Which approach is recommended when a toddler refuses vegetables and shows food neophobia?

Which approach is recommended when a toddler refuses vegetables and shows food neophobia?

• A. Prepare dishes the child likes to ensure that a vegetable is eaten at each meal.
• B. Continue to offer a variety of foods without forcing the child to eat them.
• C. Require the child to take 1 to 2 bites of each food at each meal.
• D. Offer snacks to make up for calories the child misses by not eating the vegetables.

Answer: (B)

When a toddler is wary of new vegetables, the best approach is to keep offering a variety of foods without forcing the child to eat them. Repeated, low-pressure exposure helps little by little, as toddlers learn to recognize textures and flavors and grow more comfortable trying new items. Over time, they often start to accept vegetables even if they initially refuse. Keep mealtimes relaxed and patient: offer small amounts of vegetables alongside familiar foods, model eating them yourself, and involve the child in simple food activities or choosing what to try. This gentle approach supports healthy eating habits and reduces anxiety around new foods. Pressuring a bite, insisting on a vegetable at every meal, or using snacks to compensate for low vegetable intake can backfire—pressuring can heighten resistance, and snacks can reduce hunger for meals. So the recommended strategy centers on continued, varied exposure without coercion.

When a toddler is wary of new vegetables, the best approach is to keep offering a variety of foods without forcing the child to eat them. Repeated, low-pressure exposure helps little by little, as toddlers learn to recognize textures and flavors and grow more comfortable trying new items. Over time, they often start to accept vegetables even if they initially refuse.

Keep mealtimes relaxed and patient: offer small amounts of vegetables alongside familiar foods, model eating them yourself, and involve the child in simple food activities or choosing what to try. This gentle approach supports healthy eating habits and reduces anxiety around new foods.

Pressuring a bite, insisting on a vegetable at every meal, or using snacks to compensate for low vegetable intake can backfire—pressuring can heighten resistance, and snacks can reduce hunger for meals. So the recommended strategy centers on continued, varied exposure without coercion.