This one is for all the young mothers who find it a challenge to feed their toddler(s) and each day learn or invent tactics to make sure that their child has been fed properly. Children crossing the age of one year become very fussy and cranky which makes their parents go crazy . Well dear parents there are certain things for you to know. First , that
children need only ½ or ¼ the food an adult eats. So don’t worry if your child eats like a bird because children can judge the amount they want to eat. Don’t force your child to eat more and more as this may lead to loss of his/her interest in food.
Serve small and frequent meals.
Present bite sized pieces which your child can handle for example parathas rolled and cut into parts .
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Offer finger foods.
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Introduce a new food along with familiar foods.
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Go easy on seasonings and keep foods separate. Young children prefer simply prepared foods. Don’t make the food very spicy . Children don’t easily pick on foods the second time that do not appeal to their taste buds in the first go.
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Present a variety of foods from the four food groups. Let your child pick from what is available.
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Encourage one bite to taste but don’t overdo the coaxing. You can’t force your child to eat anything.
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Keep the television off during mealtime.
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Have your child sit with the rest of the family, at least for part of the meal.
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Don’t hurry your child. Remove the plate without comment after a reasonable length of time.
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Set a routine for eating. For example, foods are to be eaten at the table and time at which different foods will be served.
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Seat your child at a comfortable height to the table with feet supported. Eat with your child. Children learn how to eat by watching others.
The finger food menu…
Fruits
· Apples (cut, and peeled if that is how they will eat them)
· Banana (cut away any discoloured bits so they won’t be ‘put off’)
· Oranges (cut and peeled if they don’t like the mess and drips)
· Mango(peeled and cut into regular size)
· Pears (softer ones are easier for small teeth)
· Guava(softer ones would be better)
Vegetables
· Toddlers often don’t like vegetables with strong smells and bitter/acid taste. These can include tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and capsicum.
· Begin with simple choices like spinach, carrots, celery (with the strings taken off), pumpkin and bottle gourd.
· Also winter season brings in a lot of options for differrent soups which can be served with garlic breads etc.
Dairy
· Paneer can be cut into cubes. Older toddlers enjoy eating things from toothpicks!
· Yogurt is a treat when toddlers can feed themselves.
· Milk (and milk drinks) adds to the balance of the diet and helps bodies grow. Reduced fat or skim milk is not appropriate for children.
· Some toddlers can be sensitive to dairy products – look for non dairy alternatives
Hope this helps you feed tour tiny tots better:)) ……HAPPY FEEDING!!!!
hey.. really nice article.. shall tell my cousin abt it but do you really think kids would like to eat bottle gourd??? n if yes then how do u suggest preparing it??
keep up the good work