The number one reason your toddler is refusing food.

A young child enjoys a crisp apple on a sunny day, savoring each juicy bite amidst a backdrop of lush greenery.

If your toddler refuses certain foods it might not be picky eating in the way you think. The biggest reason children are hesitant to eat is simple. Kids eat what they like and they like what they know.

This comes down to food neophobia. Baby Feeding Dr explains "neophobia" is a fear or wariness of unfamiliar foods. Food neophobia is a normal inbuilt protective mechanism that appears most strongly when children begin to walk and explore. Evolutionary theory suggests this response helped protect young children from eating poisonous plants or unsafe foods when they were away from their caregivers.

If your child pushes away new foods it does not mean they will never eat them. With time and gentle exposure most children learn to accept and enjoy a wider variety of foods. The key is repeated exposure. Research shows it can take 20 or more exposures to the same food prepared in the same way before a child feels safe enough to taste it.

Other powerful tools include modelling eating by letting your child see you enjoy the food yourself and creating a pressure free mealtime environment. Forcing or bribing children to eat can backfire and increase anxiety and resistance. Instead offer the food alongside familiar favourites eat it yourself with enthusiasm and make mealtimes a relaxed positive experience.

Remember that patience pays off. Keep offering keep modelling and keep it fun. Over time your child will build familiarity confidence and curiosity with new foods.

Follow @babydfeedingdoctor on Instagram and join the Baby Feeding Village group on facebook for more advice.

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