When it comes to feeding a toddler… Some days are definitely easier than others!
For the most part we have a very happy & healthy eater. Then he has those days… you know the ones where nothing will satisfy his taste buds or maybe he’s just full. But when certain foods get plucked up and tossed over the side of the highchair it can be extra frustrating for a Mama. Good thing I’m relentless and I try again and again and again with him. One friendly tip I can offer is to let them explore and do their own thing. I have found he will eat more when “left alone” rather than me sit and stare to make sure he’s eating all the right things.
Now that he loves veggies and is willing to try almost anything I put in front of him. Most days are fairly easy. Occasionally though… we resort to milk, bananas and cookies (animal crackers) to get us through the day. Hey, don’t judge he’s certainly not under nourished with those leg rolls haha
More & more we have been giving him exactly what we’re eating for breakfast & dinner. Lunch is a little harder as I’m a snacker for this meal or I eat an unusually large lunch if I have to work that night. But we are trying hard to give him lots of variety and food fun!
I’ve been snapping a few shots along the way of what I put on his plate daily. Truth: we don’t actually set the plate on the tray anymore. I snap a photo and then the food gets put right onto the tray. He has a bad habit of picking up his plate and dumping everything off of it so I’ve just removed that temptation {for my own cleaning habits really, it’s easier!}. We also want him to explore foods and usually just let him use his hands. Sure I’ll put a spoon or fork on the tray but I’m not forcing him on this one. I know that when he’s ready he’ll be all for the utensils. Enjoy the food photos!

hey mom… just let me eat would ya!

Breakfast

scrambled egg whites, cutie orange, oatmeal banana breakfast muffin

eggs, banana, Dave’s Killer Bread with Pumpkin butter

Barbaras waffle, scrambled eggs with turkey sausage

Lunch

shoveling in Peanut Butter & Jelly

cottage cheese, turkey pepperoni, fruit skewer, jicama slices

chicken strips, peaches, Barbaras Animal Cookies

strawberries, kiwi, carrots, mini corndogs

Ians chicken nuggets, cheddar puffs, orange, sliced banana

Costco roasted chicken, apple sauce, watermelon (heart shaped), noodles

trying to make his food fun… turkey, egg yolks, green beans, and animal cookies. honestly he only ate the green beans and the cookies. not a good eating day that day. oh well

Mickey Chicken Nuggets, Mango, Green beans, string cheese

sweet potato, avocado, bluberries

And here’s yesterdays Lunch… He’s really trying to be a “big boy”here… He grabbed the chicken burrito straight out of my hands and took cute bites while I was watching. Of course when I turned to get myself lunch he opened it up and made a huge mess. Atta boy right! Oh well, as long as he enjoyed it, mommy’s OCD can suffer a little!

yum… buffalo chicken burrito with yogurt inside & strawberries

We are still giving him Whole Milk 3 times a day. Mornings, mid afternoon snack and before bed. I’m considering cutting out the bedtime one but it’s tough when some nights he doesn’t eat much dinner. We are back to the pediatricians next month for a checkup so I’ll ask him all my questions about cutting it out. The best thing is we are officially done with bottles {since the first week of April actually}. It’s nice that he transitioned so easily into cups. Now if only he would figure out that the ones with the straw don’t need to be tipped up. {thank goodness for spill proof lids}

What about you Mama’s?? What kinds of foods do you feed your kiddos? Any tips for picky eating stages & just plain not eating? I am loving having fun with things and as he grows I hope to play around more with making his food fun! In my opinion it wont hurt a thing if he smiles when he eats.