Toddler Eating Ideas

Some parents have noticed a change in their toddler’s eating habits, but although it's frustrating for parents, finicky eating is normal behavior for toddlers. Be patient and offer a variety of healthy foods for your picky toddler to choose from. Encourage your toddler to try new foods, but never force a child to eat. Include your child in grocery shopping and food preparation, as finicky eaters will be more likely to try food that they helped prepare. Remember that when it comes to picky toddlers, presentation is everything. Present your toddler with food that has bright colors and interesting shapes and textures.                      

• A tasty smoothie can camouflage the fruits or vegetables your toddler refuses to eat. It will also appeal to a toddler who only likes to drink her nutrients.  You can blend milk, fruit, yogurt, wheat germ, protein powder, juice, honey, and peanut butter to give your toddler a healthy boost.
• If your toddler likes to snack, you can place nibble-sized portions of nutritious foods in a tray with compartments, such as an ice cube tray or muffin tin. Fill the tray with nutritious finger foods such as thinly sliced apples, slices of banana, small cubes of cheese, slices of avocado, wedges of hard-boiled eggs, and bits of cereal.
• Add nutrients to the meals your toddler enjoys most by topping them. For example, dust his macaroni and cheese with wheat germ and add small fruit chunks to his morning cereal. Other nutritious toppings for various dishes are melted cheese, tomato sauce, applesauce, peanut butter, cream cheese, yogurt, and guacamole.
• Add some fun to crackers or a bowl of sliced fruit by placing a small cup of whole-milk yogurt in front of it for dipping. Whole-milk yogurt can transform into a healthy, tasty dip for soft vegetable pieces if you puree in some vegetables. Other healthy dipper examples are hummus, tomato sauce, and applesauce.
• Your toddler may refuse a sandwich, pancake, or slice of pizza but she may be less hesitant to take a bite if it's shaped like a heart or star. Invest in some cookie cutters for fun shapes. 

–Butterfly Teacher