Young children are naturally good at knowing when they’re hungry and when they’ve had enough. 

Babies show this by stopping, sucking less, or turning away from food when they’re full. As children grow into toddlers, they start to rely more on routines and what’s happening around them, like where they eat, how often, and what others expect them to do.

This natural ability to self-regulate can be disrupted when children are pressured, rushed, or rewarded with food. 

For example:

• being told to finish everything on their plate

“you have to finish all of your veggies!”

• being forced to try new foods

“you can’t leave the table unless you try three bites.”

• being hurried through meals or denied more food

“hurry up and eat; we need to go.”

• being offered food as a reward or comfort.

“If you finish your homework, you can have a snack.”

These patterns can lead to unhealthy eating habits and a negative relationship with food over time.

Supporting healthy habits

These simple strategies can help your child build a healthy relationship with food by learning to listen to their body:

• let them know it’s okay to stop eating when they’ve had enough
• if they say they’re hungry, gently ask a few questions to help figure out if it’s hunger or something else, like needing attention or feeling bored
• if they stop eating during a meal, cover the food and offer it again later if they get hungry
• serve smaller portions if your child regularly leaves food on their plate
• try using a hunger and fullness scale so your child can recognise when they’re truly hungry or starting to feel full.

These small changes can support your child’s ability to eat according to their needs, helping them build lifelong healthy habits.

Be persistent

New foods can feel strange or even a little scary for young children, especially if they look, smell, or feel different. 

These simple strategies can help you offer new foods consistently, calmly, and without pressure.

• Keep offering healthy foods, even if your child doesn’t eat them: repeated exposure helps make unfamiliar foods feel normal over time.
• Serve the same meal for the whole family: when children see others eating and enjoying the same food, they’re more likely to try it.
• Use encouraging language: avoid labels like “You don’t like broccoli.” Try saying, “You didn’t like it today, but you might next time.”