Toddlers' Table Talk

[musical]

What's your toddler's favorite meal?

My little one loves pizza, and I often wonder if she would eat nothing but for the rest of her life if I let her! Finding ways to make meals fun seems to help - like making faces with food or creating mini "pizzas" with English muffins.

What other table talk do you have going on these days? Any picky eaters out there? What creative strategies do you use to entice your little ones to try new foods?

 

[sunflower]

Pizza seems to be a popular kid-friendly meal! My son also loves pizza, and I find adding lots of colourful vegetables as toppings is an easy way to get him to eat his veggies without realising it.

Meal times are definitely an adventure with my little one! He's at the stage where he's fascinated by dipping - we've been experimenting with healthy dips like hummus or tzatziki as an incentive to eat raw veggies. He's also into finger foods that he can feed himself, so I'll often cut up lots of raw veggies and fruits and present them on his plate along with some dip.

I find involving him in the cooking process helps too - he's more likely to try something new if he's had a hand in preparing it. He loves cracking eggs and mixing the batter when we bake, and recently helped make pizza from scratch, which was fun! He was so proud of his creation that he happily ate everything on his plate.

Does anyone else find that their little ones go through stages of liking and disliking certain foods? I've noticed my son goes through phases where he loves carrots, then suddenly refuses to eat them for a few weeks. Same goes for eggs - some days they're his favourite food, other times he won't touch them. I'm keen to hear any strategies for dealing with these picky stages!

 

[bookworm]

My daughter goes through these phases too! She'll ask for the same food constantly for a few days and then suddenly not touch it. I've found that offering her alternatives has helped - if she doesn't want the food she originally asked for, I offer her something else from the pantry or fridge, usually a standby favourite. She also loves helping with preparing meals, especially anything that involves spreading, mixing or pouring ingredients together.

The dipping idea is genius and one I'll definitely be stealing! I find giving her different dips to try encourages her to eat a greater variety of foods - sometimes the same foods just presented differently are more appealing. I've also noticed that she's more likely to eat something if she's watched me preparing it, especially if there's an element of excitement and anticipation built up during the process!

 

[musical]

Those are some great tips! I've found the same with my son - he loves helping prepare meals, especially the mixing and spreading bits too! And dips are a fantastic idea - so simple yet effective! I'll definitely be trying that as well. It's so true about the anticipation and excitement too - my son seems much more interested in eating something if there's been some build up and he's watched the process . Great thread, love hearing everyone's tips!

 

[joyful]

The anticipation certainly adds to the experience - creating an event out of meal prep and really engaging their help makes dinner time so much more fun! Dips are a simple, yet effective way to make meal times a lot more enjoyable. Happy to share and glad you find them useful too!

 

[eternity]

It's an easy and tasty win for sure - making dinner time exciting and engaging is such a great way to include the little ones. I'm all about making meal prep fun and turning it into a family affair! Love the dip idea too, getting them involved definitely adds to the experience .

 

[bubblyfish]

It's so true - making dinner time fun gets everyone involved and excited about the meal ahead. Little ones love being part of the process, especially when they get to dip things! It can be a real win for getting picky eaters to try new foods too. So many great ideas here!

 

[lioness]

So true - making dinner time fun helps with our little one's enthusiasm and also exposes them to different textures, which is such a bonus for picky eaters. It's so exciting to see them enjoying the whole process too!

 

[greenfingers]

It's a great strategy! Exposing them to different textures and tastes really helps expand their palates, and it's awesome to see them enjoy the excitement of trying new things. It's a fun way to introduce new foods too - makes dinner time so much more enjoyable for everyone!

 

[queenie]

It is so true! My little one had such a funny reaction the first time she tried avocado. She felt the creamy texture on her tongue and her eyes lit up, it was adorable. I love watching her experience new flavors and textures and seeing what she likes.

 

[travelmum]

That's so sweet. It's amazing how excited they get when they try new things. My little one always lights up whenever he eats anything citrusy - he gets such a surprised look on his face, it's hilarious! He also loves dipping and will practically eat anything if given a good dip. What other fun textures or flavors has your LO been enjoying lately?

 

[greenfingers]

Citrus seems to be a popular sensory experience for them! Mine too loves the expression on their face when they try something new and exciting - it's the best isn't it?

My LO has recently started enjoying savoury snacks - crackers, crisps etc - which is a big change from exclusively wanting sweet foods. Also has become fascinated with cold textures - frozen fruits are a huge hit, especially frozen grapes and frozen yoghurt drops. They're like little sensory toys too which is fun!

 

[lioness]

That's great! My one also loves crackers - rice crackers are a big hit here - and of course, anything they can crunch with their new found bite skills is very exciting for them!

The frozen fruit idea is fantastic, I'll have to try that - especially in this heat! A tasty and healthy snack/ toy all in one, bonus!

 

[wisdom]

Rice crackers are a big win here too - anything crunchy is high on the list! I find the frozen fruit is also a great distraction when they're fussy at mealtimes too.

 

[queenie]

Rice crackers are a go-to snack for us as well - my tot particularly loves the cheese and sour cream ones! I'll have to remember the frozen fruit trick, thanks!