When it comes to feeding a toddler, most parents need all the help they can get. As toddlers begin to assert their independence, they might refuse many healthy food choices, and some might seem to subsist on air, refusing almost anything you offer. Before you submit to fish sticks for every meal, consider a few other options for making healthy foods appeal to your finicky toddler.
Erratic Eating
As your child progresses through toddlerhood, his growth begins to slow and he needs fewer calories than he did as a baby. So if he seems to refuse everything you give him, don't panic: His eating habits might fluctuate from day to day but will even out in the long run. As long as he continues to grow on a healthy curve, he is getting enough to eat, even when he is finicky; however, you can encourage him to make better choices during the times he eats agreeably.
Appetizers
AskDr.Sears.com recommends keeping a tray of healthy finger foods out for your toddler to pick at during certain times of the day. This reduces the pressure for your toddler to eat everything during an allotted mealtime, when he might be likely to assert his independence and a favorite word: "No." It also encourages him to choose healthy snacks over processed crackers and other, often more appealing snack foods. Some healthy toddler appetizers include apple slices, cheese cubes, banana discs and egg wedges. Be sure to keep food pieces small enough to prevent choking, and try to keep your child from running around while eating -- easier said than done for most toddlers. In addition, AskDr.Sears.com recommends putting a two-hour window on tray foods for optimal food safety.
Funny Faces and Names
How do you make a toddler eat an avocado? Shape the slices like a smile. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages making meals fun, which can enhance the appeal of healthy foods for toddlers. Make fun designs and shapes with vegetables and fruits, or cut foods like meats and cheeses into fun shapes with cookie cutters. If all else fails, give your toddler's meal a cool name. AskDr.Sears.com recommends calling vegetables by imagination-provoking names, like broccoli "trees" or banana wheels. If you are feeling creative, you can even give the entire meal or snack a fancy name. Remember ants on a log? That's celery with peanut butter and a sprinkling of raisins. Doesn't the former sound more fun?
Encourage Variety
While some toddlers might binge on certain foods, it is important to continue to offer a variety of foods every day, even if they give most of it the cold shoulder. Until your toddler turns 2, offer nutrient-dense foods full of healthy fats, like avocado and whole-milk dairy products. After the age of 2, however, switch to skim or low-fat. Offer a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and encourage your child to make choices from each of the food groups every day. With luck, he might even eat some of it.
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