Unless you have the most laid back baby in the world, you can look forward to some tantrums over food choices once your toddler is able to make some choices about what they want to eat. Even babies closing in on one year old start to have issues with some of the foods that you offer. Some kids do not like going from smooth to lumpy, and some suddenly have an aversion to a color or smell. Whatever the case, you have to learn about how to deal with toddler feeding issues. Don't worry, it is much simpler than you think.
You should understand that if a child is hungry, they are going to eat. As a baby goes through the first year, they eat a lot of food. This is because they are going through one of the most rapid growth spurts they are ever going to have. This requires a lot of calories. Each ounce of formula or breast milk has 20 calories, so it takes them a while to ingest all that they need. That is why it seems they are always eating. As they get over one year old, toddler feeding needs are going to slow down. You should remember that this is normal. They are not growing as fast now.
They won't need the steady intake of food like they did before they turned one, but they do need to eat. You may be tempted to give them snack foods if they are hungry because they won't eat anything else, but that is never a good idea. That just ensures that you have even more toddler feeding issues. If they do not know what a cheese puff tastes like, they won't have a tantrum because you won't give them one. Stick with the healthy foods you have been giving them thus far. If your child refuses food, let them go play. They will eat when they are hungry. The survival instinct is much stronger than any stubborn toddler. I promise!
It takes up to ten tries to get some children to accept some foods. Some they like right away, but some are going to take some time. What you may have to realize when you are fighting out toddler feeding issues is that some kids just don't like broccoli and they never will. If your child has spit out broccoli for twenty straight days, they are probably not going to eat it. That's okay though, because there are other ways and other vegetables that they are going to like. The more you force the issue the more they are going to resist. Move on to green beans or peas.
Keep your cool when dealing with toddler feeding tantrums and other issues. A calm mother is the mother that wins in the end. If your child refuses to eat, don't make a huge deal out of it. Tell them to let you know when they are hungry. Don't let them down to play when the family is at the table to eat, but don't force them to eat either. A toddler will eat when they are hungry. If they don't want a food, offer something else. At the same time, don't cook two or three different meals. Decide your limits, stick with them, but also remain cool and hopefully they will too.