A healthy diet is important for a growing child, but getting a toddler to eat healthy meals can be tricky. With a few tricks from savvy parents, preparing and serving healthy meals for toddlers can be easy and makes mealtime fun.
If you are not sure about nutritional requirements, check out MyPyramid for Preschoolers (children ages 2-5). Not only does this help you create a healthy meal plan, it also has a lot of fun activities that teach your little ones the importance of healthy eating. The Sample Meals and Snacks area provides a table that helps you determine the right calorie level for your child and a sample meal and snack plan tailored to that calorie level. Introducing healthy meals early can help avoid struggles at the table later. However, if you are experiencing challenges with your toddler's eating habits, review Toddlers at the Table: Avoiding Power Struggles, an article presented by KidsHealth. They also offer a guide to Cooking with Preschoolers, which provides tips on how to involve children in the cooking process.
Often, a big part of the challenge around healthy eating is deciding what to eat. Even if we know what we should be eating, finding recipes that are good to eat and easy to make can be time consuming and difficult. Luckily, there are several very helpful online resources. Keep Kids Healthy not only gives guidelines and best practices on creating healthy meals, they also provide a comprehensive list of food and snack options and the amount of calories they contain. If you are looking for sample meal plans, review Dr. Spock's Sample Meals for Toddlers or Wholesome Toddler Food's Five Day Sample Menus for Toddlers. Dr. Spock's sample meals covers just one day, but gives suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, while Wholesome Toddler Food's article helps you plan for an entire work week.
If you just need some suggestions to update your current recipe list, visit Parents' Food and Recipes section. Offering a variety of foods that children and adults will love, you are certain to find some new favorites here. Small Helpings has sample menus and recipes that work for babies and toddlers. You can print out a menu each week to make sure your family isn't eating the same thing. If you join their mailing list, you'll receive five days' worth of menus, snacks and a coordinating shopping list. Wholesome Toddler Food also has a section of recipes available to print, featuring "Fast Food," snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. You can also print a blank version of the menu, allowing you to plan your favorites for the week. Produce for Better Health Foundation also has a nice variety of healthy meal recipes that parents and children can make together.
By incorporating toddler-friendly healthy meals into your family's diet, you can ensure your toddler is forming healthy habits early that will be carried into adulthood.