{"id":226,"date":"2008-05-19T09:15:09","date_gmt":"2008-05-19T15:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/wordpress\/?p=226"},"modified":"2013-08-26T16:39:35","modified_gmt":"2013-08-26T16:39:35","slug":"feeding-toddlers-with-ease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/e\/feeding-toddlers-with-ease\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeding Toddlers with Ease"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a mom of a two year old, I am in the throes of working through the challenges of feeding a toddler.\u00a0 One thing I quickly learned as a new mom is that nothing (good or bad) stays the same for long.\u00a0 Recently I told a friend that my son very rarely plays with his food and he’s good at using utensils.\u00a0 Then viola the next day he was using his string cheese to draw pictures on the table and eating yogurt with his hands.\u00a0 There is no doubt that feeding children can be frustrating but through personal and work experiences I have learned a few tricks of the trade.\u00a0 Keep reading and discover my top 5 favorite toddler feeding tips.<\/p>\n

If a child helps in selecting food at the grocery store or in preparing the food at home they are more likely to eat it.<\/span> When my son is interested I encourage him to help me in the kitchen.\u00a0 He is only two years old so his culinary skills are limited but one of our favorite kitchen tools he can help use is the Cut-N-Seal pocket sandwich maker by Pampered Chef.\u00a0\u00a0 I add the fillings for the sandwich and he presses down on the Cut-N-Seal to create his own easy to eat sandwich.\u00a0 He gets so excited that “he made it” and eats his sandwich with pride.
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“Broccoli isn’t for little kids.” Using reverse psychology in a playful way sometimes does the trick.\u00a0 Occasionally I will place a food on my plate and my son will ask, “What’s that?” \u00a0I will tell him it is only for mommy.\u00a0 At which point he instantly wants it and usually will eat it.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Be creative by giving foods fun names that appeal to your child’s interests.<\/span>\u00a0 My son currently has a fascination with bugs so I use a lot of bug designs when trying to get him to try new foods.<\/p>\n

Crazy Caterpillar – made with string cheese, pretzel sticks and raisins.
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Try serving food on a red plate or place mat.<\/span>\u00a0 The color red stimulates a child’s brain.\u00a0 According to a child psychologist it may actually heighten a child’s interest in food so that they sit down and eat and perhaps even try a new food that has been placed on it.<\/p>\n

Dip it.<\/span>\u00a0 Children are oftentimes more likely to try new foods if they are able to dip it in ketchup, Ranch dressing, yogurt, salsa, or cheese.\u00a0 To my amazement, one of my son’s favorite dips is guacamole served with tortilla chips.\u00a0 Try this easy guacamole recipe and your little one may actually\u00a0like it.<\/p>\n

Guacamole Dip\"\"<\/strong>
\n8 servings<\/p>\n