We all know toddlers are picky eaters. If your little one isn't a toddler yet, spoiler alert: toddlers are picky eaters. It's like pulling teeth getting them to even look at a plate of food sometimes. Then other times, they're eating everything in sight and you're wondering how they can possibly fit so much food into their tiny body. There's rarely an in between (in my experience, anyway). I'm not the mom that only serves healthy, organic foods, nor am I the mom that serves pizza rolls and mac and cheese all the time. I'm the in between mom. I've experimented with foods for Jackson because he's a little guy. Like, short and skinny. And he's still breastfeeding (I know, it's insane). So, I do my best to make sure that he gets nutritious foods, but I do it in a way that works for his picky little self.
Disclaimer: there are unhealthy foods in this post. I know good and well that not everyone will agree with my food choices for my son, and I truly don't care. Jackson is healthy and happy and we do what works for our family. If you don't believe in feeding toddlers sugar or pre-packaged foods, you probably won't like this post. That's my head's up.
Let's get to the tips. These are things I feed Jackson regularly that he not only tolerates, but he actually enjoys.
- KidFresh Chicken Meatballs – These bad boys are a big hit with Jackson. He really doesn't eat much meat, at all, of any kind. But man, he will throw these meatballs down! AND, they're made with vegetables! So it’s a win-win.
- Sweet Potatoes – The trick to this one is to make them dessert-like. I cube the potato, drizzle avocado oil over it, then add about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and a good hefty amount of cinnamon. Mix it all up, bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, and you're good to go! He still gets the benefits from the sweet potato, and he loves the taste.
- Protein Pancakes – I don't ALWAYS do protein when I give Jackson pancakes, but I try to make an effort to do it a lot of the time. I use the Kodiak Cakes buttermilk protein pancake mix. Once the syrup is on them, the kid doesn't know the difference.
- Yogurt – Jackson LOVES yogurt. So I do make it a point to get a healthier kind. I'll usually get him a whole milk + probiotic vanilla. He loves it just as is. So we call it dessert, and he gets extra excited when it's time to have some!
- Cereal – I think this one, for Jackson, is more about the fun of eating than the cereal itself. But hey, I'll take it. He loves the Annie's Bunny Friends cereal with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. So, not the worst breakfast ever.
These are the most popular foods I've experimented with and learned that Jackson loves. There's nutritional value in all of them, and he loves them all, so I call that a win.
I also have a handful of tips on actual feeding practices that have helped with my picky boy. Again, I know everyone won’t agree with me, and that’s ok. These things work for us.
- Let them eat off your plate. I know, “I'm creating a bad habit.” I think that toddlers honestly are in a parent-obsessed stage. Along with this comes food looking more appealing when it's on our plate. So I (occasionally) let Jackson eat with me off my plate. And I’m pretty confident that he won't be doing that forever, so I'm not to worried about the “bad habit. “
- Cut up the food. I still cut up all of Jackson's food into small pieces. One, for safety, and two, because he's much more likely to eat something if it's cut up. I think bigger pieces of foods can be overwhelming and just not as easy to eat.
- Feed them. Yup, another bad habit! So often, Jackson will walk away from his food without taking a bite, but will finish his plate when I feed it to him. Toddlers’ attention span is SO short, and they have a hard time missing out on fun just to eat. So, feeding them will get the food in their body but won't force them to sit and feed themselves when they're so young.
- Add a dipping sauce to their plate. Jackson LOVES ketchup. He will eat it with anything. Adding a dipping sauce to your little one’s plate can make their meal more interesting and encourage them to eat their food because they get the yummy ketchup (or ranch, BBQ sauce, whatever) with each bite.
- Ask them what they want to eat. I find that Jackson is MUCH more likely to eat when I actually ask him what HE wants. I don’t do this for every meal, because I’m just not going to make different things all the time, but I usually will do it for breakfast and sometimes for lunch. If you give your toddler something THEY chose, they’ll actually want to eat it. I give Jackson options; ex: “Do you want pancakes, eggs, or cereal for breakfast?” Then he’ll tell me what he wants, and shocker - he eats it!
All in all, the big picture of feeding toddlers is to just not be so strict about their meals. Yes, we want them to have a variety of foods. Yes, we want to make sure they get all the necessary nutrition. Yes, we want them to have good eating habits and manners. But, you know what? They’re TODDLERS. They literally have only been alive for a couple of years, and they have a lifetime of eating like normal people ahead of them. Make mealtime fun, interesting, and relaxed. Don’t force anything – it doesn’t work.
I hope you find these food recommendations and eating tips helpful. Comment below your little one’s favorite foods and/or tricks you’ve learned so far! Until next time!
