Navigating The Toddler Years: Picky Eating
Toddlers are tough cookies. They are figuring out their bodies and their independence and they are not afraid to show it. They want their clothes a certain way, they want their bowl a certain color, they want to read the same book over and over. The challenge, as their parents, is helping them navigate this transition.
This post is sponsored by Similac, all opinions are my own.
One area where kids are constantly exercising their independence is eating. Toddlers are known for their terrible eating habits. Everyone knows someone who went through childhood eating only chicken nuggets or mac and cheese. When my oldest child started eating solid foods, he was a champion eater. He loved almost everything we gave him. I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought I had somehow avoided the dreaded picky eating.
I was wrong. As he got older, he started eating in cycles. He would LOVE a few things and eat them forever and then suddenly those beloved foods were the most disgusting things on the planet. My pediatrician assures me that this is normal behavior, but I still worry about him getting all the nutrients he needs when he is going through a picky eating phase.
If you find yourself in this situation, check out the new聽Go & Grow Mix-Ins by Similac,聽they聽make it easier to make sure your toddlers meals stay balanced when they aren’t eating a balanced diet. Each single serve powder packet has OptiGro, a unique blend of DHA, lutein and Vitamin E that support brain, eye and overall growth and development. They also offer protein, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. We all want what is best for our kids and it is important that we feel confident about their balanced diet at all times.聽Check out the Mix-Ins website for more info and to get some free samples.聽
Keep in mind they do not mix well into liquids, but our favorite foods to mix them in with include:
- Rice
- pasta
- Mac & Cheese
- Waffles
- Muffins
- Yogurt
- Quesadillas
- Grilled Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Omelets
- Mashed Poatatoes
- Banana Bread
It is so nice to be able to mix Go & Grow Mix-Ins into my kid’s favorite foods and know for sure they are getting all of the nutrients they need. I provide my children with healthy, appropriate, food choices and they can choose how much they eat. I have peace of mind knowing that I am filling in the nutritional gaps and creating some balance while they exercise their independence.
Nice commercial I was hoping for real tips.
Awesome ideas kids seem to often be picky eaters always trying to come up with idea to make them eat right.
I never had issues with my son being a picky eater. Now that he is grown, he loves tasting new foods, still not picky at all! 馃檪
Except for my oldest, my kids are still picky eaters. It’s frustrating.
Oh those are really neat! Our little one has always been a picky eater about certain things. I will say he loves his veggies! But…he will not eat a cheeseburger or hamburger. He is not a fan of meat. I am going to try these with him.
My son was a picky eater when he was a toddler. It was so hard getting him to eat! I made all kinds of foods, but he would eat very little of it! Glad he finally started eating more when he got older.
Wonderful to finally see someone else suffering with a picky eater. Ok let me rephrase I am glad I am not the only one because no one around us feels our pain. I will look into these to help because we could really use them! Thank you for all the information.
My kids weren’t picky, but my nieces sure are. This might be just the solution!
I am SO glad that I am WAY past the picky eater toddler years. Now — if they get picky, I just tell my kids to fix their own food (they are 18 and 21) 馃檪
All three of my children were excellent eaters, but my nephew just turned four and he is extremely picky. You should have seen our celebration when he tried spaghetti and meatballs!
I am lucky my kids are not picky eaters. I will have to tell my friend about Go & Grow Mix-Ins by Similac. She has a picky eater at home.
My Daughter used to be such a picky eater. She was vegetarian for years. We could not get her to eat any meat. Now she is a teenager and she will eat everything.
Picky eaters can be so frustrating. It can be hard when the kids only want to eat the same thing all the time.
Seriously, that is a brilliant idea! Evan went through a really picky eating stage and would barely touch anything! This would have come in handy back then! I’ll have to keep it in mind if I ever have another picky eater!
Picky eaters are a huge challenge for sure! I am so thankful my children love fruits and veggies. They have things they don’t enjoy, but overall eat very, very well. This is a great product for those who do have the worry their children are picky.
Having your kids be picky eaters can be pretty challenging, that’s definitely true. It’s great that there are substitues such as Go and Grow that can help your kids get the nutrients they need.
I have not seen these before! I am glad our kids are not to picky, it would be hard to find a variety of foods that they like
That is good idea! My kiddo was not that picky, but I have run into it a lot with kids. This is a great way for them to eat healthy food and they can feel like they are picking their own food.
For the first few years my nephew was the pickiest eater. Now that he’s 12 he eats anything he can get his hands on.
My youngest is almost 9 and he is still so picky. We really struggle with it.