How to get my toddler to eat healthy???

mommyskis

My advice is don't try to force any food because you will never win a power struggle with a toddler! My youngest wouldn't eat any veggies, but I made some every night and put a few on his plate without saying anything. After a few months of this (I try not to think of the waste!) he tried some and now eats them. The key is I never, ever said anything about it, just put them on the plate. It might be worth a try with the stuff your daughter doesn't want to eat. If I do make the kids something different (my husband and I sometimes like spicy stuff so then I'll make another dish for the kiddos, but not by request) then I put a little on their plates just to try. I always tell them they don't have to eat it all, just try. Now my 6 year-old will often want what we are having too, so he's eating Mexican, Thai, etc. Like someone else said, offer choices, just make sure YOU like all the choices!

noneya2010

All of my children went through this, including my now 4-year old who eats anything and everything. I think as long as they are maintaining weight, gaining appropriately, etc., it is ok. Just keep offering/encouraging healthy stuff and she'll come around. Maybe you can things like "if you eat this....I'll give you that...."

SuzMcH

My son is 20 months too and will eat plenty of fruit. Just no veg. Although like someone else said I offer it to him most nights in the hope that he will try some.

Does she feed herself ?

With meat he is pretty fussy. If I gave him some chicken, pork, beef with potatoes and veg he would ignore it. But I make meatballs to servie with pasta and a hidden veg sauce, chicken and apple balls etc that he can feed himself and he loves them. Also instead of fish sticks I make salmon or tuna footballs so the fish is fresher.

there is a woman who is extremely popular in UK called Annabel Karmel (not sure if she's know in US) Here is a link to her website and specifically to recipes I have found work particularly well. (I can't find the recipe for chicken and apple balls but I have it at home so if you want it let me know)

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/
http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/new-finger-foods/salmon-footballs
http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/new-finger-foods/mini-meatballs
http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/new-finger-foods/chicken-nuggets

Hope some of this helps. Revisiting this site has given me some new ideas too.

Kath712

My girls are 3 and 7, so we've been there done that. We try to lead by example - whatever we are eating, we offer it to them. Sometimes, we modify it. If DH is putting some spice on our meat, he may cook the meat for the girls first, then add the spice for ours. We also often have a platter of raw veggies to snack on with dinner. My 3 year old loves to dip, so she's more likely to try new veggies if she can dip them.

We also did the cutting foods into shapes for both of them. They've now outgrown it, but it worked at the time.

Also, don't forget that it could take up to 15 times for a kid to like something, so keep offering foods to her. She may come around eventually.

Mostly, I try to avoid the dinner table battles. We offer what we are having (or a simple modification). If she decides she doesn't want it, there are no other options. Time to time, my 3 year old will have next to nothing for dinner. And that's o.k. She will not starve.

danazsweet

The way I got my kids to get more fruits and veg was put them on a fruit and vegetable whole food supplement in a gummie. They started eating fruits and veg on their own after a while. It reprograms the tastes of 70% of the children that take them. Check out www.RememberJuice Plus.com. Dr. William Sears recommends it too. It's the only one backed by research.

rcatr

I think leading by example is one of the best things that you are already doing. I think a few years ago Jessica Seinfeld wrote a book about this cause, like you, she just couldn't get her kids to eat healthy. While we would like kids to crave these foods in their most natural form now, I don't necessarily think (this is just my opinion) hiding them (which is what she sometimes suggests) is the worst thing in the world either if the point is to get the nutrients in their diet. I thought the concept was clever cause I remember when I used to au pair, getting those kids to eat healthy was a full time job. Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-ebook/dp/B0035C0MMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1277305514&sr=1-1

melodyg

Hey, if you are looking for nutrition info on homemade chicken nuggets -- I'm going to follow this recipe tonight and sub milk for the butter. I'll run my recipe through a nutrition calculator and put on my diary later. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Chicken-Nuggets/Detail.aspx

I didn't think about lentils until someone else mentioned them, but they are a good source of protein as well.

mmccarley

I also use to worry about this issue. My little girl is 3 now and she was the same way until recently. I started cooking what I normally cook and we sit at the table as a family and eat supper at least. She loves to do this together. I put about a tablespoon of whatever I make on her plate and encourage her to eat it. I know if she is really hungry is she digs right in. The foods that I have trouble getting her to try I just tell her that she can not be excused until she eats one bite of it. She usually ends up liking it and will eat it all or come back and ask for more.

Her pediatrician always told me that if she gets hungry she will eat but not to worry so much about it as long as she was maintaining a healthy weight.

I also read that if you will get an icecube tray and put little healthy fingerfoods in each part of the tray that the child would usually graze and eat most of it. I tried it and it worked. I put avacado and beans, etc. in it. It was great at your childs age to use. It lets them feel like they have a say in what they are eating by being able to pick what they want from the tray. I read that some people even put tofu in it.

One last idea, try sugar snap peas. You can eat the whole thing and it is sweet. We love them. Just make sure to take the string off the side that is thicker and hard to eat. You just snap the top and peel it down the side. It will remove that part without opening the bean and losing the peas inside. They are great to eat as a healthy snack. Good Luck!!