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Home › Articles › Toddler Nutrition › Tiny Bites, Big Nutritional Needs

Tiny Bites, Big Nutritional Needs

Exploring a Toddler's Dietary Requirements

By Katherine Bontrager

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Somer agrees that being smart and creative with what you offer is a powerful strategy. "If your child won't eat vegetables, try fruit," she says. "They're both from the same food group. If your child won't eat either vegetables or fruit, be sneaky and add vegetables to familiar foods, such as add finely chopped vegetables to spaghetti sauce, green peas to chicken noodle soup or hide dried fruit in muffins."

If milk causes your toddler to turn up his nose, try including other calcium-rich foods into the diet, such as cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, pizza, string cheese, pudding made with low-fat milk or yogurt, Somer says. You can even cook rice in milk, or serve mashed potatoes made with low-fat milk.

The battle over a healthy diet is far too important to wave the white flag on. So when you get tempted to give in and head for the closest drive-thru, remember that the moves you make now will be mirrored time and again as your toddler grows. With problems like diabetes and obesity on the rise, it's integral you stick to your guns and keep your arsenal packed with plenty of healthy food, sneaky maneuvers and smart recipes.

Easy Toddler-friendly Recipes

Want kid-friendly recipes that will have toddlers begging for more fruits and veggies? Jackie Nigro, the spokesperson for ProduceGuru.com and the mom of an 11-month-old daughter with one on the way, suggests the following recipes:

Festive Fruit Salad

1 can (16 ounces) pineapple tidbits or chunks
1 pint strawberries
2 ripe peaches or nectarines
2 ripe kiwifruit
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup orange juice

Open canned pineapple and drain juice; pour fruit into a large mixing bowl. Rinse and dry the peaches, kiwi and strawberries. Cut green stems off strawberries, then cut each strawberry into slices. Cut the peach in half; twist the pit until it comes out. Cut peach halves into slices. Cut slices into smaller pieces, if desired. Cut kiwi into coins, then cut each coin in half. Add strawberries, peaches and kiwi to pineapple; stir to mix fruit. Gently stir in blueberries and raspberries. Pour orange juice over mixed fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves eight.

Polka Dot Applesauce

2 cups applesauce
Handful fresh blueberries
Handful dried cranberries
Handful raisins

Divide applesauce into four bowls. Wash and dry blueberries. Sprinkle applesauce in each bowl with blueberries, dried cranberries and raisins. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves four.

Frozen Bananas

4 ripe bananas
4 wooden craft sticks
Waxed paper
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Peel bananas and cut a small piece off one end of each banana. Insert wooden craft stick into flat portion of banana. Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with waxed paper. Place bananas on lined pan and place in freezer for one hour. Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat on the stove or in the microwave. Dip frozen bananas in chocolate. Store in the freezer in a sealed container. Serves four.


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