A Parenting Expert On The Appetite Slump & Picky Eaters

The appetite slump is just how it sounds: “At some point early on in toddlerhood, like around 2 or 3 [years old], kids get less hungry,” Oster says. “They’re not eating quite as much as they did before, and sometimes they’ll get a little bit pickier.” 

It may seem like the child is never hungry—for parents, this is understandably a jarring scenario. That’s why many parents typically turn to those “easier” flavors—the mac and cheese, the nuggets—to get their kids to just eat something. It’s a common response, but “That can exacerbate the pickiness aspects because kids learn very fast,” says Oster.

See, kids are smart: Once they learn that they can get mac and cheese if they refuse to eat vegetables, chances are they’ll continue to use that tactic. It then becomes much more difficult to unlearn the habit, which may pave the way for pickiness (and an affinity for less nutritious food) later in life.