Easy Meals for Fussy Toddlers: Quick, Healthy Recipes You Can Make Together
Healthy, Cheap and Easy Meals for Fussy Toddlers
As mums I believe we either get one of 3 types of eaters with our toddlers;
The Toddler that eats everything!
The toddler that HATES any form of fruit, vegetables or healthy food of any kind.
The ONLY plain food toddler!
There are some tips as a mum for some healthy ideas
If you have a fussy toddler, you already know the drill. You spend time cooking something nutritious, put it in front of them, and they look at you like you have just served them a plate of dirt. It is exhausting.
After three kids of my own and years of chatting with mums at sessions, I have learned that most toddlers fall into one of three categories: the one who eats everything (lucky you), the one who refuses anything green, and the one who will only eat plain food. If yours is in category two or three, these tips and recipes might help.
Give Them a Choice
One of the simplest things you can do is let your toddler choose. Not from the entire fridge, but from three options you have already decided on. "What does your tummy feel like for dinner? We have this, this or this." It gives them a sense of independence and makes them more likely to actually eat what ends up on the plate.
Cook Together
Meals you make together are not just about food. They are bonding time, education and conversation all rolled into one. My kids always gave me one-word answers about their day at childcare, but put them next to me at the kitchen bench with something to stir or mash and suddenly they would not stop talking. It breaks down that barrier because they are focused on spending time with you rather than running off to the next toy.
Use Their Interests
Whatever your child is obsessed with right now, use it. Monster trucks, unicorns, Bluey, dinosaurs. Unicorn pancakes with a banana horn. Dinosaur toast with vegetable claws. If it is too fiddly to make from food, grab a cheap plastic toy from the party section and pop it on the plate. It sounds silly but it works.
Three Quick Recipes to Try
Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 x Ripe Banana
1 x Egg
2 x Table spoon Self raising flour
Mash the banana until smooth, whisk in the egg and flour, let it sit for five minutes, then cook spoonfuls in a non-stick pan over medium heat for one to two minutes each side. Done. Fruit disguised as a treat.
Pirate Ship Tacos
Ingredients:
Old El Paso - Soft Tortilla bowl
500g x Mince
1 x Shredded Cheese bag.
2x Tomatoes
1x Iceberg lettuce
1 x taco seasoning
1 x pack of little flags ( pirate flags, princess flags - relate to your toddlers interest - usually found in party or baking section at the grocery store.)
Set up five small bowls and get your toddler to separate the ingredients into each one. It will be messy, but that is half the fun. Let them build their own taco, top it with a little flag from the party section at the shops, and call it a pirate ship. Make one for yourself too.
Dippy Eggs and Soldiers
Ingredients:
1 x Egg ( per child)
2 x toast.
Boil the eggs for three to four minutes for a runny yolk. Toast the bread, cut it into long strips and let your toddler dip away. My grandma called them dunking soldiers and it is still one of the simplest meals that kids love.
You Are Doing a Great Job
Feeding a fussy toddler is one of the most frustrating parts of parenting. But if they are fed, happy and loved, you are nailing it. Try one of these this week and see how you go.
Kate x