6 Tips for feeding picky babies
How to improve a picky baby’s eating habits
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Is co-author of Nurturing with Nutrition and a former president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics representing over 100,000 Nutrition professionals, while also active as a clinical dietitian in South Florida.
Article in collaboration with:
Melanie Bazarte, PhD
Picky babies usually become that way over time. Babies born picky often show up early and have other problems that need your doctor's attention. If your baby is like most and has become picky as different baby foods are offered, we have some suggestions for you.
- Cut back on breast- or bottle feeding as your baby eats more solids. Keep milk intake at about 24 ounces so your baby will have tummy room for food.
- Feed your baby solid food first, then breast or bottle.
- If you have "whine with dinner," your baby is full, bored, tired, or not feeling well. Stop feeding, take your baby out of highchair and change her activity.
- Offer new foods, even if rejected, every 3 to 4 days.
- Remember, your baby's appetite varies just as yours does. If she's not interested or hungry at breakfast, she may want only a few bites of cereal, then devour three jars of veggies and one meat at dinner. Follow her lead and respect her hunger cues.
- Avoid feeding your baby too often. Spacing her milk and her food in 2-hour intervals helps her sense her internal hunger cues.
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