Toddlers. Otherwise known as: picky eaters. For a while I think we had 5 reliable foods that my son would eat. Now? We've discovered a handful of ways to make different (healthy) foods more appealing to his little tummy. If you have a picky eater at home, then you will be interested in these tips and tricks to conquer your toddler's picky eating habits.
Feeding a toddler can be challenging - but it can also be fun. Yep - I said it. Fun. The key is variety - and I decided to put together a list of Toddler Food Tips & Tricks that you (and I) can refer back to. This might inspire you to try something or remind you of a liked food when it comes to meal time.
Variety Is Key
The trick is to keep introducing new things that may catch your child's appetite. So grapes worked today, so now you know that you have a chance at getting them to eat grapes. Don't go feeding grapes everyday though, or the novelty will wear off. When introducing a new food to their selection, just cut it up and put it on their tray with the rest. Don't make a stink about it, and you may notice them taking a nibble or two.
Too Much of a Good Thing Can Be Bad
Stick to toddler-size portions. That would be about 1/4 of a single portion for adults. For meat - the proper portion is about the size of your toddler's palm of their hand. For veggies - about 1 or 2 tablespoons. If you plop too much on their plate it can be intimidating and it will also make you feel like their not eating enough.
Cute Shapes and Faces
Amazon has so many cute cutters to make faces out of sandwiches and such. You can also add eyes with grapes or carob chips. Make it fun! I cut my son's peanut butter sandwiches into hearts and stars. I eat the cut off crust and unused sandwich pieces as to not waste anything. He loves it!
Fun Colours
I personally find it so much easier to get my toddler to eat when he is presented with a (variety again) of fun colours. Some colourful fruit and veggies should do the trick: bananas, strawberries, cucumber, clementines and the likes. Plus - the colourful things are usually healthy as long as you are avoiding candy and gummies.
What are your secrets for getting your toddler to eat?
Photo credit: Iwishmynamewasmarsha, anotherlunch.com, David Goehring, Kelli Sikkema.
Secret - keep flipping trying. I constantly put black olives on my toddler's plate, it must have been 30 times before she actually decided she liked them and now loves them. Perserverance!