Food Throwing 

Food throwing is common among babies and toddlers, often leaving parents cleaning up mess and feeling frustrated. While it might seem disruptive, it’s a common stage of development. For most babies up until 10 months, throwing food on the floor is developmentally appropriate. It’s often one of the first ways they explore the pattern of cause and effect, learning that their actions lead to reactions. How we respond during this phase can influence how long it lasts. However, a prolonged phase of food throwing beyond 12 months of age becomes more than just exploration and is often a toddler’s way of communicating something.

Before jumping into strategies for managing it, let’s explore the underlying reasons for this behaviour. Understanding the “why” can provide valuable insights into how to respond effectively.

Why Do Babies and Toddlers Throw Food?

• Motor Skill Development: Throwing food can indicate, “I can’t manage this in my hands or mouth!” If the food’s shape or size doesn’t match their fine or oral motor skills—like being too small, slippery, or hard—babies may throw it. Ensure you’re offering safe, manageable food shapes that they can pick up, bring to their mouths, break down, and swallow.
• Appetite: Throwing food may communicate, “I’m not hungry.” This behaviour often increases when a child isn’t hungry (for example, after snacking). Meals and snacks should be spaced 2-3 hours apart to encourage hunger and appropriate interaction with food.
• Autonomy: Throwing can signal, “I don’t like this” or, more commonly, “I wanted this yesterday, but I don’t want it today.” During stages of development (usually between 14 months and 4 years), toddlers will assert their preferences at mealtime. While it’s our job to decide what’s on the plate, it’s okay to expect them to express their preferences in a more appropriate way. One effective strategy is using a “no-thank-you plate” or a “maybe-later bowl” where they can place food instead of throwing it. This requires some initial teaching and modelling.
• Sensory Processing: Throwing can also express, “I don’t like how this feels.” Some children may experience tactile sensitivity and dislike certain textures. Watch for signs like splaying hands, frequent wiping, or expressions of disgust. Support them by providing wipes or cloths for cleanup and encouraging cutlery skills as they approach age 2.
• Overwhelm: Food throwing might communicate, “There’s too much on my plate.” Some children can feel overwhelmed by large portions. Try reducing the amount on their plate, serving food buffet-style, or allowing them to eat off your plate. They can always ask for more!
• All Done: If throwing occurs toward the end of the meal, your child may be indicating they are full. Respond calmly by redirecting them to a more appropriate way to communicate. Depending on their age and communication skills, you might use phrases like “all done,” sign language, or prompts to express themselves.
• Connection-Seeking: Food throwing can also signal, “I want attention,” especially if caregivers react strongly—positively or negatively. Make mealtimes enjoyable and connection-focused, minimising distractions from phones or devices.

Strategies to Reduce Food Throwing

• Be Proactive: At the beginning of the meal, remind your child, “Food stays on the plate” and “Food is not for throwing.”
• Stay Calm: Respond neutrally. Pick up the food and remind them gently, “Food stays on the plate.” Avoid repeatedly replacing food, as it can become a game.
• Model Appropriate Communication: Offer alternatives based on your child’s communication. Use a “no-thank-you plate” for autonomy, a fork for sensory aversions, or prompt them to express that they’re finished.
• Positive Reinforcement: Praise your child for appropriate behaviour and acknowledge when they keep food on the plate or high chair tray. Model appropriate mealtime behaviour and eat together as often as possible!
• Natural Teaching Opportunity: If food ends up on the floor, involve your child in cleanup! For babies, this might mean waiting before taking them out. For toddlers, encourage them to help pick up a piece or two – who knows, they might eat something during the process! 
• Modify Food Shape and Size: Ensure the food matches their fine motor skills. If they struggle to hold food, it’s likely to end up on the floor. If foods are slippery try coating them in something like almond meal, desiccated coconut, hemp seeds, or flaxseed meal to provide grip!
• Occupy their hands: Introduce some baby cutlery (depending on their age) to give them something else to hold in their hands and take the focus off the throwing!

If food throwing becomes extreme or leads to significant mealtime struggles, consider discussing this with your GP, a psychologist, or an occupational therapist. Understanding your child’s needs and adjusting your approach can make mealtimes more enjoyable for everyone involved.

If you would like to learn more listen to our podcast episode on food throwing with our paediatric occupational therapist Rach or check out our book Toddler to Table for more mealtime strategies (and delicious recipes too!)