How to get my fussy baby to eat

The first six months of eating solid foods, even during teething times, was like a breeze! Well after my son turned 1, it was as if I had to feed a different kid. He would be very picky at times, fussy, or even annoyed by seeing food on his plate. Foods that he used to love to eat, he wouldn't even want to touch anymore. It hasn't been easy but we have been able to find ways around it. However, it does get better with time, so hang in there :)

I hope that the following tips could help you and your child too.

1. Have a routine and fixed times for mealtime and don't offer snacks every hour.

2. Keep the rejected foods in your repertoire by offering them every week. One week they might love green peas, next week they might hate them, and vice versa.

3. Offer the same food in different ways or with different ingredients i.e. instead of preparing a classic pancake, make one with butternut squash, flour, egg, milk, and cinnamon. Or instead of offering plain steamed veggies, add butter, or make veggie balls with cheese. When my son started rejecting even pasta, I thought of cooking different shapes of pasta. For instance, one day I would offer him penne, another day farfalle, or fusilli, etc. Believe me, this last one worked wonders!

4. If they don't want to touch the food, don't force them to eat, distract them with a different topic and give them some time till they decide to start eating. My son often eats 5 minutes after I have put the food in front of him.

5. Try to serve the food on their plate little by little. Whenever I would put the full portion on my son's plate, most than half of it would be on the floor in seconds! Having smaller portions in front of them could help them eat better and more.

6. When you offer cooked food, make sure it is warm. My son would reject the food that gets cold on his plate, even if he is hungry. I usually keep the pot with the food on the table and serve him little by little. This way, his food doesn't get cold. Keep in mind, that babies or toddlers can't eat as fast as we do.

7. Let them feed you! Having this type of interaction is something that helped my son to eat better and more. We often offer each other small bites of our food and he just loves it. I think this is another way for them to learn to share, in a broader sense.

8. Sing to them (if you like singing) or put some music on, during lunch or dinner time. Music can lift their spirits if they are grumpy or fussy. We have a Bluetooth speaker that I connect with my phone and he is choosing the songs!

9. Too much activity can make them very tired, which is good for the sleeping time but not good for mealtime. For instance, when my son runs around with his mini scooter for more than an hour, he is a terrible eater during dinner time.

10. During teething time, offer them soft foods i.e. steamed or baked sweet potato (without the skin), yogurt (cold foods can relieve swollen gums), banana, etc. Soft and cold foods can help ease the discomfort of erupting molars and reduce gum inflammation. You can put the yogurt or the banana in the freezer for only 5 minutes before you serve it to your baby. My son's favorite veggie during teething times was cold cucumber cut in finger size.

Additionally, you could also check my post ''Gourmet food for your baby or toddler'' where you could find information about food combinations with herbs and spices. Baby food can also be tasty!

Good luck, be positive and keep calm :)

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and see you soon!

All the best,

Clio