• Alyssa Fontaine, RD
• Jun 16, 2025

How to Stop Your Toddler from Throwing Food: A Dietitian’s Guide

As a parent, you’ve likely experienced the universal moment when your toddler tosses food onto the floor—whether you’re out in public or at home after a long day of preparing a meal. It can feel incredibly frustrating, especially when all you want is to sit down and enjoy a peaceful meal together. 

The truth is, toddlers throw food for many different reasons. Sometimes it’s boredom. Sometimes it’s curiosity. Other times, they might be overwhelmed, unsure about the food in front of them, seeking attention, or even just uncomfortable in their high chair.

Whatever the reason, the good news is this: there are supportive, practical strategies you can use to reduce the stress around mealtimes, better understand what’s going on, and gently guide your child away from this behavior.

As pediatric and toddler dietitians, we’ll break down:

• The most common reasons toddlers throw food.
  
• What this behavior means from a developmental and nutritional lens.
  
• Simple, evidence-informed strategies to make mealtime more manageable.

Why Do Toddlers Throw Food?

The best way to help your toddler is to understand the underlying reasons behind their behaviour. 

• Exploration: Toddlers are at a naturally curious stage in life where they will be testing out different textures and reactions
• Communication: With a limited vocabulary, toddlers often resort to actions as their most reliable form of expression 
• Attention-seeking: Toddlers often seek reactions from parents, and when given, it can reinforce their behavior.
• Testing boundaries: Through actions and reactions, toddlers will learn from cause and effect as a means to gauge their actions.

As a parent, recognizing these motivations is the first step in curbing their behaviour.

5 Effective Strategies to Prevent Food Throwing

1. Maintain Composure

As pediatric dietitians, we understand the sudden frustration that arises when your toddler throws food, once again. However, staying calm and neutral can help avoid inadvertently reinforcing that behaviour while conveying that throwing food won’t elicit a reaction.

2. Set Clear Expectations

Setting the tone before meals with a simple phrase like “food stays on the table” can reinforce the desired behavior much better than negative commands.

3. Implement a “No-Thank-You” Bowl

Giving your toddler an alternative option to put unwanted food allows for a more appropriate response to disliked food instead of throwing food.

4. Teach “All Done” Signals

Adding simple phrases or even sign language to your toddler can help them express when they are done eating. Responding to these cues can help you prevent boredom-induced throwing and reinforce the wanted behaviour.

5. Adjust Meal Durations

You can set your toddler up for success by understanding their short attention span and making your meal times short and engaging. Doing so will reduce the likelihood of food throwing. A good reference to aim for is about 1-2 minutes per year of age.

Additional Tips for Success

• Aim for Consistency: Building a regular meal and snack schedule can help manage your little ones’ hunger and behaviour.
  
• Avoid Distractions: Provide a calm and focused environment for your toddler whenever possible to encourage positive eating habits. 
• Model Behavior: Act as you would like your toddler to act, as they learn best through watching and mimicking.

When to Seek Professional Help

Food throwing can be a complex behaviour, and as pediatric and toddler dietitians, we understand how overwhelming all the information parents receive may feel. Whether you have already been trying different strategies or would like to prepare for this stage, contacting a professional, such as a pediatric dietitian, can help you feel confident through each action.

Conclusion

Food throwing can be a challenging phase, but by understanding some of the underlying causes and consistently implementing your strategies, you can slowly build up to more peaceful mealtimes. Remember that patience will go a long way throughout this phase. If you are looking for more personalized advice, feel free to contact one of our pediatric dietitians, who are always eager and willing to help.