My Toddler Does Not Eat Very Healthy

I hate to say it - but you are the mom and if nutrition is important to you, then you need to give her the option of only nutritious foods. i know it's hard when you are in a hurry and none of us are perfect but try stocking your kitchen with healthy foods only and stock fast healthy options. try to buy non-hydroginated (sp?) foods as well. check out dr. sears' info on nurtition. maybe they have a copy at the library you can check out? check out cook books for kids like anabel karmel and i'm sure there are others. anabel karmal has a website so you can google that. mothering.com has a forum on nutrition. and don't give your baby juice - it's totally not needed. both our dentist and pediatrician gave us this advice warning that juice only increases the taste for sweet drinks and that water and milk should be the only drinks - they will get to drink sweet drinks when they are older but for now, stick to water, milk, and fresh foods. i'm kind of nutrition nut-head and i'm constantly going head-to-head with my MIL because she constantly wants to give my son french fries and diet soda... but you just need to stick to your guns. you'll be glad that you did later on... good luck!

I agree that your toddler will not eat unhealthy food if you do not offer it. My two year old also goes through days where it seems he isn't eating a balanced diet, despite what I do to offer him healthy foods, and I have heard this from many moms/dads, so just do your best to offer healthy choices & see how it goes. Some things I have tried: slice & cook carrots & offer for snacks; cut up (& peel) apples, grapes, peaches, kiwi, berries, cherries (pit them), apricots, melon, or other summer fruits; cook peas & offer them cold as a snack; graham crackers or animal crackers (the mexican kind-Gamesas-have the least sugar) & fruit yogurt to dip them in; broccoli soaked in sauce of some kind (cheese, stir-fry, even just a little Bragg's aminos (a healthy salty seasoning)); cut up cheese with crackers (whole wheat); toast with peanut butter & honey & banana; marinaded fried tofu pieces (or sauteed); rice mixed with shredded or grated veggies; whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce & grated veggies like zucchini, carrot, diced green beans cooked right into the sauce (they won't even taste it, my son's favorite food!).
Another thing you can do is go to the health food section of the grocery store, or go to a Co-op or Whole Foods Market & look for the "healthy" convenience foods...one cereal we love is "Mighty Bites"--it's slightly sweet, & packed full of healthy stuff so makes a good snack with milk.
If you have some stuff prepared, or for convenience's sake, then you won't be caught off guard when your child is hungry, & it makes your job a whole lot easier!
I have also been recommended to measure your toddler's balanced diet more by the week than the day...meaning, one day your toddler might want lots of protein, the next day might want lots of fruit or carbohydrates, and the following day might just want very little food but lots to drink...this is definitely the case with my son & is related to his teething...so just hang in there & try to offer variety.

Hi A.
I would start with foods you like and search for recipes that are easy. This food site is wonderful and the recipes are easy to hard. Plus you can do a search of say children's food and a ton of kid friendly recipes come up. Once you find some tried and true recipes make extra to freeze that way you can pop that out instead of a store bought item.
www.recipezaar.com/

As for your daughter not eating veggies that is so normal. I offer dips with cooked veggies for my preschool children. The top three are katsup, ranch dressing and soy sauce. I noticed the children aren't to keen on raw veggies so I will just cook to loose the raw taste, not to soft or they won't eat those either LOL.

A quick on hand items I have in my kitchen.
Can refried beans
flour tortillas
cheese
sour cream.
Heat the beans on the tortilla in the mirowave for 40 seconds ( I spray the tortilla with a water bottle) add the cheese and sour cream ,roll it up and Waa Laa. If you can get rice in it (my son is anti-rice right now) that is the best combo.

Good luck and just keep offering even if your daughter doesn't eat the veggies.

Hi A.,
My kids will eat just about any green vegetables when I make them this way: boil them in water just until they are tender, if they're soggy they taste like mush not to mention they loose a lot of vitamins. For instance with broccoli if you stick a fork in it and it goes through without complete resistance its good, even for 1 1/2 yr old (my daughter is this age too). Then toss with a little butter and garlic salt and parmesan cheese. You can also do this with zucchini, squash, etc.
My kids also like string cheese with turkey wrapped around it. You can stick one of the very small red potatoes in the microwave for 2 min or so (poke it with a fork first) then cut it up and put butter, salt and cheese on it. How about plain instant oatmeal with a little brown sugar or even the boxed oatmeal. oh and avocados~ my grandmother is from Italy and she makes them the best! Slice them up and add salt and a little pepper with olive oil (just a splash) and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Its very sweet and so good. One think I do is slice up a cantoloupe or watermelon ahead of time so when the babys hungry I can put her in her highchair to start on that while I make more food. Hope this helped!

I'm going to add something that I didn't see anyone else put in. Gerber has a bunch of different toddler meals and soups and pasta things. I keep a stock on hand for those times when my son gets hungry and he doesn't have enough patience to wait for the family meal, or also I use it when the day has been very long and its become one of those fix what ever you want kind of days. Gerber has a lot of different of their Gerber Graduates things and they are real chopped up foods. You pop them into the microwave for 30 seconds and you have a good meal for your little one.

As well, they have a masher that my son loves, it is a glazed carrots and sweet patatoes masher. You might try it. It is a sweet way to get some very healthy vegetables down you little one. In addition they have pasta pickups that have vegetables right in them that are so small the child can't even see them. To get other veggies down her I would suggest trying a couple of things. Offer her veggies that she can dip into different sauces. Kids at this age usually love to dip. As well you can dice up veggies and put them into what ever you make. You can make mac and cheese and include diced carrots or you can make speghetti and even if you use the stuff out of the jar you can dice up all different veggies and put them in there. Usually if they are with something the kid really likes and they can't see it then they will not even think about it and eat it.

Try and give her some veggies or fruits along with her chickie nuggets or waffles. My son was basically the same way, but I added his favorite veggies or fruits and that seemed to help a lot. Also you can try the vegetarian chickie fakie nuggests and there is a lot of other stuff such as veggie corn dogs too and those are probably a lot healthier than the real deal. You could also try and cook up some black beans and add a bit of cheese with it and either roll it up in a burrito or add some corn to it with sliced tortillas on the side. Also try apple sauce, or apple slices with peanut butter dip, also look in the baby section in your grocery store. Sometimes they have some healthy snacks and meals.
This website also has a lot of good recipes for your toddler:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,healthy_toddler_mea...

Hope this helps!!

M. *~

My kids are the same way in that when they are hungry, they want to eat NOW!!! I have some staples that I really count on that are pretty quick. I buy Barilla PLUS pasta that is almost like regular pasta, but it is made with lentils and chick peas, so it has protein and fiber in it. Pasta only takes a few minutes to make, but I always make extra and just keep it in a ziplock in the fridge for a quick zap in the microwave. my little one eats it plain, but my big girl requires butter and Parmesan Cheese. I also buy spinach ravioli from Costco which is popular in my house. I roll up lunch meat into little rollups that are fun to hold and take bites of. I also cut peeled apples into "fries" (they really do look like fries) and if I'm feeling really creative, I give them strawberry yogurt for the Ketchup! Chopped up cheese is always a hit. Any fruit can be cut up into bite sized chunks quickly. She might enjoy pinto beans straight out of the can if she likes burritos. Oh, and try boiling tofu in some chicken broth, then cutting up the tofu in bite sized chunks - My kids LOVE tofu, after you cook it, just keep some in the fridge, bathing in the broth and it is even tasty cold, too! (and so very healthy!)

Try not to think of it as "big healthy meal" every time, that is far too daunting, and little kids won't appreciate it anyway. (If you do that for the rest of your family, then more power to you, and your family will all benefit.) But if you are just feeding your baby, then try to give her 2 food groups at a sitting. She probably wants to eat 4-5 times a day anyway, so by the end of the day, you will fit in as much nutrition as you can! At 1 1/2, she is probably more interested in feeding herself finger foods, so don't bother with the baby food anymore. Just give her soft foods or foods cut up in small chunks. If I have a couple of minutes, sometimes I decorate the plate with "happy faces" or other whimsical designs. That is always fun and they can laugh as they eat the ears or nose or whatever. Have fun with it, and your daughter will see how enjoyable eating can be!

Hi,
I also have a tot(17 months)
Sometimes I think it is the texture and not so much the taste..
I grate carrots , zuchini, vegies into muffins,
Hannah will eat Vegie burgers.
I have 2 older ones and just keep offering the fruits and vegies.

I had the same problem and was worried about nutrition. My doctor said don't judge it day by day, but rather by the average of the week. Also he said to give her Pediasure. It has a ton of vitamins and comes in chocolate, strawberry and orange flavor. My kids loved it!

First of all, get the eggos out of the house. Time when she is going to eat and make something good beforehand. My son hates broccolli but loves the little snap peas. they are sweet and crunchy. give her melon and frozen peas and beans still frozen. You can also freeze yogurt and tell her its ice cream. Kids eat what you put in front of them eventually. Don't be afraid to let her go hungry for a meal or two. It actually helps combat obesity by teaching her to respond to her hunger signals. She may fuss when you dont give her what she's used to but in a day or two, she will eat the healthy stuff. A few tantrums are a small price to pay for healthy eating habits. Good Luck

You have a lot of great suggestions here.

My older son was really resistant to eating vegetables around that age. I literally kept jars of Earth's Best baby vegetables on hand until he was about 2 years old. If I was worried about him not getting enough nutrition in a given day, I'd pop one of them open. Just a little bit of insurance if I needed it!

I also made him a little veggie stew.... tomato sauce with a bit of water added, broccoli, carrots, green beans, potatoes cut up and cooked until soft. He would eat this when there was no getting him to eat any other vegetables.

Sneaking grated veggies into food is good. If I make rice pilaf I often throw some carrots in the food processor and grind them up small and mix them in with the rice. The kids haven't noticed the difference yet!!

A., Don't let her get away with this. You'll regret it later and so will she. There is a cookbook out about fixing meals kids will eat. Try the bookstore and ask around. I would doctor my food up. Like steaming carrots and putting a little butter and a pinch of sugar. Carrots are naturally sweet especially steamed. Squeeze a little lemon juice on green vegetables with a little Country Crock and salt. If she wants something to eat right away, give her a small bag of Cherrios or carrot sticks or fruit stick you get from the baby food aisle. Have fruit available. Try finger food salads. Veggies (carrots. celery, cauliflower) julienne strips of ham, chicken, lunch meat et. Make a dip of ranch dressing so she can dip and eat. Good Luck. R.

Give her different dips to try such as ranch, melted cheese, mild salsa, peanut butter, sour cream, or ketchup. My daughter will now eat just about anything as long as she has a "bip" (dip) with it. She probably eats a wider variety of foods that I do and she is 19 months old. You can also chop up veggies really small and put them into pasta with sauce, rice or mashed potatoes. Email me if you would like some more ideas. ____@____.com

Hi A.,
I agree with the seasoning. When my daughter was that age she liked things hot or spicy. Also, now (she's 2) she will eat any veggie as long as it's frozen. Too weird, but peas, brocoli, etc. straight out of the freezer! Also, try this recipe with carrots (I haven't seen a kid yet that won't eat these).
Whole carrots peeled and cut into 'sticks'. Place in plastic bag with olive oil and shake to coat well. Lay flat on baking sheet and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Bake on 425 for about 30 minutes or just until tender. Some will start to turn black and that's OK! For fruits try freezing that as well or let her 'do it herself'. Give her a banana and let her peel it for example. Kids will usually eat things that they have a hand in preparing. E-mail me if you are interested in some healthy recipes and Good luck!

Looks like you've got a lot of good suggestions. Here are two things that I didn't see anyone else mention that my 16 month old likes. Corn on the cob with a little butter and salt. You can find a small ear, or half an ear, wrap it in Saran Wrap and microwave it (about 4 minutes in my microwave). It'll be really hot, so you'll have to let it cool. Plus it's messy, but my son, who has about 12 teeth, just loves to eat it off the cob. Plus it'll keep him busy in his high chair long enough for me to clean my whole kitchen! The second idea is French toast. I sometimes make it ahead of time, put it in the fridge and warm it up a little when he's ready to eat. One other note I agree with what other moms are saying about seasoning -- my son loves garlic and other strong flavors. He does not like his food hot. He'll only eat things that are luke warm. Oh, and he also loves corn chowder made with 2% milk, not the thick starchy kind.

Don't give up. Keep offering these to her and eventually she will get used to the tastes and textures. Try adding them into things like mac and cheese or rice. Also kids like to dunk things. So have some ranch dip that she can dunk them in.

C.
http://www.shopgbg.com/my5boyz

I used a food chopper and would put the meat and veggies adn rice or pasta or whatever else we were having for dinner all in there and chop it all up together. Usually she would eat this way. Also, try different ways of preparing teh veggies... My daughter prefers barely cooked veggies.. a little steamed. She doesn't like them in things usually either, like if we have beef and broccoli we just seperate hers and she eats it. Then again, shes LOVES fruit and veggies.. its the meat that I usually have to bribe her to eat. Not all that "quick" stuff is bad. You can try PB and Jelly just use good for you PB and jelly on wheat bread. I make organic mac and cheese (made exactly the same way as kraft) but better for you. Though it does taste a little different. But if you start making it for her now she wont know. Google recipies... just put in chicken recipies and they should pull up a bunch of different ones you can try. Try putting cheese on things... my daughter LOVES pramasan cheese... so i just give her a little pile and anything she doesnt really like she just covers in cheese... which isn't a lot. ;o) Good luck!

That's normal. toddlers love to say no to things. don't let on that it worries you and never make the dinner table a battleground. also, she can't eat unhealthy food if you do not offer it. if you want her to eat well, don't give her a choice. she might skip a meal or two but beleive me she will eventually get hungry enough to eat whatever you give her. you owe it to your small child to get her excited about good foods, since this has such a huge long term impact on her health. toddlers are notoriously fussy and difficult eaters so just do your best, offer good options, don't offer junk (treats are fine in the context of generally healthful eating), and be patient. all children go through this phase but it's relatively easy to guide them out of it if you do not let control issues and impatience or fear overwhelm your judgment. good luck@

Dear A.,

Try baking a yam, or a potato, or both, wrap them up in foil and when dinner time comes, just warm one up. I bet she will love them with butter and a teeny bit of milk mixed into the potato. Frozen peas - just put a few on her plate. I love to see those tiny little fingers try to pick them up.

Sometimes kids do not like the feel of certain foods in their mouths. My gr grandchildren did that too, and now they just eat everything. It takes a while for them to get the hang of eating, I think. You might cook up carrots ahead of time too and then when it comes time to warm them up, you can sprinkle in a little teeny bit of sugar and a drop of butter. They are good finger food too. Also, bananas are great for hurry up and eat time.

Dry cereals that are tiny bites, put drops of milk on them. ....and go to an internet site that you just type in 'good foods for babies' and see what happens. I should have done that before I wrote this, also, go to www.drgreene.com he has a whole long list of helps for lots of things to do with babies.

Jello too, make it with a little less water or fruit juice and then you can cut it into bite sizes or feed it to her yourself. With little tiny bits of fruit in it too. or with milk over it.
C. N.

kids love finger foods...atleast mine do...so i make potato wedges...or i have even breaded and fried veggies (my kids need to gain weight, you can bake em too though)...i also make a ton of stews and put them in containers and freeze them...then at night i will take a container out, thaw it in the fridge and then when they are whining for their lunch or dinner i pop it in the microwave and all ready to go in minutes...i find that my oldest hates veggies and so tend to supplement with fruit and dried fruits for that extra bit of reassurance...hope that helps a lil...

My son is the same way, he is 15 months old. I found out that he just wanted more seasoning. I used to think toddlers only liked bland foods...not mine. He likes pepper and garlic and cayenne. Try different flavors. Also you can hide veggies and other heath things in a quesadilla, or other foods. Try serving the healthy food with something else, not alone (mix it with something, in pieces too little to separate) Also, I had the same problem with him not being patient enough for me to make his meals (especially breakfast) What I ended up doing was taking some time when he wasn't hungry and his dad was around to distract him and I prepared a few meals for him that I could put into individual microwavable storage containers I could freeze or refrigerate, and when he was hungry, I can pop one in the microwave for him. They take as long to warm up as chicken nuggets or any other fast prep food but it is a great deal healthier. Good Luck

Hi A. - A couple years ago I started to become more educated about good nutrition and was able to get my family on a healthier path. I credit a lot of that Juice Plus. Have you heard of it? It's a convenient way to ensure optimal nutrition for your family, which will help lower risk of illnesses. As we all know, a regular diet of plenty of whole fruits and vegetables helps the body produce healthy DNA and helps the immune system work properly. Problem is that it's hard to get kids (even adults) to eat at least 5-9 raw servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. I highly recommmend Juice Plus as an insurance plan to make sure you and your kids are getting the best nutrition. It's not a vitamin - or an isolated nutrient - but the real thing that provides thousands of nutrients in combination to help our bodies work properly. 17 of the most powerful fruits and vegetables are juiced, all the sugar, salt, herbicides and pesticides removed, dehydrated and ground to capsule/chewable/and gummy forms. Please feel free to read more about the tremendous research behind Juice Plus. Also don't hesitate to contact me through this website if you have any questions. http://www.juiceplus.com/+cc42230. It's a nice way to ensure your family is getting good whole food nutrition on a consistent basis.

C.
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