Picky eating in children — practical strategies for parents (10 months–10 years)

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Anastasija Martinović: As an educator at Čuvarak I often support families who feel worried when a child won’t eat. This guide shares practical, everyday steps you can try at home; it is educational, not medical advice. At Čuvarak we follow a simple principle: adults decide what and when to offer food, children decide how much to eat. Offer a mix of familiar favorites and small portions of new foods at the same meal so a child sees variety without pressure. New foods often need many calm, no‑expectation exposures; offer tiny tastes repeatedly over days or weeks rather than demanding immediate acceptance. Mealtimes are learning moments and chances to connect. Keep the atmosphere calm and avoid forcing, bribing, or using food as a reward. Respect hunger and fullness cues—if a child pushes a plate away, it likely means they’ve had enough. Limit grazing and sugary drinks between meals; water is the usual choice. Make sure milk does not replace a range of solid foods as the child grows. Keep safety in mind: children should sit upright and be supervised while eating. Cut or mash foods to a texture and size that match your child’s chewing skills and avoid known choking hazards for their age. Be patient and watch patterns in the child’s eating; gradual changes and repeated exposure usually build acceptance over time. Contact your paediatrician if your child is not gaining well, is losing weight, has few wet nappies, signs of dehydration, coughs or chokes while eating, vomits, reports pain, has an extremely limited selection of accepted foods, or if mealtimes seriously disrupt daily life. The paediatrician can refer you to a nutritionist, a feeding/speech therapist (logoped), or a gastroenterologist for further assessment. Acute choking is an emergency and requires immediate medical attention.