Picky eating can develop as a developmental phase that goes away as the child grows. The period of fussy eating can compromise a child’s caloric intake and overall health. Thus, after identification of their child’s food restriction, parents can take some simple steps to reverse picky eating. After a lot of research, we have come up with a week-to-week plan of healthy meals to reverse picky eating. You can also learn about fancy menu ideas for a child on the autism spectrum by clicking here!

To track your child’s progress, we suggest you make a food journal at the start of the plan. The trick with a picky eater is to stay patient and keep offering new foods. These child feeding strategies are key to success.

Week 1: Make A Colorful Start 

Colors greatly influence the food perception of a picky eater. So, a colorful start to the week is always a great idea!

Monday 

Use nature’s color diversity to attract your child’s attention. A plate filled with colorful veggies like cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, etc. looks yummy. Give your toddler a fruit platter for snack time, carrying bananas, apples, grapes, etc. Let him feel the textures and enjoy the unique tastes.  This is a great way to expand a child’s food preferences.

Tuesday 

Involve your child in preparing simple meals like salad. Studies show that kids preparing their own meals have higher intakes of chicken and salad. Innocuous acts like washing fruits and cutting the soft ones are healthy activities for children. Moreover, you can read them a book (on fruits and veggies) and involve them in every step of cooking (by taking feedback). Toddler meal planning activities like these can be fun and rewarding.

Wednesday 

Gradually, overcome your child’s neophobia by giving him/her a small piece of new veggie (broccoli) or fruit (blueberry). Make colorful fruit arts with your kids using crayons, etc. These steps are part of effective weekly meal plans for picky toddlers.

Thursday 

Enhance your child’s eating behavior by taking them out for a picnic. Pack some colorful fruits/veggies along and politely encourage the kid to try something new. Drawing fruit pictures, surrounded by nature is a fun activity.

Friday 

Involve the family in a healthy conversation at the dinner table. You can share stories of your pleasant food encounters while enjoying the colorful veggies. Family-friendly recipes can make this more enjoyable.

Week 2: Experiment With Textures 

After improving the color acceptance, you can try diversifying your picky eaters’ texture acceptance. 

Monday 

On the first day, use crunchy snacks like whole-grain crackers, carrot sticks, etc. Synchronize the cracking sounds by biting them together. Turn it into a game!

You can also make dips (yogurt, hummus, etc.) part of the game and encourage the child to dip the snacks and explore different flavors/textures.

Tuesday 

A great way of loading the caloric intake while widening texture acceptance is by making your children a smoothie (of fruits/vegetables with different textures).

Give them a plate with different textured foods like rice, dried beans, and pasta. This way they can explore different textures with their hands.

Wednesday 

Ask your kids to join as you make mushy mashed potatoes. Indulge them in artistic activities. Make food arts with different textured foods.

Thursday 

Reserve the day to bake muffins and cookies with your child. Mixing ingredients and making batter increases their involvement and reduces picky behaviors. 

Become the chef, turn the meal table into a restaurant, and offer a menu of different textured foods.Tips for parents dealing with picky eaters like these can be transformative.

Friday 

Prepare the family dinner with a variety of textured foods like grilled chicken and steamed vegetables, etc. Creating balanced diets for selective eaters is an achievable goal with consistent effort.

Week 3: Make It The Fun Week

Once you have familiarized your fussy eater with wider colors and textures, it’s time to reduce food neophobia (fear of trying new foods).

Monday 

A blindfold game can be real fun. Blindfold your child and let them guess the different foods. You can also add small prizes on guessing right!  This is a step-by-step guide to reverse picky eating that works wonders.

You can also involve the kids in plating easy-to-grow veggies like lettuce or cherry tomatoes.

Tuesday 

Another fun way to reverse picky eating is the food detective game. Ask the kids to pretend to be a food detective, use a magnifying glass to analyze the texture, shape and color of food, etc.

Ask your child to look through a cookbook and pick a new recipe. This increases their interest in the food. 

Wednesday 

Make funny faces and use different foods as part of your game. Broccoli for hair and carrot sticks on your nose can attract the toddlers.

Guessing the food item while playing food charades can be a lot of fun!

Thursday 

Taking your picky child to a restaurant might sound risky. But, you need to be patient. Take them out, offer a kid-friendly menu and encourage your child to pick something new. 

Promote your child to swap food with their siblings. This way you can lessen the intimidation while trying something new!

Friday 

Introduce a “New Food Night” where everyone tries a new food while giving it silly names.

Week 4: Let’s Be Creative 

Become creative and give birth to new dishes/recipes with your children.

Monday 

Put a new apron and a chef’s hat on your kiddo and join them in stirring ingredients and washing vegetables, etc. Your mini chef will love it!

A homemade pizza with your child’s preferred toppings, sauce, etc will make his day!

Tuesday 

You can put cookie cutters to use on a Tuesday. Create fun shapes with fruits/vegetables. Join your kid in making fun-shaped (animal-shaped, tower) sandwiches.

Make an edible playdough (from flour, and coloring) and let your kid become creative food inventors. 

Wednesday 

Use muffin tins to serve a variety of small portions. Let your young one be overwhelmed while trying something new.

Accompany your child in creating edible art on papers on even plates. Use pureed fruits/vegetables as paint.

Thursday 

Take your tiny human to the grocery store and challenge him/her to get everything (fruits/vegetables) from a list. A small reward on completion can boost confidence.

Be creative and invent a new recipe with them. Let your child select the ingredients for your unique creation. 

Friday 

Hold a family cooking competition where everyone creates a unique dish.

Week 5: Become The Role Model 

Making the right role models for your kids can significantly impact their thinking and behaviors.

Monday 

Invite friends/family for an adventurous dinner. Select the guests who can serve to be good role models for your child.

Provide the dining group a chart where they note what they ate today. This encourages the youngsters to be aware of their diet.

Tuesday 

Present real stories (or watch videos) about people who try new (and interesting) foods! This sets a good example.

A cooking playdate with a friend puts positive peer pressure your child. Let the children prepare a simple meal together.

Wednesday 

Become Ramsay Gordon! Be a food critic and give reviews of different foods. Encourage your child to share their opinions too. 

Set the table with a variety of healthy snacks and organize a tasting party. Invite your child’s friends and let the toddlers have a fun time testing the array of foods.

Thursday 

Your visit to the local farmers market can help your children develop an interest in the local products. Let them choose a new, fresh fruit/vegetable to try.

A good idea would be to watch a TV show/movie that features food in a positive way. You can also discuss the different foods and characters shown on the screen.

Friday 

Organize a family potluck! Make everyone bring a different dish to share and encourage everyone to try something new.

Week 6: Celebrate The Wins And Deal With The Setbacks

Most parents lose hope by the end of the plan. However, reversing picky eating is a difficult task. So, be patient! Enjoy the mealtime victories and patiently deal with the setbacks. 

Monday 

Identify the specific factors that seem to trigger picky eating behaviors. Try to find a pattern!

After thorough examination and identification of triggers, find potential solutions. If possible, try different alternatives to make food more appealing!

Tuesday 

Do not give up! Even if your child refuses food, don’t get discouraged. Keep offering food in different ways!

Stick to the “One bite rule”. If the child does not readily accept food, try convincing him to at least try one bite. This keeps them exposed to new textures and flavors. 

Wednesday 

Positive reinforcement can do the trick! Praise your child on trying new foods.

You can also create a food reward chart to track your child’s progress. This also keeps the kid interested. 

Thursday 

Look back at your child’s food journal and celebrate the victories. Discuss with them how far they’ve come and how it has shaped their personality. 

You can challenge your child to try a new recipe/ingredient each week. Challenges make things exciting!

Friday 

Celebrate your child’s progress by organizing a special family meal (or an activity). Let your child be the guest of honor who chooses what meals are going to be prepared. He/she can also help with the preparations. 

Final Word

The main purpose of these weekly activities is to encourage healthy eating habits in picky eaters. Parents can take advantage of the naturally inquisitive nature of toddlers to encourage them to try new foods. By involving them in food preparations, playing food games, taking them to food outings, and using positive reinforcement, you can successfully reverse picky eating.