Nourishing
Your Independent Toddler
By Cathe Olson
Somewhere between 12 and 18 months
of age, your easygoing infant becomes a toddler striving to take
control of his or her activities. When you want her to get dressed,
she decides pajamas would be perfect for the park. When you call
him to come in, he runs away laughing as you chase him.
Mealtimes are the worst. While
your baby ate anything you put in front of her, you may now have
a finicky eater on your hands.
Don’t let the table become
a battleground. Here are a few ways to make meals enjoyable for
the whole family and to help your child develop a healthy attitude
toward food.
Encourage independence
Allow your child to feed himself. Let food be something he wants
and goes after rather than something he submits to. Prepare bite-size
dishes like noodles, diced poultry or tofu, steamed broccoli florets
and diced carrots. Kids love to dip things. Serve pancakes, French
toast or waffles with applesauce or yogurt for dunking. Encourage
(but don’t force) your toddler to try different foods. Allow
your child to have some choice in what he eats.
Accept the method
If your toddler is most comfortable using her fingers, let her.
If she manages to use a spoon or fork, all the better. Don’t
discourage any effort your children make to eat on their own.
To encourage your baby to spoon-feed herself, serve a bowl of
her favorite food with a small, easy-to-manage spoon. Try applesauce,
yogurt, mashed sweet squash, etc.
Permit any order
Let your kids eat food in the order they choose. If
they want to eat applesauce first and vegetables last, that is
their prerogative. Both of my daughters pick all the raisins out
of their oatmeal to eat first. I used to be afraid they wouldn’t
eat their cereal afterwards but they always did. Children notice
if you are placing more importance on sweet food. Example works
very well here. Let them see that you enjoy your broccoli and
carrots as much as fruit or cookies.
Keep it simple
Chances are if you go through a lot of trouble preparing
a fancy, gourmet meal for your children, that will be the dish
they refuse. Toddlers’ tastes change from day to day, and
you will end up frustrated or disappointed if they won’t
eat your special dinner. Don’t make your child feel guilty
if he genuinely doesn’t like what you have prepared. Simply
give him something easy like a bowl of rice or peanut butter toast,
and let the rest of the family enjoy what you have prepared.
Believe your child will not go hungry
Toddlers often refuse to eat their meals causing their
parents to worry. Pediatricians agree this should not be a source
of concern. Your child will eat when she is hungry, and missing
a meal here or there will not cause malnourishment. We have our
toddler sit at the table with us at mealtime even if she doesn’t
want to eat. Usually, it’s only a few minutes before she
realizes she is missing out and reaches for her meal. Try not
to make a big issue out of getting your children to eat. The more
they see it is important to you, the more they will dig in their
heels and resist.
Limit snacks
Your children will not eat meals if they spend the day
snacking. Establish a morning and afternoon snack time. Serve
healthful snacks like fruit, crackers, cheese, etc. Avoid very
sugary or salty snacks as they encourage overeating. Give water
between meals as milk and juice can leave your child too full
to eat his meal. Serve milk or juice with meals if desired.
Do not mix food with discipline
Toddlers are constantly testing their limits. Resist the temptation
to use food as a bribe, reward or punishment, as this will not
foster a healthy relationship with food. A treat should not be
given because a child is good and withheld when she is naughty.
Treats are simply on the menu some days and not on the menu other
days.
Know when to end the meal
When your child stops eating or says she has had enough,
end the meal. Don’t insist she finish every bite on the
plate. Some food may be wasted, but insisting a sated child finish
his meal is not healthy. Kids know when they are full. Encourage
them to listen to their bodies so they will not overeat. Treat
your pet or compost pile to the leftovers.
Enjoy mealtime
Tense, stressful mealtimes will not help your children to develop
a positive attitude toward food. Certain rules to maintain order,
i.e., no yelling or throwing food, are necessary for the enjoyment
of the rest of the family. More subtle table manners can be learned
by example rather than authority. Your child wants to act grown
up and will try to imitate you. Young children may act up at mealtimes
because they are bored. Include your toddler in conversation so
he feels part of the family. It’s a great time for your
child to practice speaking and increase her vocabulary. You may
be surprised by what your toddler has to say.
© Cathe Olson
Cathe Olson, her
husband and their two daughters live in the hills of central California
where they raise organic vegetables, fruit and herbs. Cathe is
a freelance writer and the author of Simply Natural Baby Food:
Easy Recipes Your Infant and Toddler Will Love. For more
information or to order a book, visit www.SimplyNaturalBooks.com.
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