I thought I was the luckiest mama in the world when my little girl was about a year old- she ate EVERYTHING! We crossed our fingers and counted our blessings when people told us stories about their picky eaters. Our pediatrician warned that her palette would soon change and she would no longer be interested in all foods and would start having food aversions. We scoffed at him and continued feeding her the healthiest foods.
Within months of her first birthday she started turning her head at food. She was no longer accepting everything and feeding her became a battle. I still offered her healthy foods and tried to keep up with vegetables everyday because I knew how important they were. It wasn’t long before I gave in to whatever she wanted, but I am starting to get her back on track. I always offer her healthy foods before I resort to snacks. I find that placing a bowl of carrots or broccoli out on the table while she is playing is very successful- she will always reach for the foods on her terms and doesn’t want to be asked to eat them- she’s just stubborn!
Earth’s Best came up with ways to encourage healthy eating in toddlers:
- Offer a wide variety of wholesome foods in a supportive, non-pressured setting and according to a regular, predictable schedule.
- Present new foods at least twice a week.
- Offer new foods along with old favorites.
- Serve small, toddler-sized portions to not overwhelm your child.
- Foods should be easy to chew and be bite-sized.
- Provide snacks that are fun and interactive for your child, like Earth’s Best Organic™ Pop Snax.
Check out Earth’s Best to learn more about their healthy snacks and connect with Earth’s Best on Facebook to stay up to date on their latest news and promotions!
Disclosure: I am currently a member of the “Earth’s Best Bloggers” program and this post is part of my involvement in the group. While Earth’s Best provides me with material and necessary resources to serve as content for blog posts, all statements and sentiment are my own