How do I teach my 1 year old to eat? (2023)

What do you do when your 1 year old won't eat?

Offer healthy meals and snacks at consistent times every 2–3 hours throughout the day. This allows kids to develop an appetite before their next meal. Serve filling beverages or foods like milk or soup at the end, rather than at the start of a meal, to prevent the child from getting overly full before beginning to eat.

Be sure she has a portion of animal foods (milk, dairy, eggs, meat, fish and poultry) each day, plus legumes (like chickpeas, lentils or peas) – or nuts, and orange or green vegetables and fruits. Add a little oil or fat to her food for energy. Be sure your child's snacks are healthy, such as fresh fruit.

At first, babies learn how to swallow solid foods such as pureed or mashed foods you feed them from a spoon. Most babies can swallow a spoonful of pureed foods without choking when they are around 6 months old. Babies can start to use a spoon by themselves at around 10 to 12 months old.

By the time they are 18 months – 2 years old they should be able to feed themselves well with a spoon without spilling food. What is this? You would expect your toddler to be ready to use a fork around 12 – 14 months and then have mastered this by the time they are 15 – 18 months.

Most experts recommend introducing utensils between 10 and 12 months, as your almost-toddler starts to show signs that she's interested. A spoon should be first on your tot's tray, since it's easier to use. She'll have more success with a fork as her fine motor skills get a little sharper, starting around 15 months.

Follow your child's cues that he's full, and don't force him to eat when he's not hungry. Instead of giving sugary snacks, give your toddler healthy snacks like fruit, wholegrain crackers, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods.

How do I get my baby to stop being a picky eater?

Remember that infants over 6 months should have solid foods as well as breast milk. After 1 year, breast milk alone does not provide all the nutrients a growing child needs. So solid foods must become a regular part of the diet.