4 Things I Have Learned About Meals and Toddlers

Meals and toddlers don’t always go together! If you have a picky eater, here are four tips that help my little one eat a balanced diet.

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My first son was a wonderful eater. He ate almost anything I ever fed him, all the fruits and vegetables. No complaints ever, super balanced diet, happy baby and one super happy mom. Fast forward eight years to my second son. I expected this little guy to eat the same way. But no. Super picky eater. One day he loves it and the next day he hates it. It’s enough to drive this mama nuts!

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone and you’ve struggled with feeding your toddler. I’m going to be completely transparent here and share four things I have learned about meals and toddlers. The good, the bad, the frustrations and the victories. So as my mom says before every meal, “Let’s dive in!”

Toddlers Are Unpredictable. There…I said it. Now if you have a toddler you are probably totally not shocked by that statement. But I feel when it comes to meals…it’s important to keep that in mind. Some days Britton loves applesauce, the next day he will try to throw it across the room in disgust. What gives?

I have no clue. But I always have three different back up food choices—all mom approved. No sweat…no stress. Just pick again kid.

You Have To Try. We have a rule in our house. One bite, if you don’t like then you don’t have to eat it. That single rule has been great for my oldest son. After one bite, generally he likes it and problem solved. But with my toddler…not so much.

But that doesn’t keep this mom from trying. I have often slipped a bite in while he’s in full protest mode and have been successful like 75% of the time. He gets a taste and then goes, “YUM!” Which of course, I’m thinking, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell ya!” 😉

But there’s also times when he bites down, his face gets all weird and out the food comes. Hopefully, as he gets older I’ll get more YUMS and less YUCKS. I just want him to have a healthy, balanced diet. That’s not so bad, right?!

Get Sneaky, Like ME! My picky toddler doesn’t know that I can get sneaky. Oh yes, I want him to eat healthy organic fruits and vegetable. Is it by chomping down on a plate full of broccoli? Nope. It’s in a clear pouch that I sneak into my cart at Walmart….

That’s right. I sneak these babies into my baby every single day! Just look at those high-quality, organic ingredients: kale, avocados, pumpkin, carrots, apples, pears, squash, and blackberries. Funny thing is, he’s never going to know when I sneak one in. Maybe he’ll get one for breakfast, or perhaps a mid-morning snack. Or like I did yesterday for an after-nap snack.

He grabbed one with the iPad for a little game time before our pool time. I love the new clear design too cause now you see it…

Now you don’t! He ate every single last bite. Yeeeeeessssss!

So that’s score one for mom! When Britton decides to refuse all my choices, I offer one of these. It gives me peace of mind that he’s getting some healthy food and everyone is happy! (Oh! If you want to grab some Happy Baby, I have a coupon HERE for you too!)

There Will Be Days Like This. You know, when you worry that your toddler is starving or not getting enough nutrition. I beat myself up sometimes because I compare the eating styles of both my boys. Is that helpful? No. Are they going to like different things? Absolutely. Are they both going to grow up healthy and strong? YES.

It’s also important to remember, there is no blame for a picky eater. No one formula is going to work. Food eating wars can get super frustrating! Believe me…I understand. But this stage will pass and before you know it…that toddler will be a teenager who is cleaning out your fridge daily!