food “regression” vs picky eating

It can be so hard to determine if what you’re seeing with your little one’s eating is picky eating, or whether it is actually just a little blip, that is typically a result of development (much like sleep!!). So, I thought I would provide a little snap shot of when to expect these blips, and when I typically see picky eating arise. Then how best to manage a blip vs picky eating.

6 months/Starting Solids

This is the first time you may question if you’ve got a naturally picky eater. I am frequently asked whether a parent should worry with lack of interest from their little one when starting solids. The good news is, children aren’t born picky and 6 months old is too early to have developed the cognitive capacity to become picky. Whilst each child is unique and health history plays a part here – tube fed, oral aversions, issues with formula or breast feeding, oral restrictions, health conditions – for the most part, the lack of interest is actually just a lack of experience. Whilst it feels like an effortless task for most of us as adults, eating is actually a really complex skill, requiring extensive sensory input. As such, it can take time for babies to learn how to eat, and to become comfortable with these sensory inputs. Not only is food varied in texture, but it varies in flavour – it is really important to remember that our little ones have only ever been exposed to the sweeter taste of breastmilk or formula, so anything that isn’t sweet, will take time to adjust to.

How to Manage

• The biggest thing is ensuring your little one is actually ready to start solids. I have lots of resources on signs of developmental readiness that you can have a look at, but starting too early can make this lack of interest more obvious

• Ensure you are offering a variety of flavours and textures from day one – this will ensure your little one has ample opportunity to learn

• Offer food 30-60 minutes post a milk feed to ensure your little one has the best chance of being hungry

• Relax – enjoy this time and see it has a learning opportunity, rather than an eating opportunity

Around 9-10 months

I commonly have families reach out to me at the 9-10-month mark, when they feel their child has lost interest in solids or become picky. What this typically stems from is actually just a routine imbalance. Families are generally really conscious of preserving milk intake, but know that their child is due to increase to three meals, but fail to realise that most little one’s can’t consume an infinite number of calories. Therefore, what is seen is either a refusal of milk feeds, small milk feeds and/or a reduction in interest in food, because their little one just isn’t hungry!

The other factor that can impact things at this age, is a shift from puree to finger foods. If we do this too suddenly, cold turkey, or haven’t introduced finger foods before this time, we can end up with a little person who is drastically overwhelmed and uncertain as to what to do – puree feeding is very different to eating finger foods/self-feeding and again, takes time to perfect.

How to Manage

• A simple routine tweak and reaching to myself for some guidance (or the 9-month routine resource) is usually the only thing that needs to be done. Generally, we can find a lovely balance between milk feeds and food, resulting in interest increasing for both

• Once routine has been ruled out, or if you fall into the category of having shifted from puree to finger foods, have a look at the “Increasing Interest in Finger Foods” masterclass for tips.

Around 12 months

This one is a doozy (sorry!). So much is happening at 12 months of age, and it can wreak absolute havoc on your little ones eating. Their communication skills are increasing, their understanding of the world is increasing, they might have started walking or really taken to crawling and cruising, back molars can start to appear at this age, many children start daycare (a big transition for some!), if new to daycare periods of sickness become more common, 12 month immunisations occur and weaning often starts here too. This is a lot for a little person to manage, and because eating is as complex as it is, it can take a hit – your little one will prioritise easier tasks.

Food throwing is something that also appears at this age, alongside food refusal. However, for most families, if handled well, it should be short lived, lasting no more than a few weeks.

How to Manage

• Remain consistent – the first things parents try to do at this point is “fix” the situation or offer only food their child will eat to make sure they eat. This can result in further change, making the situation worse, or relying heavily on preferred foods thus creating a preference for preferred foods

• Avoid reacting to the food throwing – this is tough. However, best managed by not making comment about the food being thrown, simply placing it in the bin or back on the plate if comfortable to do so. I like to give little one’s a few chances before taking it as a sign that they aren’t hungry and wrapping up the meal

• Keep portion size and number of foods on offer to a minimum to avoid overwhelm. Aim for small portions as you can always offer more, and offer no more than 3-4 different foods as too many options can be overwhelming.

18 – 24 Months

This is where the tough journey begins – sorry! I often see it arise a fraction early, closer to the 15-month mark. This period is really common and results from a huge shift in cognitive development. Again, your little one’s brain is so full of change, that eating becomes tough. Plus, they are hyper aware of their surroundings, and this includes food – textural changes, smell, taste and developing personal preferences and the language skills to tell us they don’t like something (whether that be a true dislike or a dislike today!).

How to Manage

• This period is a little trickier to manage but the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to remain consistent. Leaning heavily on preferred foods will inevitably worsen the situation.

• Then, check out all the picky eating resources within the membership – you can reach out to me for some guidance around where to start. There is a masterclass recording and multiple written resources that you can filter by topic

Overall, I want you to be reassured that period of increased selectivity or food refusal, are normal parts of childhood development. However, knowing the typical reasons behind these periods can help you to navigate through with ease. So, I hope you have found this helpful!