used to be. The rise of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has given parents ways of conceiving besides intercourse.

More than 8 million babies have been born via in vitro fertilization (IVF) since its inception in 1978 and 2018. In 2019, more than 83,000 babies were born via ART, according to CDC data. It’s unclear how many of those were from the IVF process, but the CDC notes it’s the most common form of ART.

Read more
5 things you should never say to a pregnant woman
She's already cranky, puffed, and exhausted. Please don't make it worse with these common questions for pregnant women
Pregnant married woman standing in a floral gown

These lists are sometimes hard to compile because of the beautiful complexity and differences between women. What may be offensive to one may be exactly what another needs to hear. Women, particularly pregnant women, are multidimensional, deeply thinking, individualistic human beings, and there is no "one-size-fits-all" list that applies to everyone.
However, there does seem to be an invisible boundary of privacy that drops when a woman is expecting a child. In a time when she is very likely uncertain, nervous, and potentially bombarded with any number of questions, swimming in a pool of nerves, people think this is the time to invade her space.
Most of these are well-intentioned questions, habitual, even. Rightfully so, people are excited and happy at the sight of a pregnant woman, and sometimes in that joy, manners can slip. It's important to keep in mind that many women -- particularly the more introverted ones -- are uncomfortable with all the new attention they're probably receiving. For the women who don't relish having these conversations with their family members, friends, hairstylists, and strangers in the produce section, these questions can be very awkward. Keep reading to find out the things you should never say to a pregnant woman.

'Are you going to breastfeed?'
This one is usually said with an air of haughtiness that also says, "It is the best choice, you know. Any mother who doesn’t breastfeed is just the absolute worst and shouldn’t be allowed to have children if only because of her shocking selfishness."
Ladies (and gentlemen), think about this one for a moment. While, as mentioned above, your intentions are undoubtedly lovely and kind, you may very well be deeply offending the already uncomfortable pregnant woman you’re talking to. Take into consideration that there are many reasons her answer to this question may be (gasp) "No."
Perhaps she has a medical issue that prevents her from breastfeeding. Perhaps she has a deeply rooted psychological reason she’s chosen not to. Perhaps she just feels icky about the whole thing, and despite her best efforts, just can’t move past it. Whatever the reason, she already knows breastfeeding is the healthiest and “best” option without you telling her so.
She doesn’t need to know that it’s what you did and that your babies were just healthy little horses. She doesn’t need to hear that feeding her precious, unborn baby formula is the equivalent of feeding it Tang instead of freshly squeezed orange juice. She’s thought about her choice more than you have; whatever that choice is, it's really none of your business.

Read more