(This information was taken from The Baby Book by William Sears M.D. and Martha Sears R.N.)
When it comes to feeding your toddlers it is important to remember the division of responsibility. The parents are responsible for buying the right food, preparing it nutritiously and serving it creatively. The child is responsible for how much he eats, when he eats and if he eats at any given time. That said here are some suggestions in how to encourage your child to want to eat.
Try a nibble tray
Children have very small tummies (the size of their fist) and so they are not able to eat large amounts of food at one time. Because of this it is better to let your child eat small amounts of food frequently. An easy way to assemble a nibble tray is to use an ice-cube tray or a muffin dish. Put bite-sized portions of colorful and nutritious foods into each space of the nibble tray. Here are some ideas for foods to put into the nibble tray.
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- Peeled apple slices (moons)
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Dress it up
Young children like to dip their food. Take advantage of this in order to encourage toddler’s to eat less favored foods. There are many different dips that you can use.
Toddler toppings
Putting nutritious familiar favorites on top of new or less desirable foods is one way to encourage picky eaters to broaden their menu. Some topping suggestions are melted cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, tomato sauce, meat sauce, applesauce or guacamole.
Spread it
Many toddlers and children like to spread things, so let them put nutritional spreads on their foods, such as meat pate, avocado spread, vegetable sauce or cheese spread onto crackers, bagel, toast or rice cakes.
Drink your meal
If your child would rather drink than eat, try making a smoothie. Blend together yogurt with fresh fruit. To make the event even more fun let your child use a straw.
Kim Kendall is a Sign2Me Presenter and WeeHands educator. She offers signing and infant massage classes through Out West Training Studio in Abbotsford.
