Toddler Nutrition

[bananarama]

Spoiler: Thread summary

Several parents shared their experiences and insights on introducing toddlers to various foods and herbs to foster adventurous eating habits. Their comments emphasized the importance of exposing young children to diverse tastes, textures, and flavours from an early age to develop their senses and encourage a healthy relationship with food. Toddlers were seen to enjoy snacking on fruits, vegetables, and herbal bites, with favourite herbs including mint and basil. The discussion highlighted how incorporating herbs like thyme, basil, and mint could make meals more exciting and aromatic while providing health benefits. Parents also shared tips on adding herbs to toddler meals, such as making pesto or incorporating them into dips and roasted veggies. The consensus was that introducing a variety of foods, including herbs, at an early age helps set the tone for healthy and enjoyable eating habits later in life.

What foods do your toddlers eat and love?

My little one is a surprisingly adventurous eater, which I'm so grateful for! She devours most fruits and veggies and asks for more. I give her what I call "toddler bites"—small, kid-friendly portions—of everything we're eating at mealtime. Some of her favorites are broccoli, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, and sweet potatoes.

I try to incorporate proteins too, so she gets some eggs, beans, and lean meats. It's challenging to keep meals balanced and nutritious without making them boring, so I'm always looking for new ideas! What are your go-to healthy foods for toddlers?

 

[wisdom]

That's fantastic that your little one is such an adventurous eater! It's a great habit to get them into trying a variety of fruits and veggies early on.

My toddler loves snacks, so I often cut up fruit and veggies into bite-sized pieces. His favourites are grapes, cherry tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. For proteins, he loves fish, especially salmon, which is great for healthy fats, and I'll often give him some Greek yogurt too.

We also grow our own herbs, and he enjoys helping pick the basil or rosemary and adding them to our meals. It's a fun way to get him involved in cooking and trying new things.

 

[bananarama]

That's wonderful that your little one is enjoying helping out with the herb garden! Getting them involved like that is such a great idea, especially to encourage them to explore different flavours and scents.

My daughter loves her some herbs too - she's recently become obsessed with mint, and keeps asking for "the plant that smells like toothpaste". It's adorable, and it's fantastic watching them learn about where our food comes from, even on such a small scale!

 

[techsavvy]

It's so true - watching them learn about the world around them is amazing! Herbs are such an excellent way to begin too - the flavours and scents are often so distinct, it's a great sensory experience for them. Mint is a fab one, especially with the whole 'toothpaste' connection - kids are so cute in their observations!

 

[lioness]

It's incredible to think how exposing toddlers to herbs can help develop their senses and association skills. The 'toothpaste' connection with mint, for instance, is an adorable observation. Herbs open up a whole new world of smells and flavors for them to discover! It's a fun and healthy way to engage their curious minds.

 

[joyful]

You're so right! Introducing toddlers to herbs at an early age can be a fun and sensory enriching experience. The aroma, textures, and flavors can help broaden their food experiences and palates as they make those cute associations. It's an exciting way to start fostering an appreciation for diverse tastes and smells and educating them on different ingredients.

Herbs are such a fantastic gateway into healthy and enjoyable eating habits!

 

[techsavvy]

Totally agree! It's incredible how exposing young kids to various tastes and textures can set them up for success and develop their palates. It's an excellent strategy to prevent picky eating and foster a positive relationship with food, which is so important nowadays. Herbs are an amazing way to add excitement and education to mealtimes! The earlier, the better - it becomes part of their normal eating experience.

 

[sunflower]

Exposing them to various tastes, textures, and flavours is a fantastic way of broadening their food horizon and encouraging adventurous eating! It's such an important strategy nowadays - setting them up with good eating habits and a refined palate. Herbs are a wonderful gateway into this; they add so much excitement and variety! And like you said, the earlier, the better!

 

[techsavvy]

Absolutely! Starting early helps present a diverse range of foods, which sets the tone for their relationship with food as they grow up. Introducing herbs can add so much excitement and depth to their meals, enhancing their sensory experience. It's a brilliant way to cultivate an appreciation for different flavours and textures and set them on the path towards adventurous eating!

 

[chickadee]

Herbs are a fantastic way to make eating an adventure for little ones! It's wonderful to help them explore new flavors, especially when introduced early on. This sets a lovely foundation for a healthy relationship with food and can really enhance mealtimes. What are some of your favorite herbs to add to toddler meals?

 

[bookworm]

We love adding fresh basil and mint to our toddler's meals! Ripped up basil leaves have a wonderful aroma that encourages an explore, and the freshness of the herb seems to make the meal even more exciting. We've also started incorporating thyme recently, especially when roasting veggies - it gives them such a lovely earthy flavor.

 

[sunnybunny]

That's a fantastic idea! Herbs are a brilliant way to introduce new flavors and aromas to little ones. We also love using fresh herbs - they add so much depth to the meal and make it fun and exciting, especially for picky eaters. We'll give thyme a go with our tot's lunch today - thanks for the inspiration!

 

[nature]

Introducing herbs is a great way to spice up meals while keeping them healthy and nutritious! It's an excellent tactic for encouraging adventurous eating habits, hope your tot enjoys their herby lunch!

 

[sunflower]

Toddlers love to munch on snacks, so herbs can be a fantastic healthy addition! We've found some fun ways to incorporate them into meals - pesto is a big hit in our house and packs lots of flavor with basil, garlic & pine nuts. Also enjoy chopping up some fresh coriander/cilantro and mixing it into rice or making a salad with lots of herbs like dill, mint and parsley! Fun times exploring these new flavors and great for their development too.

 

[stargazer]

That's a clever way to get some extra nutrition into the meals. Herbs are such an easy and tasty win - love the idea especially with pesto! We've found frozen spinach is a handy addition too, adds some nice flavour and nutritional boost without being too noticeable. Also a good way to serve vegetables - blend them into a dip that looks like a treat!

 

[bubblyfish]

Love the frozen spinach idea too, it's such an easy way to add some extra goodness and flavour without any hassle! A tasty, nutritious dip is always a win - a great way to get them eating those healthy veggies without any tantrums!

 

[greenfingers]

Frozen spinach is a lifesaver and a wonderful way to sneak some extra nutrition into meals and snacks!

A tasty, stealthy approach to toddler nutrition is an absolute win, especially when it encourages them to eat those healthy veggies without any fuss or meltdowns.

What other ingenious tactics do you guys use to make sure your little ones are getting their nutritional needs met? I'm always on the lookout for new inspiration!

 

[koala]

Awesome idea with the frozen spinach! I sometimes add pureed carrots to pasta sauce, and also make sure to load up on sweet potatoes which seem to be a crowd pleaser among the little ones! Would love to hear more sneaky strategies too!

 

[bubblyfish]

Frozen spinach is such a lifesaver - so easy to just pop some into sauces and soups without the fuss of fresh prep! Love the idea of pureed carrots in pasta sauce, and sweet potatoes are a win here too - will definitely be trying those! A go-to for us has been avocado which seems pretty popular with toddlers. Also have had success with hiding mashed banana in pancakes or muffins!