While I was choosing my organic applesauce at the grocery store, I met a good friend, Andrea, and she asked me for some good food suggestions for picky toddlers. In fact, she asked me if I already had anything about it on my blog that led me to write something about what to feed a picky toddler.
When she asked me about it what should you feed a picky eater, I made a gap thinking about all the food my son routinely throws on the floor. His pattern was so irregular that it was just when I thought he was done with his meal because he had thrown half of it on the floor and started either after “down (n)” or “night
Feeding a picky toddler
Hmmm, but then, when Andrea and I did the dance between the supermarket aisles and ran into each other every few minutes, I had a new suggestion every time I saw her. Below are some of those suggestions!
Why You Should Think About Adding a Probiotic to Your Little One’s Diet
Before we dive into some of the foods that you might use to persuade your picky toddler to eat (alongside fruit snacks and chicken nuggets), let me talk about probiotics. Probiotics can help promote healthy digestion and gut feelings, as well as relieving constipation and acid reflux. They are a great addition to a picky diet as they help keep the intestines in balance, thereby improving digestion and bowel function.
Omni-Biotic Panda was specially developed for babies and toddlers (up to 3 years of age). You can simply add the daily probiotic powder to water, milk or apple juice in your drinking cup or give them in a pipette.
Find out more about Omni-Biotic Probiotics here! Make sure to discuss the benefits of probiotics with your child’s pediatrician before adding them to your daily routine.
My food recommendations for picky toddlers
So, friends out there, I’m going to share with you my favorite toddler dishes and snacks for my 17 month old and ask for yours in return. Please help a mom!
When the cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer are empty, I access the following items for my toddler in the store:
Breakfast idea food for a picky toddler
Well, all of my recommendations for picky toddlers may not be the healthiest, but most are pretty healthy. Sometimes I give in and every now and then choose a less healthy option. It makes my life easier and my toddler very happy. My only big tip, never give the treat when your toddler has a seizure (unless the diners are over then just try to survive that seizure)
- Frozen waffles (I get the whole grain waffles in every size without accessories)
- scrambled eggs
- French toast
- Grains: puffin (cinnamon) or cracklin oat bran
- Raisins
- Banana (little guy eats one every day)
- Oatmeal (I usually use the Maple & Brown Sugar)
- Honey-Nut Cheerios
- Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich
Lunch items your child may not throw on the floor
- Almond butter and jelly sandwiches on hearty bread, cut into small pieces (for fear of peanuts)
- Cheese sticks (or Laughing Cow Wedges)
- Hard boiled eggs
- Mixed berries: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
- Chop other fruits when time allows
- Firm tofu, usually teriyaki-flavored or “hearty,” whatever that means
- Applesauce (organic, any taste) mixed with baby muesli to improve scoopability
- Cheese toast or grilled cheese
Snacks for picky toddlers
- Pea chips, banana slices or raspberries (all crispy, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables with no added dirt – they can get stale quickly, so only open one pack at a time until you go through them)
- Ants on a Log – (Celery Peanut Butter & Raisins)
- Pirate booty
- Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies and their Plum Dino Equivalents
- Whole grain pita and hummus
- Italian-style crispy breadsticks (more hummus for dipping)
- The cottage cheese curd grabbed with your fingers
- Pretzels with peanut butter
Picky Toddler Meals – Dinner that my picky toddler eats every week
- Whole Foods Taquitos (The Reason To Go To TWO Grocery Stores)
- Organic Frozen Peas (I don’t even cook them. Try adding a cup of frozen peas if your child refused hot peas.)
- Simple full fat yogurt
- Aidell’s teriyaki and pineapple meatballs (in the fridge they’ll last about a week, so if I open the pack you’ll know what lunch is until they’re gone)
- Whatever we eat
- Quesadillas with black beans
- Small pieces of chicken or fish (sometimes he likes, sometimes he throws on the floor)
- Homemade guacamole
- Crispy kale chips or cooked zucchini (no matter what vegetables we eat, he usually tries one or more before throwing them on the floor)
- Amy’s frozen pizza bites with spinach (I heat them in the microwave for Milo and in the toaster for myself; Holden tries to eat them frozen because I find it strange.
Plus, we tried recently Yumble Foods Food delivery for children. The meals are highly nutritious and my kids absolutely loved them. In the first week you will receive a 25% discount.
Even more tips on getting picky toddlers to eat
Hey, it’s definitely not easy when you have a toddler who is a picky eater. Sometimes finding food for picky toddlers isn’t about the food itself. Here are some tricks we’ll use to get them to eat.
- Cook with them – Even if it’s as simple as stirring, my toddler is always more likely to eat the meal when he joins
- It’s fun, but don’t overdo it – One of my snack recommendations is ants on a log. It’s a simple snack that my picky toddler will enjoy. Using a cookie cutter to shape sandwiches is also fun. But don’t overdo it, because there is nothing more frustrating than putting in all of the work for your kids not to eat it.
- Play the opposite game – Our little one loves when they do something they shouldn’t (when we think it’s funny) so make it look like you don’t want them to eat the food. They are about to devour it.
Check out the comments below for lots of ideas from readers with picky eaters!
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