5 Tips for Feeding Healthy Meals to Toddlers

 
 

A huge thanks to Goodies.com for sponsoring today’s post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

The other day I shared a great way to get your little ones (ok, and hubby too!) to eat a more healthy and balanced meal. But I’ve got some other tips that we do around our house that have worked great. So I thought I would share them with you today.

5 Tips for Feeding your Toddlers Healthy & Balanced Meals.

#1- Make a game out of eating. Some days even before dinner starts, we will draw out spoons/forks full of food and then with each bite, the kids get to color in one of their servings. It gets them more excited for each bite

5 Tips for Feeding your Toddlers Healthy & Balanced Meals.5 Tips for Feeding your Toddlers Healthy & Balanced Meals.

#2- Make the meal fun on the plate. Maybe pre-plate all the meals so when they see their plate, they get excited about whatever it looks like. My kids LOVE to eat a tree, or a bunny’s face rather than just normal/boring food.

5 Tips for Feeding your Toddlers Healthy & Balanced Meals.
 

#3- Let your child help prepare the meal. They are so much more willing to eat something they helped make than they are when they are just called to the table with “who knows what” sitting at the table.

5 Tips for Feeding your Toddlers Healthy & Balanced Meals.

  

#4- Try new foods, but don’t force them if they say they don’t like it. I’m sure that you are like me. Trying new foods is fun but also a little nerve racking because there’s that possibility that you will taste it and it will be NASTY! At our house the rule is to eat one bite, and swallow, then if you didn’t like it you do not have to eat anymore of that item. I love companies like Goodies Co who help with this. They will send you new snacks to try each month, for as little as $7, and because you are not buying a whole box or container of something you don’t feel horrible if you or your children don’t like it. But then if you DO like what you are tasting, you will know what to buy the next time you are at your local grocery store.
But like I said, if you child doesn’t like it, please don’t force it. Hide it maybe (I’m PRO at putting veggies in the meal where everyone doesn’t even notice) but don’t force your child to eat something against their will.

5 Tips for Feeding your Toddlers Healthy & Balanced Meals.

5- Make the meal different. Feed it to them in a jar (see the Salad in a Jar from earlier this week) have a picnic in the living room, or even build a fort and eat dinner inside. Make it fun for your kids while they are eating their healthy food!

Like I said above, Goodies.com is sponsoring this post. I thought I would let you in on a promo code that will get your to the front of the wait list for their monthly subscription box. Just use BLOGVIP to sign up! I already have, what’s taking you so long?

What do you do to make sure your kids get their necessary nutrients during the day?

  
 

If you use one of my tutorials, I’d love to see. Send me a link or picture to
Vanessa {at} OurThriftyIdeas.com
I link up here

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Comments

  1. I seriously need this! I struggle when it comes to healthy food for my kiddos!

  2. Super great ideas! Thanks so much, my kids go back and forth with healthy eating habits!

  3. Awesome ideas! Will pass it along to others too

  4. I do appreciate that you noted giving kids new foods but not forcing them if they don’t like it. Sometimes little ones just aren’t ready for a new addition to their ever-evolving palettes! Thanks!

  5. My son LOVES fruit. Sometimes it’s hard to get him to eat something else.

    • Vanessa Barker says

      My kids get the same way sometimes, especially during the Summer. Guess that’s better than chocolate huh?!

  6. Fun tips! My 3 year old son is an awful eater. My 1 year old daughter at least tries a lot of things. I need to be better at making it fun for them. Thanks for the ideas!

  7. These are great! All three of my boys are really picky, so making eating fun is always a great way to get them to try new things. Goodies.com looks awesome!

  8. Fun ideas!! Love the salad in a jar idea! And I agree with making it fun! When I do something as simple as cut sandwiches into shapes, my kids think it’s a new adventure and will eat whatever is on the sandwich. Go figure!

    Oh, and one more thought. My toddler will eat anything he can use for dipping. So I serve a lot of “dipping” sauces on the side, just to help with the classic picky toddler diet.

  9. My kids LOVE when I let them get involved with making dinner- from the garden, to prepping it and even down to setting the table! Great suggestions!

  10. Love these fun ideas. Thanks for sharing.

  11. I keep hearing about “Goodies” I think its time that I try it out… 🙂 Cute plating ideas for the kids!

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