How to Deal with Picky Eating in Preschoolers: 10 Tried Tips

How to Deal with Picky Eating in Preschoolers: 10 Tried Tips

Picky eating in preschoolers is a common phase that can leave parents feeling frustrated and worried. It is natural to want your child to eat a balanced diet, but mealtimes can quickly become stressful when your little one refuses vegetables, only eats beige food, or survives on toast and cheese.

The good news is that with patience, consistency, and the right strategies, most children grow out of fussy eating. This guide will help you understand why picky eating happens, share 10 practical tips backed by UK nutrition experts, and give you tools to make mealtimes calmer and healthier.


Why Do Preschoolers Become Picky Eaters?

Picky eating is not simply about stubbornness. According to the NHS and feeding specialists like Solid Starts, it is often part of a developmental stage where children’s taste preferences, sensory systems, and independence evolve rapidly.

In the early preschool years, children are exploring their world in a much more independent way. Saying “no” to a new food is a safe way for them to assert control over something that directly affects them. This is known as food refusal as autonomy and is completely normal.

There is also a biological reason behind caution towards unfamiliar foods. This is called food neophobia, a natural protective mechanism that kept our ancestors from eating potentially harmful substances. Solid Starts explains that food neophobia typically peaks between the ages of two and six and then gradually eases if children are given ongoing, pressure-free exposure to a variety of foods.

It is also worth noting that taste buds in young children are more sensitive than in adults, which means certain bitter vegetables (like broccoli or spinach) can taste much stronger to them. Over time, repeated exposure can help those flavours become familiar and less intense.

The NHS reassures parents that fussy eating is usually a normal part of development. Learn more here: NHS – Fussy eaters


Sensory Play and Food Acceptance

One of the most effective strategies recommended by Solid Starts for overcoming picky eating is incorporating sensory play. This is when children are allowed to explore food with all their senses — touching, smelling, and looking — without the expectation of eating it.

This can include:

  • Letting your preschooler help wash vegetables in a bowl of water

  • Allowing them to squish cooked pasta with their fingers

  • Using cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of melon or cucumber

  • Arranging foods into patterns or pictures on a plate

Sensory play helps children build familiarity and confidence with new foods. The more comfortable they are interacting with a food outside of mealtimes, the more likely they are to taste it when it is on their plate.

Pro Tip: Keep sensory play pressure-free. Avoid asking “Will you try it now?” and instead let the child take the lead in deciding whether to taste.


10 Tried Tips for Handling Picky Eating in Preschoolers

1. Keep Mealtimes Calm and Positive

Children are more likely to try new foods when mealtimes are relaxed. Avoid pressuring, bribing, or forcing bites.

Parent Tip: “When I stopped making a big deal about what my daughter ate, she became more curious and actually started tasting new things.” – Emma, mum from Manchester


2. Serve Small Portions First

A full plate can feel overwhelming. Start with a small amount and let them ask for more if they want it.

Pro Tip: A tablespoon of each food for every year of age is a good starting point for preschoolers.


3. Offer One New Food at a Time

Pair unfamiliar foods with something your child already likes. This reduces the fear factor and encourages tasting without pressure.

For example, if they like pasta, add a small portion of a new vegetable on the side.


4. Make Food Fun and Appealing

Use colourful plates, fun shapes, or food art to spark interest. Sandwich cutters, skewers for fruit, or arranging food into smiley faces can make a big difference.

More creative presentation ideas: British Nutrition Foundation – Healthy eating for children


5. Involve Them in Shopping and Cooking

Children are more likely to eat food they have helped choose or prepare. Take them to the supermarket, let them pick a vegetable, or help stir ingredients.

Expert Tip: The Eatwell Guide from the NHS encourages hands-on involvement to promote food acceptance.


6. Stick to a Routine

Serve meals and snacks at regular times. Grazing throughout the day can reduce appetite at mealtimes.


7. Limit Distractions at the Table

Turn off TVs, tablets, and toys so children can focus on eating. This also helps them tune into hunger and fullness cues.


8. Keep Offering Rejected Foods

It can take 10 to 15 exposures for a child to accept a new food, and sometimes even more if the child is sensitive to texture or flavour. The key is persistence without pressure. For example, you might serve roasted carrots once a week in different forms — raw sticks, steamed slices, puréed in soup — so your preschooler sees the food in a variety of contexts.

Solid Starts highlights that even a “kiss” or a “lick” of the food counts as exposure. Parents often underestimate the value of these tiny steps. Touching a green bean, smelling it, or moving it from one plate to another are all ways children are becoming familiar with it.

Read more here: Solid Starts – Picky Eating

Parent Tip: “It took months of serving broccoli before my son ate it. Now it is one of his favourites.” – Sarah, mum from Bristol


9. Avoid Using Sweets as a Reward

This can make healthy food seem like a chore and sweets seem more special. Instead, reward with praise, stickers, or extra playtime.


10. Model Healthy Eating Habits

Children copy what they see. Eat a variety of foods yourself and show enthusiasm when trying something new.

Solid Starts also recommends family-style dining, where children can serve themselves from shared dishes. This gives them control over portion sizes and makes new foods less intimidating.


Chart: Common Picky Eating Triggers and Solutions

Trigger Why It Happens What Helps
Refuses all vegetables Texture, taste, or neophobia Offer raw and cooked versions, serve with favourite dips
Eats only beige foods Comfort and familiarity Introduce new colours gradually alongside favourites
Avoids meat Texture or chewiness Offer softer options like shredded chicken or fish
Won’t try new foods Fear of the unknown Involve in shopping and cooking, introduce gradually
Refuses entire meal Not hungry, tired, or unwell Keep calm, offer healthy snacks later

Handling Nutritional Gaps

While picky eating is usually temporary, it is important to keep an eye on nutrition. Offer a variety of foods over the week, even if each day is not perfectly balanced.

If you are concerned about your child’s diet or growth, speak to your GP or a registered dietitian. The NHS Healthy Start programme can support families with food and vitamins: NHS Healthy Start


Encouraging a Positive Relationship with Food

The goal is not just to get your child to eat broccoli today but to help them develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Avoid labelling foods as “good” or “bad” and focus on the idea that all foods can fit into a balanced diet.

Pro Tip: Family-style meals, where everyone serves themselves from shared dishes, can give children more control and encourage them to try new foods.


When to Seek Further Help

Most preschool picky eating is normal, but speak to a healthcare professional if your child:

  • Has very limited food choices (less than 10 foods)

  • Shows signs of weight loss or poor growth

  • Coughs, gags, or chokes frequently when eating

  • Has ongoing digestive problems

Your GP can refer you to a paediatric dietitian or feeding specialist if needed.


Final Thoughts

Picky eating can be one of the most challenging phases of early childhood, but it is almost always temporary. The key is to stay consistent with your approach, avoid turning mealtimes into a battle, and remember that progress is measured in small steps, not big leaps.

If your preschooler refuses broccoli today but touched it for the first time, that is progress. If they licked a slice of apple and then put it back down, that is still progress. Celebrate these little wins, they add up over time.

Consider keeping a food exposure journal where you track each attempt, whether your child touched, smelled, licked, or ate the food. This not only helps you see patterns but can also reassure you that things are moving in the right direction, even if slowly.

Most importantly, model the behaviour you want to see. Children notice if you regularly eat and enjoy a wide range of foods. Sit down together for meals whenever possible and make food a positive, shared experience rather than a source of stress.