Guest Post: Tips for Picky Toddlers

This is from our youngest daughter whose birthday is today!
Happy Birthday!
Love you!
And thanks for sharing!

Ideas to get your picky toddler through the no-veggie stage. I like to make a veggie sauce and pour it over whatever meat we are having that night.  You can also pour it over rice, pasta, pizza, or on a burger!  Steam some veggies (never microwave as this will kill most nutrients in the food, and they have recently discovered that the food changes molecularly too).Then put them in a blender along with something like chicken broth, rice milk, or just water, and add some spices if you like.  If your child won't eat anything green then use light colored veggies.

Here are some pictures of the meals I have served
to my toddler. She loved them!

#1 Pizza: home made whole wheat crust, ground cauliflower, homemade pizza sauce, 

chopped spinach, cheese, chicken.

(shown on top of a dessert plate-sized stone bread warmer)

#2 Turkey burger on a homemade whole wheat bun, ground spinach and green beans 

on top and bottom of patty, cheese. French "fries" baked w/olive oil. 

Avocado and tomato.

#3 Brown rice, chicken, steamed/diced green pepper, cheese, and white sauce (rice milk, broth, corn starch, spices: usually garlic, onion powder, some sea salt and pepper )

#4 Whole wheat pasta, ground turkey, steamed/diced broccoli, and beets.  

~More Ideas~

You can also steam some veggies, then dice them and mix them with other foods, small enough so they can't be picked out too easily! I recommend always giving them some whole veggies to try, you never know when they will change their minds and eat them. My daughter surprised me tonight by eating steamed cauliflower and green beans! Something she hasn't done in months! If all else fails and your toddler still will not eat these things go for a smoothie! Kids love them! Only add enough fruit to make it taste better, remember the point is to get more greens in them!  Here is one of my favorite recipes: Green Smoothie for your toddler banana---small amount strawberries or other berry----small amount spinach or kale green beans carrot flax seed almonds---make sure to use a good blender so there are no pieces they can choke on! coconut oil rice milk You can also add stevia if you think extra sweetness will help! Sorry, I do not have exact amounts, it just depends on how much I want to make, and what I have on hand. You can always freeze these and thaw as needed. Be creative, and remember you can hide a lot of healthy things in a smoothie ---- so make it count! Kathi's note: all of our grandchildren have been started on healthy foods. Organic when possible, raw veggies and fruits, homemade food and other nutritious things. But even for a child raised that way there are times when they go through a picky stage and refuse the foods they have loved and  been used to eating. I think these great suggestions will help those dealing with little ones who are in this picky stage get through it. I encourage new moms to start their kids out on veggies with some fruit. You'll have a very hard time getting kids to eat in a healthy way if they were started out eating only sweet things. Fruit is great and we need it but in moderation. Let your kids get used to the way foods really taste and they will love them---maybe not all of them and maybe not all the time---but they will not have been trained to eat only sweet or salty foods. Very good suggestions, thank you for writing this for me! Mom~