10 Ways to Get your Toddler to Eat Healthy
Ten tips for getting toddlers to eat healthy meals
1. Children can become picky eaters if they aren't consistently exposed to a variety of foods, says Saab. And once they fall into a pattern of picky eating, it can be hard to get them out. "Infants into early toddlerhood are more willing to explore new foods, so don't just give them the same foods every day because you know they'll eat them, or limit them to just the foods you like," she says. "It's important to establish variety at the beginning and to maintain it throughout the early years."
2. Make mealtimes fun and interesting. Introduce your toddler to new textures and let her experiment and feed herself with her own plate and utensils.
3. "Don't hide vegetables," says Saab. "If you start hiding them at a young age, it may be more difficult to get her to accept or try new veggies when she is older." Instead, expose your child to a variety of fruit and veggies. "If you put a new veggie on her plate and she won't eat it, don't worry–just keep offering it," says Saab. Studies have found it can take six or more tries before a child accepts a new fruit or veggie, so patience is key.
4. To ensure you always have a nutritious, home-cooked meal on hand, Saab recommends making big batches of things that are easy to freeze, such as pasta sauces, soups, pot pies, chili and casseroles. (see recipe below)
5. Timing can be everything when it comes to getting your child to eat. Toddlers like routine, so trying to maintain a set schedule for meals and snacks will make life easier for both of you.
6. If you're having trouble getting your toddler to eat her veggies, try experimenting with different cooking methods and a variety of herbs and spices to make veggies more enticing, says Saab. You can also try giving her something to dip them in, such as a light yogurt-based dip.
7. Fruit smoothies and vegetable soups can be a good way to help your toddler meet the recommended four servings of fruits and veggies a day.
8. Stock up on nutritious snacks that are easy to pack up for when you're on the go. Some of the ones Saab recommends in Better Baby Food include: grated carrots and shredded cheese, low-sugar, whole-grain cereal mixed with whole grain crackers, berries or cut up fruit slices and pita bread with vegetable dip. Before you head to the grocery store, check out our story on healthy grocery shopping strategies.
9. Limit your toddler's juice intake to no more than four ounces a day. Water is a better choice because juice can be high in sugar and is more likely to fill her up so she won't eat more nutritious solid food (and fresh fruit contains fiber that cannot be found in just juice, says Saab).
10. As your toddler matures, make her a part of the cooking process. You can build her excitement around food by getting her to add spices or help stir–and make a big deal about how she helped cook the meal you're all going to share as a family.
