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Tiny Bites, Big Nutritional Needs
Exploring a Toddler's Dietary Requirements
By Katherine Bontrager
There are few battles as exhausting as the fight to get your toddler to eat. You're concerned with a balanced diet and he's more interested in expressing his independence, refusing anything you tempt him with. Need reinforcements? Try this recipe for victory: Learn what nutritional requirements growing bodies need and then discover meal ideas even the pickiest of toddlers can't deny.
"Making sure your child receives the proper nutrition can be very challenging, especially if you have a picky eater like my son, Hudson," says Michelle Marie Heinemann of New York, N.Y. "I've found Cream of Wheat made with whole milk and pureed bananas to be quick and delicious. It's an excellent source of iron and calcium and takes just three minutes from stovetop to highchair."
For Anita Lavine of Seattle, Wash., it's the vegetables that need dressing up. "My two toddlers are both excellent eaters, but not huge fans of vegetables," she says. "I make them veggie 'pancakes' out of shredded zucchini, shredded potatoes and corn, mixed with egg and flour. I let them dip the potatoes into ketchup, and it's always a hit."
Other can't-miss meals include frozen potato and spinach pancakes and gardenburgers, which are in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Lavine also "hides" peas, edamame or corn in quesadillas and macaroni and cheese. "This has been a really effective way for me to sneak vegetables into their diet in a way that they actually enjoy, sometimes don't even notice and don't fight me on – too much," she says.
Both of these moms are on the right track as they search for ways to make sure there are enough fruits, vegetables and calcium in their children's diets.