One of the more challenging aspects of parenting a toddler comes around feeding time. Anyone who’s ever raised a two-year-old knows how difficult meal times can be. In fact, most parents have to resort to some pretty creative ways to get a young child to get food into his mouth. If begging, pleading and spoon airplanes don’t work for you, perhaps one of these suggestions will.
Make sure your toddler’s eating environment is distraction free. Turn off the television and music and clear away all items not used for eating from the dining area. With nothing else to keep him amused, your child is left to focus on the matter at hand.
Try and eat together as a family. Your child is more apt to eat what’s in front of him if he sees everyone eating the same thing. If Mommy and Daddy and older siblings are all eating broccoli and enjoying it, it can’t be that bad, can it? If you want your toddler to eat what the rest of you are eating, don’t offer alternatives. If he’s having one of his picky moments, don’t get angry and don’t beg or plead. Allow him to eat as much or as little as he likes. Let him know he has two options, to eat or not to eat. If he chooses the not-to-eat option, let him down from the table. He’ll be more likely to eat the next meal.
If your toddler skipped a meal because he was being picky or difficult, don’t offer mid-day snacks, especially items like cookies or chips. If he knows a more attractive option will come later, why would he want to eat meat and vegetables? If he becomes hungry later, offer him the meal he skipped earlier or go with a healthy alternative such as vegetables or fruit.
Do your best to keep meal times enjoyable. Don’t force table manners or make your little one eat something that doesn’t interest him. Offer a selection and let him pick and choose. That’s not to say, however, that you should become a short order cook. Offer only what’s available for that meal. Lest you think he’s not getting the proper nutrition, you can rest assured knowing that the average toddler, in most cases, does meet all nutritional requirements, even if he’s skipped a meal now and then.
Try to limit your child to no more than three cups of milk and a half a cup of juice daily. Young children love to fill up on liquids and won’t think to leave room for solid foods. The more he drinks, the less likely he is to eat.
If you want your toddler to eat what you’re making for dinner, try letting him help with the preparation. If you’re making spaghetti and meatballs, allow him to mush up the meat or roll it into balls. If you’re making mashed potatoes give him a few minutes with the potato masher. Let him stir items that aren’t on the stove or add components to the casserole dish. He’s more likely to eat dinner if he gets to share in the credit of making it. Make sure to praise him for helping to create a delicious meal.
It’s never a good idea to offer a bribe or reward for good eating. Your toddler will expect this after every meal if this is the case. Letting him know what to expect after a meal may be the key to a clean plate, however. If there’s ice cream or Jell-O for dessert, make sure he’s aware of this. If you’re going to the park after breakfast or lunch, mention this as well. If he wants to go into the swimming pool, let him know that he can do so…after he eats his lunch. Don’t threaten, as this can turn meal times into an unpleasant experience for him, but do let him know what’s looming on the horizon.
Foods should be easy for a toddler to chew. If pieces are too big or if they’re too chewy, they will become too much work and this will make the meal less attractive. If something is too chewy, your toddler would be more inclined to spit it out. Make sure all vegetables are soft and that meat is cut into very small pieces.
Little kids just love dipping. If you make a cheese dip, or use ketchup or a favorite salad dressing for veggies, potatoes or other foods, it’ll make meal time a bit more interesting, not to mention fun.
Some foods can be disguised by mixing them in with others. For instance, mix frozen peas and carrots into a meat loaf or mix chopped spinach in with mashed potatoes. Once it’s doused with ketchup, your child may not even know the difference.
It’s perfectly normal for a toddler to be a picky eater. Just go with the flow. Don’t beg or threaten, he won’t starve. Just remember, you made it through sleepless nights, temper tantrums and potty training. You’ll make it through this too.
