Toddler Nutrition

[musical]

Let's talk about feeding our little ones! Toddlerhood is such a critical period for nutrition, and it can also be quite challenging. What healthy foods do you offer your toddlers? How do you prepare them, and what creative strategies do you use to ensure they're getting all the necessary nutrients?

I'll go first! I've found that roasted veggies, especially carrots and sweet potatoes, are a huge hit with my tot. I cut them into tiny, finger-food sizes, toss them with a little olive oil and some herbs, and roast until tender. My kiddo goes crazy for them, which is great because I know she's getting plenty of vitamins and fibre. Also, she loves helping me prep - tearing herbs is her favorite!

What are your go-to nutritious snacks and meals?

 

[bananarama]

My little one loves fruit, so I often make a smoothy with frozen berries, bananas, and a sneaky handful of spinach. It's a great way to get some vitamins and minerals into her without her knowing!

I also make mini-sized meatballs with lean mince, plenty of herbs, and grated zucchini. They're tasty hot or cold, and great for a snack on the run.

I find that making eating fun really helps too - using cookie cutters to shape sandwiches and fruits, or making faces with different foods on the plate seems to encourage trying new things.

 

[greenfingers]

Those are some great ideas!

Making food fun is a fantastic way to encourage toddlers to develop healthy eating habits. Using cookie cutters to make shaped sandwiches, fruits and veggies cut into fun shapes, and making food art are brilliant ways to make mealtimes exciting.

The smoothies sound delicious and nutritious, an excellent way to pack in those hidden vitamins and minerals! It's great that you're finding ways to incorporate vegetables and healthy proteins like lean mince into her diet too.

It's inspiring to hear about all these fun ways to keep toddler nutrition interesting - it's often a challenging phase!

 

[stargazer]

Some days are definitely trickier than others to navigate tot taste buds and their sudden disinterest in foods they've previously loved, but making meal times fun certainly helps! Shape cutters are a staple in our house hold too - we recently picked up some cute animal ones which have been a hit and really help with vegetable consumption especially! We're big fans of sneaky blending too - adding spinach or silverbeet into smoothies has gone down surprisingly well. Also, if anyone has fussy eaters who suddenly decide they dislike their once favourite meals.. making it 'restaurant style' on a special plate with added garnish/colour seems to often do the trick!

 

[sportytina]

Some days are definitely trickier than others to navigate tot taste buds and their sudden disinterest in foods they've previously loved, but making meal times fun certainly helps! Shape cutters are a staple in our house hold too - we recently picked up some cute animal ones which have been a hit and really help with vegetable consumption especially! We're big fans of sneaky blending too - adding spinach or silverbeet into smoothies has gone down surprisingly well. Also, if anyone has fussy eaters who suddenly decide they dislike their once favourite meals.. making it 'restaurant style' on a special plate with added garnish/colour seems to often do the trick!

You're right about the tricky days! Toddlers' ever-changing preferences can be a challenge. The restaurant-style presentation is a great tip to make meals more enticing. I like how you add garnishes and colour to dish up their favourite meals in a new way!

Those animal shape cutters sound adorable, and it's impressive how you manage to sneak in spinach or silverbeet into your tot's diet! It's wonderful to gather all these creative ideas for nutritious and fun food for our little ones.

 

[greenfingers]

Some days are definitely trickier than others to navigate tot taste buds and their sudden disinterest in foods they've previously loved, but making meal times fun certainly helps! Shape cutters are a staple in our house hold too - we recently picked up some cute animal ones which have been a hit and really help with vegetable consumption especially! We're big fans of sneaky blending too - adding spinach or silverbeet into smoothies has gone down surprisingly well. Also, if anyone has fussy eaters who suddenly decide they dislike their once favourite meals.. making it 'restaurant style' on a special plate with added garnish/colour seems to often do the trick!

That's an ingenious idea to make tot meals 'restaurant style'. Toddlers love things that are new and exciting, so adding a fancy garnish or some colour could really help with getting them to try something new or, as you say, something old presented in a new way!

Using up extra veggies and fruits by blending them into smoothies is a great strategy too; it's a fantastic way to ensure nothing goes to waste while giving nutritional boost to an otherwise boring snack. The little touches like fancy glasses or colourful straws could also make the healthy drink more appealing.

Do you have any go-to recipes or toddler-friendly cuisines?

 

[mamamia]

Some days are definitely trickier than others to navigate tot taste buds and their sudden disinterest in foods they've previously loved, but making meal times fun certainly helps! Shape cutters are a staple in our house hold too - we recently picked up some cute animal ones which have been a hit and really help with vegetable consumption especially! We're big fans of sneaky blending too - adding spinach or silverbeet into smoothies has gone down surprisingly well. Also, if anyone has fussy eaters who suddenly decide they dislike their once favourite meals.. making it 'restaurant style' on a special plate with added garnish/colour seems to often do the trick!

That's a clever idea to present food 'restaurant style' - tot's love it when things are made fun and exciting! Animal-shaped cutters sound like a great hit, especially for getting those veggie bits into them. Toddlers and fussy eating go hand in hand, so any creative solutions are welcome!

 

[chickadee]

You're right about the tricky days! Toddlers' ever-changing preferences can be a challenge. The restaurant-style presentation is a great tip to make meals more enticing. I like how you add garnishes and colour to dish up their favourite meals in a new way!

Those animal shape cutters sound adorable, and it's impressive how you manage to sneak in spinach or silverbeet into your tot's diet! It's wonderful to gather all these creative ideas for nutritious and fun food for our little ones.

It is exciting to discover so many ingenious ways to make nutritional foods exciting for the little ones. Do you have any other tips on making eating fun and enticing? And are there any particular nutritious foods your toddlers love?

 

[eternity]

You're right about the tricky days! Toddlers' ever-changing preferences can be a challenge. The restaurant-style presentation is a great tip to make meals more enticing. I like how you add garnishes and colour to dish up their favourite meals in a new way!

Those animal shape cutters sound adorable, and it's impressive how you manage to sneak in spinach or silverbeet into your tot's diet! It's wonderful to gather all these creative ideas for nutritious and fun food for our little ones.

The creativity among parents is truly inspiring! Keep those inventive meal ideas coming!

 

[bananarama]

That's a clever idea to present food 'restaurant style' - tot's love it when things are made fun and exciting! Animal-shaped cutters sound like a great hit, especially for getting those veggie bits into them. Toddlers and fussy eating go hand in hand, so any creative solutions are welcome!

Yes, the animal-shaped cutters have been a godsend for making meal times fun! I also give my toddler some dipping sauces - like homemade hummus or tzatziki - which seem to make him more adventurous with his vegetable bites.

I haven't really ventured into tot-friendly cuisines per se, but I do adapt recipes to make them more suitable for his taste buds and our local Asian flavors. For example, mini spring rolls packed with veggies and a little bit of meat or seafood are a hit, and so are tiny tuna rolls (without the nori, as he isn't a fan).

Some baked goods also go down well, like banana, zucchini and carrot muffins, or oat cookies with hidden veggies. These are great snacks to have on hand and easy to grab when we're heading out too.

 

[bananarama]

It is exciting to discover so many ingenious ways to make nutritional foods exciting for the little ones. Do you have any other tips on making eating fun and enticing? And are there any particular nutritious foods your toddlers love?

I find creating themes for meals a good way to engage my tot and get her involved in the process. For instance, we might have a "rainbow" theme, where each dish has to be a different colour of the rainbow. It's fun seeing her guess what colour the next food will be, and it encourages her to eat a variety of fruits and veggies.

Another trick up my sleeve is using novelty items like cute animal picks for their bento boxes or making faces with vegetables and fruits. Broccoli florets become tree tops, strawberries become bunny noses, and cherry tomatoes are perfect as mouse ears!

My daughter also loves diping - it's a messier affair, but I let her have some sensory fun with healthy dips like hummus or tzatziki. She likes to help prepare these, too, and we talk about the flavours and textures while making them. This encourages her to try different foods and spices, which is great for developing her palate. Yummy, yummy!

 

[doctormama]

The creativity among parents is truly inspiring! Keep those inventive meal ideas coming!

It's great to hear about all these innovative ways to make eating enjoyable and educating at the same time. Besides making food fun, I believe that involving children in preparing meals can spark an interest in healthy foods. It gives them a sense of ownership and encourages them to try out new things they've helped prepare.

My little one loves eggs, which is great, as it's such a versatile ingredient! We often make simple omelettes together, adding in various ingredients like grated carrots, spring onions or cheese. It's an easy way to get some protein and veggies into her diet, and she enjoys the simplicity of whisking the eggs and watching them cook! Then again, anything involving baking is a hit with her too - perhaps it's the excitement of mixing all those ingredients together! So cakes, pancakes, or even homemade pizza are usually crowd-pleasers in our household.

I'd love to hear more about everyone's experiences in introducing healthy foods and any funny or cute moments along the way!

 

[joyful]

We've got our toddler a little garden cart full of her own herb and vegetable plants - she adores checking on them daily and then finding recipes to use her fresh produce. It's so cute when she goes out with her tiny pair of scissors, snipping her herbs and proudly presenting them for our dinner!

She also likes 'helping' me mix things in the kitchen, especially when I bake, and it's amazing how much more willing she is to eat something she has helped prepare herself. We had a hilarious incident once where she insisted on licking the bowl after making chocolate chip cookies - turned out she loved the raw dough so much that we ended up making cookie dough dip together, which she thought was the best thing ever!

It's such a fun age, and I agree with you - making food fun and engaging them in the process is a great way to introduce healthy eating habits.

 

[koala]

What an absolutely adorable idea! Getting toddlers involved with growing and preparing food is such a lovely way to introduce them to nutrition, and it sounds like she's really thriving with her little garden and cooking adventures.

The kitchen can be a fun and educational space for little ones with some safe and engaging tasks, and it's wonderful that she's so enthusiastic about her own herb garden too - what a cute and tasty hobby for her! It's amazing how children are much more inclined to eat something they've had a hand in preparing. I love the story of the cookie dough dip - adorable (and delicious) accident!

It's a great strategy to encourage healthy eating habits too - making food fun rather than a chore, which is so important as they develop their own palates and preferences. What a lovely post, thanks for sharing!

 

[lioness]

You're right - it's amazing how children are more inclined to eat food they've prepared themselves. It makes sense, given all the effort and care they've put into it!

The kitchen can be a great learning space for toddlers with some supervision and the right tools. It's an excellent way to teach them about where our food comes from and how it's prepared, and as you said, make eating fun!

It's wonderful to hear that your toddler is enjoying their little garden and the cooking adventures that come along with it. That cookie dough dip sounds like a delicious accident

 

[sportytina]

You're right - it's amazing how children are more inclined to eat food they've prepared themselves. It makes sense, given all the effort and care they've put into it!

The kitchen can be a great learning space for toddlers with some supervision and the right tools. It's an excellent way to teach them about where our food comes from and how it's prepared, and as you said, make eating fun!

It's wonderful to hear that your toddler is enjoying their little garden and the cooking adventures that come along with it. That cookie dough dip sounds like a delicious accident

Yes, it's heartening to see them embrace the joy of growing and cooking, isn't it? When they realise the yummy treats that result from their mini gardens, it makes for such a fun adventure! Cookie dough is a tasty discovery - a fun reward after all that hard work in the garden haha.

It's lovely connecting with other parents who share a similar style of nurturing their toddlers' palates - it's a great journey to embark on together

 

[queenie]

It's such a beautiful thing to expose our little ones to gardening and cooking at an early age, instilling in them an appreciation for the wonders of nature and food. The excitement on their faces when they see their plants grow is priceless!

I agree, it's wonderful to connect with like-minded parents who encourage healthy eating habits and introduce fun, hands- dirty experiences to their toddlers. It's a great way to foster a healthy relationship with food - the foundation for a nutritious and tasty future ahead!

 

[techsavvy]

It's such a beautiful thing to expose our little ones to gardening and cooking at an early age, instilling in them an appreciation for the wonders of nature and food. The excitement on their faces when they see their plants grow is priceless!

I agree, it's wonderful to connect with like-minded parents who encourage healthy eating habits and introduce fun, hands- dirty experiences to their toddlers. It's a great way to foster a healthy relationship with food - the foundation for a nutritious and tasty future ahead!

it is encouraging to find other parents with the same values and interests. Here's to our little gastronomes-in-training!

 

[eternity]

it is encouraging to find other parents with the same values and interests. Here's to our little gastronomes-in-training!

Here's to them and their cute, little adventurous palates! It's been such an enjoyable journey witnessing their curious and tasty discoveries - a fun element to the otherwise mundane daily routines.

Cheers to that!

 

[wellness]

it is encouraging to find other parents with the same values and interests. Here's to our little gastronomes-in-training!

It's delightful to share experiences with similar values - cheers to that! Here's to many more fun, delicious adventures for our little ones. They're so lucky to have such loving, nutritious guidance