For first time, US dietary guidelines include advice on what to feed babies and toddlers

By Ashley Strickland, Andrea Diaz and Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 2146 GMT (0546 HKT) December 30, 2020

Do you have a picky eater in your house? As babies grow, they can develop aversions to foods they once liked. Pediatricians, nutritionists and feeding specialists give their top tips for handling picky eaters.
Photos: Expert advice for dealing with your picky eater
Coping with a picky eater – Do you have a picky eater in your house? As babies grow, they can develop aversions to foods they once liked. Pediatricians, nutritionists and feeding specialists give their top tips for handling picky eaters.
Hide Caption
1 of 10
You can begin "picky-proofing" when baby begins eating solid foods. "Babies learn taste preferences from a very early age, so offer a variety of tastes, textures, and even temperatures of food," said pediatric feeding specialist <a href="https://mymunchbug.com/" target="_blank">Melanie Potock</a>, author of "Adventures in Veggieland."
Photos: Expert advice for dealing with your picky eater
You can begin "picky-proofing" when baby begins eating solid foods. "Babies learn taste preferences from a very early age, so offer a variety of tastes, textures, and even temperatures of food," said pediatric feeding specialist Melanie Potock, author of "Adventures in Veggieland."
Hide Caption
2 of 10
Pediatrician Dr. Tanya Altmann, author of "What to Feed Your Baby" has a list of <a href="https://weelicious.com/2016/04/29/11-foundation-foods/" target="_blank">"11 foundation foods"</a> she believes will help children learn to love healthy food. "Let your infant lean in and open his mouth when he wants to eat," said Altmann. "Don't force feed or play airplane games -- that doesn't help."
Photos: Expert advice for dealing with your picky eater
Pediatrician Dr. Tanya Altmann, author of "What to Feed Your Baby" has a list of "11 foundation foods" she believes will help children learn to love healthy food. "Let your infant lean in and open his mouth when he wants to eat," said Altmann. "Don't force feed or play airplane games -- that doesn't help."
Hide Caption
3 of 10
Encourage your child to make friends with food at a young age by involving them with cooking, said Potock. She also suggests playing with food, such as using beans in a tic-tac-toe game.
Photos: Expert advice for dealing with your picky eater
Encourage your child to make friends with food at a young age by involving them with cooking, said Potock. She also suggests playing with food, such as using beans in a tic-tac-toe game.
Hide Caption
4 of 10