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Toddler Food Tips |
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by Whitney  (July 2006) (rank 72nd) |
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I have a picky eater so I thought I'd share a few things that have been working. I am fairly health conscious on his behalf, so these are some of my tricks:
- Sweet potato chunks - Dice a sweet potato. Place cubes into glass measuring cup full of water and microwave until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Just Peas and Just Corn - These dehydrated vegetables can be eaten with fingers, like Cheerios. Lucky for me, my son goes after the peas as if they were a treat. He won't eat anything that seems too wet, so this has been a lifesaver.
- Pasta wheels - Like most toddler boys, he is into trucks and fire engines, and often calls out "wheels". Wheel-shaped pasta gets him very excited. We tell him he's eating wheels and he is totally cooperative.
- Is this your mouth? - Although I have been reluctant to make eating a game, this one has been working. I take a forkful of food and put it up to his cheek and say "Is this your mouth?" then his forehead, "Is this your mouth". Finally I head for his mouth and say "Oh, there's your mouth" and usually it's open wide.
- Protein shakes - Every afternoon when he wakes up from his nap, we make a smoothie together. I keep some fruit in the freezer, sometimes it's just store-bought frozen berries and we add the frozen fruit, half a banana and milk to a blending cup. I bought vanilla protein powder at the grocery store, and I add a tablespoon of that too. We blend it up, pour it in a small cup and he drinks it with a straw. The thrill of the process and the straw make him drink the whole thing every time. I am a big fan of this afternoon snack..
- Multiple utensils - I know a lot of people do this when their baby wants to grab at the spoon, but I think it's still a great trick for toddlers who can feed themselves. Although he can feed himself, I can do it better and faster. So, we each get a fork, or even two or three. The novelty distracts him and makes him open his mouth for me.
Would love to hear from others with under-twos who are picky!
Read more from me at
RookieMoms.com 
