As a pediatric Registered Dietitian, I get asked this all the time about feeding picky kids: “How many times do I need to offer a food before my child will eat it?” Or, someone might say, “It takes 8 exposures for a child to accept a new food, but I tried that, and it didn’t work.”
There’s a lot of information out there about food acceptance and picky eating solutions. The USDA suggests it takes 8-10 exposures for a toddler to accept a new food. Some studies even say 10-16 exposures can help increase food acceptance (1).
The bottom line? There’s no magic number. It depends on the food, the child, the parents, their feeding styles, and a variety of other factors.
One thing’s for sure: if you don’t continue to offer the food, they won’t eat it. They might eat it on the third try when they’re 18 months old, or it may take 1,000 tries and they’ll take a bite of it when they are 15 years old. This uncertainty can be frustrating, leaving parents wondering if they’re “doing it right.”
Parenting Doesn’t Have a One-Size-Fits-All Formula
Most aspects of parenting don’t come with clear guidelines. Wouldn’t it be easier if we had more definite answers on how to raise kids into competent adults?
Feeding our children is no different. While we can support our kids in developing healthy eating habits, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. When it comes to feeding picky kids, the key is patience, consistency, and shifting the goal.
Shift the Goal: From “Getting Them to Eat”
Instead of focusing on “getting” your child to eat a specific food, try shifting your goal to raising a child who can feed themselves well when they’re 18. Picture your child confidently navigating a college dining hall or preparing their own meal when they’re older.
What if, instead of obsessing over whether they eat that broccoli today, the goal is to support them in becoming a capable eater over time? This shift can reduce pressure on both you and your child.
My Top 3 Tips for Feeding Picky Kids:
- Offer regular meal and snack times with enough time for you and your child to sit down and eat.
- Provide a variety of foods at these times, and let your child decide what they want to eat from what’s available. This aligns with the ecSatter Division of Responsibility in Feeding.
- Keep offering the not-yet-accepted foods. Serve meals and snacks that you hope your child will eat one day, not necessarily what they will eat today.
Picky Eating Solutions
If you’re looking for more information for feeding picky kids, check out our previous posts written by Elizabeth and myself, 2 pediatric Registered Dietitians:
- Picky Eating: If Pressure Doesn’t Work, What Does?
- How to Support Your Picky Eater
- Picky Eating Tips from a Registered Dietitian
- 7 Tips to Support Your Picky Eater at Holiday Meals
Focus on Trust
Parenting is full of surprises, and mealtime is no different. But when it comes to feeding children, I try to focus on one thing: trust.
I trust that they know how much to eat. I trust that they can figure out their preferences, and I trust that, over time, they will become “competent eaters”—and that’s all I can ask for.
It’s not about getting them to eat certain foods or hitting nutritional goals at every meal. It’s about giving them the freedom to explore food, feel confident in their choices, and grow into adults who respect their bodies and see food as nourishing, not stressful.
Reference:
- Carruth BR, Ziegler PJ, Gordon A, Barr SI. Prevalence of picky eaters among infants and toddlers and their caregivers’ decisions about offering a new food. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Jan;104(1 Suppl 1):s57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2003.10.024. PMID: 14702019.
