Contents!

!
p.!2!Introduction!
p.!3!In!My!Kitchen!
p.!5!All!About!Serving!Sizes!
p.!7!The!Nutrients!Your!Toddler!Needs!!
p.!11!What’s!Normal!(and!What’s!Not)!
p.!13!What!to!do!When!Your!Toddler!Refuses!to!Eat!
p.!16!Think!Through!the!Words!You!Use!at!the!Table!
p.!18!Rethink!“KidQFriendly”!
p.!20!Teach!Toddler!Table!Manners!
p.!21!Handling!Treats…and!Snack!Food!
p.!22!Help!Your!Toddler!Try!New!Foods!
!
p.!24!Frequently!Asked!Questions!
• My!inQlaws!feed!my!daughter!a!steady!diet!of!fast!food!and!treats!whenever!
we!visit.!What!can!I!do?!
• My!toddler!wants!to!eat!the!same!foods!every!day.!Is!that!okay?!
• My!son!is!never!hungry!for!breakfast.!Is!that!normal?!
• Can!you!help!me!convince!my!toddler!to!eat!vegetables?!
• Why!won’t!my!toddler!eat!meat?!
• My!18!month!old!is!suddenly!only!wanting!to!eat!mac!and!cheese?!What!
happened!to!my!good!eater?!
• My!toddler!hates!it!when!I!make!a!new!recipe.!What!can!I!do?!
• What’s!your!best!tip!for!saving!time!when!cooking!weeknight!dinner?!!
• What!can!I!do!about!my!daughter!throwing!food!whenever!she’s!in!her!
highchair?!!
• What’s!the!deal!with!muffin!tin!meals?!
• Which!foods!do!I!need!to!buy!organic—and!do!I!need!to!worry!about!GMOs?!

! 1!
Introduction!
!
Feeding!babies!and!toddlers!can!often!seem!like!a!fulltime!job!unto!itself.!There!are!
rules,!guidelines!to!follow,!and!growth!charts!to!consult,!and!yet!when!it!comes!right!
down!to!it,!the!biggest!deciding!factor!in!our!kids!diet!is!what!they!choose!to!put!into!
their!mouths.!This!guide!is!meant!to!help!you!relax,!even!if!you!have!a!variable!and!
finicky!toddler!appetite!on!your!hands.!Because!there!are!steps!you!can!take!to!
make!it!less!stressful.!You!actually!don’t!have!to!worry!about!every!bite!they!
take…or!don’t!take.!And!I!bet!that!most!of!you!already!know!how!to!do!this,!but!it’s!
possible!that!all!of!the!posts!about!“picky!eating”!on!social!media!have!you!a!little!
sidetracked.!
!
From!the!time!that!my!daughter!was!one!until!she!was!almost!two,!I!worried!so!
much!about!her!diet.!Was!she!eating!enough!vegetables?!What!of!her!lunch!was!she!
really!consuming!at!daycare?!Was!the!food!I!was!serving!her!conditioning!her!
preferences!in!ways!that!would!harm!her!later?!And!then,!as!her!ability!to!
communicate!improved—and!I!talked!to!more!mama!friends—I!learned!that!the!
best!thing!I!could!do!was!to!give!her!the!environment!in!which!to!thrive!at!the!table.!
And!I!learned!that!my!perspective!on!the!eating!situation!is!a!huge!indicator!of!
whether!we!have!enjoyable!meals…or!not.!!
!
I’m!not!a!doctor!and!I’m!not!a!feeding!therapist.!I’m!a!mom!to!a!3!year!old!(with!
another!one!on!the!way!)!who’s!spent!much!of!my!career!focused!on!developing!
recipes!and!stories!about!food!that!will!appeal!to!families.!I!also!have!a!very!strongQ
willed!little!one,!so!I’ve!had!to!really!think!through!mealtimes!so!that!I’m!not!
constantly!defeated!by!what!she!does!or!does!not!eat.!And!as!someone!who!had!an!
eating!disorder!for!almost!a!decade!when!I!was!younger,!it’s!incredibly!important!
for!me!to!teach!my!daughter!how!to!both!trust!her!body!and!eat!a!healthful!range!of!
foods.!I!don’t!want!her!to!see!food!as!“good”!or!“bad”.!Instead,!I!want!her!to!
understand!which!foods!help!her!to!grow!and!feel!her!best,!and!which!are!ones!that!
we!eat!less!frequently!because!they!simply!taste!good.!Giving!our!little!ones!the!
chance!to!decide!how!much!they!eat—and!what!they!eat—at!the!table!can!provide!a!
valuable!lesson!in!self!confidence!and!self!esteem!that!can!maybe!even!help!them!to!
make!good!choices!in!other!areas!down!the!road.!
!
I!really!believe!that!you!can!improve!the!eating!situation!with!your!toddler.!I’m!sure!
of!that!because!I’ve!done!it!myself.!Read!on!to!learn!a!few!easy!strategies!that!can!
drastically!improve!mealtimes!in!your!house.!
!
Amy!
!
P.S.$If$your$toddler$has$an$extremely$limited$intake,$is$very$sensitive$to$textures$in$a$way$that$is$
detrimental$to$their$overall$diet,$or$you$are$worried$about$weight$loss$or$other$health$issues,$please$do$
consult$your$pediatrician.$This$is$in$no$way$meant$to$be$a$substitute$for$medical$advice.$

! 2!
!
Chapter!1!!
In!My!Kitchen

Before!we!dive!into!the!nittyQgritty!of!toddler!appetites,!I!thought!I’d!give!you!a!
sense!of!where!I’m!coming!from.!Here’s!what!the!food!scene!is!like!in!my!house.

I!stock!my!pantry,!fridge,!and!freezer!with!whole!foods!as!much!as!possible!for!
health!reasons—and!also!for!our!food!budget.!Most!of!the!time,!I!cook!with!
whole!ingredients!at!home.!That!means!I!am!more!likely!to!buy,!say,!oldQfashioned!
rolled!oats!than!packets!of!oatmeal.!Stocking!my!pantry!with!basic!ingredients!
including!whole!grains,!dried!beans,!pasta,!and!a!wide!range!of!flours!allows!me!to!
stick!to!my!monthly!grocery!budget!and!it!gives!me!the!ability!to!add!spices,!fats,!
and!flavorings!according!to!the!preferences!of!my!family.!I!opt!for!whole!or!lowQfat!
dairy!products!because!I!prefer!the!flavor!and!I!think!they!tend!to!perform!better!in!
most!recipes!than!fatQfree!versions.!But!just!because!I!usually!use!dried!beans!rather!
than!canned!ones!doesn’t!mean!that!I!don't!also!value!the!convenience!of!storeQ
bought!versions.!I!certainly!don't!have!time!to!scratchQbake!crackers!every!week!
and!I!don't!expect!you!to!either!!
!
I!minimize!added!sugars!at!home.!I!have!actually!become!less!neurotic!about!
sugar!in!the!past!year,!which!I!think!is!a!relief!to!everyone!in!my!household.!But!I!
still!get!really!worked!up!about!the!sheer!volume!of!treats!that!seem!to!be!
everywhere!that!we!go.!But!once!I!realized!that!I!can't!isolate!my!daughter!from!the!
world!around!her,!I!decided!that!I!would!do!my!best!to!minimize!added!sugar!at!
home!so!that!I!don't!have!to!worry!so!much!about!the!food!at!birthday!parties,!play!
dates,!and!church.!This!is!also!just!my!personal!preference,!as!I!like!my!baked!goods!
and!desserts!to!be!less!sweet.!(That!said,!we!always!have!chocolate!in!the!house.)!
!
We!eat!a!family!meal!most!nights.!My!family!of!3!eats!dinner!together!97%!of!the!
time,!which!yes,!does!mean!that!we!eat!at!5:30—and!that!us!adults!usually!have!a!
snack!later!in!the!evening.!We!do!it!because!it’s!a!nice!routine!and!it!serves!as!a!
transition!into!bedtime!for!our!girl.!We’re!also!incredibly!fortunate!that!my!
husband’s!office!is!just!a!few!blocks!from!home!and!my!office!is!in!our!guest!room,!
which!makes!the!timing!works!for!us.!I!don’t!think!that!you!always!have!to!eat!
together!because!I!know!that!activities,!jobs,!commutes,!and!general!life!can!get!in!
the!way,!but!it!definitely!helps!make!cooking!one!meal!for!everyone!the!norm.!(Can’t!
make!family!dinners!work?!Try!breakfast.)!
!
Mealtime!is!as!dramaAfree!as!possible.!I!meal!plan,!use!a!spreadsheetQbased!
grocery!list!to!help!me!stay!organized,!and!I!post!the!week's!menu!on!a!dry!erase!
board!in!our!kitchen!so!everyone!knows!what's!for!dinner.!And!I!follow!this!advice!
from!feeding!expert!Ellyn!Satter1:!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1!http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/dor/divisionofresponsibilityinfeeding.php!

! 3!
!
!!$$$The$parent$is$responsible$for$what,$when,$where.!
$$$$$The$child$is$responsible$for$how$much$and$whether.$
!
No!pushing,!no!making!a!child!feel!badly!if!they!don't!like!something,!no!taking!it!
personally!(at!least!not!out!loud!in!the!moment)!if!they!decide!not!to!eat!something!
that!it!took!hours!to!make.!I!trust!that!my!daughter!is!in!tune!with!her!hunger!and!
that!her!intake!will!balance!itself!out!over!the!course!of!any!given!week.!We!don't!
talk!about!"good"!foods!or!"bad"!foods,!but!I!focus!on!flavor!and!how!more!
wholesome!foods!will!help!her!grow!and!run!fast!(or!twirl!like!a!ballerina,!
depending!on!the!day).!I!try!not!to!keep!much!in!the!house!that!I!don't!want!her!to!
have!and!mealtime!is!done!for!her!as!soon!as!she!starts!to!play!with!her!food!more!
than!eat!it.!
!
We!have!theme!nights.!This!is!probably!the!biggest!thing!that!has!shifted!as!my!
daughter!has!grown!and!likely!the!thing!that!has!made!the!biggest!difference!in!the!
attitudes!at!our!dinner!table.!We!have!taco!night!on!Tuesdays,!stir!fry!on!Thursdays,!
pizza!on!Fridays!and!pasta!on!Sundays.!The!theme!stays!the!same,!but!the!
ingredients!can!vary!so!we’re!not!literally!eating!the!same!thing!all!the!time.!The!
routine!on!most!nights!of!the!week!is!incredibly!helpful!for!my!daughter!since!she!
knows!what!to!expect!and!even!if!there’s!a!new!ingredient!in!her!pasta,!the!pasta!
itself!is!familiar.!
!
We!give!opportunities!to!try!new!foods.!L!has!always!been!an!enthusiastic!eater,!
even!in!the!beginning.!She!currently!loves!toast,!pancakes,!oatmeal,!cheese,!meat!of!
all!kinds,!crackers!of!all!kinds,!poached!eggs!dipped!in!spicy!salsa,!scrambled!eggs,!
nuts,!nut!butter,!pizza,!pasta,!cucumbers,!broccoli,!peas,!edamame,!kale!chips,!
berries,!oranges,!bananas,!ice!cream,!and!more.!She!dislikes!cooked!greens,!bits!of!
onion!(and!garlic!and!mushrooms)!on!her!pizza,!casseroles!of!any!kind,!lumpy!
mashed!potatoes,!and!remains!lukewarm!about!smoothies,!avocado,!and!chunks!of!
tomato!in!her!pasta!sauce.!She’s!becoming!more!and!more!hesitant!to!try!new!foods!
and!more!reluctant!to!try!foods!she!likes!in!new!forms!as!she!gets!older,!but!that!
doesn’t!mean!that!I!don’t!try—and!in!fact,!I!see!it!as!part!of!my!job!in!raising!her.!!
!
I!have!to!create!the!environment!in!which!she!can!safely!explore!and!taste!her!food,!
as!tiny!as!those!first!bites!might!be.!I!do!my!best!to!give!her!power!over!what!she!
puts!into!her!mouth!and!while!I!don’t!force!her!to!try!everything!on!her!plate,!I!do!
encourage!her!to!at!least!taste!it!all.!I!talk!about!what!foods!taste!like!or!where!they!
came!from.!I!compare!a!new!food!to!one!that!she’s!eaten!and!liked!before.!I!ask!her!
how!I!can!make!something!she’s!uninterested!in!yummier,!which!usually!involves!
providing!ketchup!or!salsa!for!dipping.!Some!days!are!more!successful!than!others!
and!there!are!nights!when!she!doesn’t!eat!any!of!her!veggies.!But!there!are!also!
times!when!she!surprises!us!by!gobbling!up!spicy!chickpeas!or!stealing!my!tomato!
soup!at!a!restaurant.!I!aim!to!keep!providing!variety!because!I!never!know!which!
way!the!tides!will!turn.

! 4!
Chapter!2!!
All!About!Serving!Sizes!
!
Let’s!jump!into!the!basics!of!feeding!toddlers,!as!spelled!out!by!top!health!
organizations.!(And!then!we’ll!get!to!the!fun!part!of!how!to!translate!all!of!this!
advice!and!numbers!into!your!kitchen!)!These!figures!aren’t!meant!to!overwhelm!
you!or!make!you!worry!that!your!toddler!isn’t!getting!enough!of!certain!nutrients.!
Rather,!I!hope!this!helps!you!know!what!to!look!out!for!when!looking!at!the!bigger!
picture!of!your!toddler’s!diet.!!
!
Serving!Sizes!
According!to!the!American!Academy!of!Pediatrics2,!“For!a!toddler,!a!serving!size!
should!be!approximately!one!fourth!of!the!portion!appropriate!for!an!adult.!A!
serving!of!vegetables!for!a!toddler!would!be!about!1!to!2!tablespoons.!For!meat,!a!
serving!might!be!about!the!size!of!their!palm.”!Clearly!this!will!vary!depending!on!
the!actual!age!and!activity!level!of!your!toddler,!but!keeping!portions!smaller!to!
start!with!can!also!help!prevent!toddlers!from!becoming!overwhelmed!by!the!
mound!of!broccoli!on!their!plate.!
!
Use!this!guide3!below!as!a!place!to!start!when!planning!meals!for!toddlers.!
Remember!that!intake!will!vary!from!day!to!day,!that!each!child!has!different!
natural!hunger!patterns,!and!these!numbers!are!meant!to!be!a!guide,!not!a!mandate.!
Follow!your!child's!cues!and!don't!get!too!stuck!on!the!numbers.!The!big!picture!is!
important!too!!
!
Fruits!
Servings$per$day:$2A3$
1/2!medium!banana,!apple,!or!pear!
1/4Q1/2!cup!sliced!grapes!
1/4Q1/2!cup!blueberries,!raspberries!or!strawberries!
1/4Q1/2!cup!whole!fruit!juice!
1/2Q1!small!kiwi!
1!small!clementine!
1Q2!tablespoons!dried!fruit!like!raisins!or!dried!apple!
2Q4!inches!whole!fruit!leather!
!
Vegetables!
Servings$per$day:$2A3$
1Q3!tablespoons!cooked!vegetables!such!as!broccoli,!carrots,!cauliflower,!snap!peas,!
or!green!beans!!
1Q3!tablespoons!raw!veggies!like!tomatoes,!cucumber,!or!snap!peas!
1Q2!tablespoons!cooked!leafy!greens!such!as!kale!or!spinach!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2!https://www.healthychildren.org/English/agesQstages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/OptimizingQ
NutritionQforQToddlers.aspx!
3!Source:!Mayo!Clinic!and!American!Academy!of!Pediatrics!

! 5!
1/4Q1/2!cup!raw!leafy!greens!such!as!kale,!kale!chips,!or!spinach!
!
Grains,!Potatoes,!Rice,!Bread,!Pasta!
Servings$per$day:$6$
1/2!slice!whole!grain!bread,!1/4!whole!grain!pita!pocket,!1/2!mini!bagel!
1/4!cup!raw!and!cooked!oatmeal!or!porridge!
1/4Q1/2!cup!dry!cereal!
1/4!cup!whole!grain!crackers!
1Q2!mini!muffins!or!1/4Q1/2!regular!muffin!!
1/4!cup!pasta!
1!small!whole!grain!toddler!snack!bar!or!1/4Q1/2!adultQsize!whole!grain!snack!bar!
!
Meat,!Fish*,!Poultry,!Eggs!
Servings$per$day:$2$
Two!1Qinch!cubes!of!solid!meat!such!as!chicken!breast,!turkey!breast,!beef,!salmon,!
or!white!fish!!
2!tablespoons!ground!beef,!chicken,!turkey,!or!sausage!
1/2Q1!egg!
!
*The$current$recommendation4$for$fish$is$to$have$2A3$childAsized$portions$per$week$of$
lower$mercury$fish$such$as$shrimp,$salmon,$light$canned$tuna,$tilapia,$catfish,$or$cod.$$
!
Dairy!
Servings$per$day:$2A3$
1/2!cup!whole!milk!
1Qinch!cube!of!cheese!(1!oz),!1/2Q1!string!cheese,!or!1!slice!of!cheese!
1/3Q1/2!cup!wholeQmilk!yogurt!
1/4Q1/2!cup!cottage!cheese!!
!
Beans,!legumes,!peas,!lentils!
Servings$per$day:$1A2$
2!tablespoons!chickpeas,!black!beans,!pinto!beans,!peas,!edamame,!lentils,!or!split!
peas!
!
Fats!
Servings$per$day:$1A2!
1Q2!tablespoons!nut!butter!such!as!peanut!butter,!almond!butter!or!Sunbutter!
1!teaspoon!butter!
1!teaspoon!coconut!butter!
2Q3!teaspoons!olive!oil!
1Q2!tablespoon!avocado!
!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4!http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300483X10002490!

! 6!
Chapter!3!
The!Nutrients!Your!Toddler!Needs!!
!
Now!that!you’ve!seen!the!suggested!serving!sizes,!let’s!get!into!some!common!
nutrients!that!you!might!have!questions!about.!
!
Fruits!and!Veggies!
All!over!the!news!and!every!parenting!website,!we!hear!that!our!kids!aren’t!eating!
enough!produce.!The!statistics!aren’t!good!and!fruit!juice,!potatoes,!and!French!fries!
are!still!some!of!the!main!sources!of!fruits!and!vegetables!in!our!little!one’s!diets.!
But!it!may!actually!be!easier!than!you!realize!to!get!your!toddler!to!eat!the!right!
amount!of!produce!on!most!days.!!
!
Consider!this:!The!recommended!daily!intake!for!toddlers!is!about!1!cup!of!whole!
fruit!and!3/4!cup!of!vegetables.!That’s!for!the!whole!day,!spread!across!3!meals!and!
2!snacks.!(Adjust!that!average!to!account!for!the!fact!that!1!year!olds!may!eat!less!
than!3!year!olds.)!If!you!regularly!serve!a!fruit!and/or!a!veggie!at!every!meal,!
chances!are!good!that!your!toddler!will!be!able!to!meet!that!goal!most!days.!
!
If!you!are!having!a!hard!time!making!this!happen,!try!serving!veggies!with!snacks,!
serving!a!vegetable!or!fruit!as!a!preQdinner!appetizer!or!first!course,!and!reducing!
the!amount!of!“snack”!foods!that!you!keep!in!the!house.!Adjusting!the!proportions!of!
the!foods!you!serve!away!from!snack!type!foods!like!crackers!and!pretzels!and!
towards!more!fresh!produce!can!help!a!lot.!!
!
Whole!Grains!
Grains!like!brown!rice,!quinoa,!millet,!rolled!oats,!and!bulgur!are!great!sources!of!
fiber!(which!is!good!for!preventing!constipation),!B!vitamins,!and!energyQproviding!
complex!carbohydrates.!Quinoa!is!even!a!good!source!of!protein.!These!grains!are!
easy!to!cook—most!just!need!water!and!a!simmer—and!are!incredibly!versatile.!
Whole!grain!products!including!multiQgrain!breads,!wholeQwheat!breads,!wholeQ
grain!pastas,!and!more!are!also!good!options!for!feeding!your!family!since!they!have!
more!nutrients!than!white!flour!counterparts.!(When!choosing!a!wheat!bread,!look!
for!one!with!a!shorter!ingredient!list!and!low!added!sugars!when!possible.)!
!
Fat!
While!your!child!is!a!toddler—especially!from!when!they!start!solids!until!they!are!
two—it’s!crucial!that!they!eat!fat.!Fat!helps!the!brain!develop,!contributes!to!energy!
levels,!and!can!even!help!cuts!heal!faster.5!The!American!Academy!of!Pediatrics!
recommends!that!until!age!two,!about!1/3Q1/2!of!the!calories!that!a!toddler!eats!
come!from!fat.!Sources!of!healthy!fats!include!avocado,!lowQmercury!fish,!seeds!rich!
in!omega!3’s!(flax!and!chia),!grassQfed!beef,!wholeQmilk!dairy!products,!and!heartQ

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5!https://www.healthychildren.org/English/agesQstages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/DietaryQFatQandQ

Toddlers.aspx!

! 7!
healthy!oils!including!olive!oil.!You!don’t!need!to!count!calories!or!portions,!just!
include!these!foods!regularly!in!meals!throughout!the!day.!
!
Calcium!
If!your!toddler!drinks!milk!with!meals!or!has!calciumQrich!dairy!products!a!few!
times!a!day,!it’s!likely!that!they!are!getting!enough!calcium.!If!a!child!is!lactose!
intolerant!or!your!family!doesn’t!consume!much!dairy,!talk!to!your!pediatrician!
about!what!to!look!for!in!nondairy!milks—most!are!fortified!with!calcium!but!the!
amounts!can!vary—to!make!sure!your!child!is!getting!enough.!
!
Iron!
A!toddler!needs!about!15!mg!of!iron!per!day!from!foods!such!as!red!meat,!leafy!
greens,!and!beans.!If!your!family!is!vegetarian,!you!may!need!to!talk!to!your!
pediatrician!about!a!supplement.!And!if!your!toddler!drinks!a!large!quantity!of!
milk—like!more!than!32!ounces!or!4!cups—you!also!might!need!to!consider!a!
supplement!since!she’ll!likely!be!filling!up!her!belly!before!she!can!get!the!rest!of!the!
nutrition!and!iron!that!she!needs.!6!Basically,!this!is!a!good!one!to!talk!through!with!
your!doctor!since!there!are!a!lot!of!variables!to!consider.!
!
Vitamin!D!
The!American!Academy!of!Pediatrics7!recommends!that!babies!and!children!get!400!
IU!of!Vitamin!D!a!day,!which!can!be!hard!to!get!in!a!regular!diet!even!when!fortified!
milk!is!included.!Vitamin!D,!which!we!get!from!sunlight,!certain!oily!foods!like!liver,!
egg!yolks!and!oily!fish,!helps!ensure!that!the!minerals!needed!to!build!strong!bones!
are!absorbed.!Talk!to!your!doctor!about!whether!you!should!consider!a!Vitamin!D!
supplement!for!your!child.!
!
Protein!
With!the!upsurge!of!the!Paleo!diet,!protein!seems!to!be!at!the!forefront!of!so!many!
dietQrelated!conversations.!And!while!it!is!important!to!make!sure!that!your!toddler!
is!getting!enough!protein,!they!don’t!need!as!much!as!you!might!think.!Toddlers!only!
need!about!13!grams8,!which!can!be!covered!in!two!servings!of!dairy—so!if!your!
toddler!drinks!milk!with!their!meals!and!eats!other!cheese,!meat,!or!eggs!during!the!
day,!they!are!getting!enough.!And!you!don’t!even!have!to!try!!
!
If!your!family!doesn’t!eat!dairy!or!your!child!is!lactose!intolerant,!do!aim!for!2!
servings!of!other!proteinQrich!foods!like!meat,!chicken,!beans,!fish,!nuts,!nut!butter,!
or!even!some!pastas!throughout!the!day.!(Most!nonQdairy!milks!have!negligible!
protein,!unless!it’s!hemp,!flax,!or!soy!milk.)!!
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6!https://www.healthychildren.org/English/agesQstages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/DietaryQ

SupplementsQforQToddlers.aspx!
7!https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthyQliving/nutrition/Pages/VitaminQDQOnQtheQ

Double.aspx!
8!http://www.parents.com/blogs/foodQscoop/2015/01/07/health/isQyourQchildQeatingQtooQmuchQ

protein/!

! 8!
DHA!
DHA!is!a!fatty!acid!that!is!a!structural!element!of!the!brain!and!the!retina!part!of!the!
eye.!It’s!a!nutrient!that!we!need!to!get!from!food!since!our!bodies!can’t!make!it.!It’s!
most!plentiful!in!fish,!though!it’s!also!found!in!nuts!and!seeds!including!walnuts!and!
flax.!DHA!has!been!linked!with!decreased!obesity!rates,!improved!cognitive!function,!
and!lower!rates!of!type!2!diabetes.!One!of!the!best!sources!of!DHA!is!wild!Alaskan!
salmon,!so!including!that!in!your!diet!weekly—either!fresh,!frozen,!or!canned—is!a!
good!choice.!(Canned!salmon!makes!really!delicious!salmon!cakes.)!
!
Sodium!
A!recent!study!that!randomly!tested!packaged!toddler!foods!found!that!75%!of!them!
had!too!much!sodium.!The!recommendation!from!the!American!Heart!Association!
for!toddlers!is!to!have!no!more!than!1000Q1500!mg!of!sodium!per!day,!which!can!
add!up!fast!if!you!aren't!sure!what!to!look!for.!And!since!high!intake!of!sodium!at!an!
early!age!can!lead!to!a!preference!for!salty!foods!and!a!risk!of!developing!high!blood!
pressure!as!a!child!or!adult,!here!are!a!few!easy!ways!to!limit!the!chances!that!your!
toddler!is!getting!too!much.!
!
The!top!sources!of!sodium!in!kids!diets!include!pizza,!bread,!lunch!meat,!hot!dogs,!
sausage,!savory!snacks!(crackers,!pretzels,!veggie!chips,!and!the!like),!cheese,!
chicken!nuggets,!packaged!pasta!dishes,!packaged!Mexican!dishes,!and!packaged!
soups,!so!keep!an!eye!on!how!frequently!they!are!served—and!choose!reducedQ!or!
lowQsodium!versions!when!you!can.!
!
You’ll!also!want!to!keep!an!eye!on!table!salt.!Each!teaspoon!of!table!salt!has!2,325!
mg!of!sodium.!So!if!you!make!a!recipe!with!1/2!teaspoon!salt!that!serves!4Q6!adults,!
and!your!toddler!eats!1/2!of!a!serving,!he!will!consume!maybe!100Q200!milligrams!
in!their!meal.!That!is!totally!fine!and!over!the!course!of!the!day,!that!gets!them!to!the!
recommended!limit.!But!if!there!are!also!packaged!snacks!in!the!mix,!then!the!total!
intake!might!be!a!little!higher!than!you'd!like.!The!takeaway?!Using!table!salt!is!fine!
when!cooking,!just!err!on!the!lower!side!to!start!with!when!adding!to!recipes!(and!
add!a!sprinkle!more!if!needed!at!the!table).!
!!
Packaged!foods!are!super!convenient!and!have!a!place!in!even!the!healthiest!
kitchen.!But!a!simple!trick!to!reducing!sodium!(and!added!sugars)!is!to!serve!them,!
even!ones!geared!towards!toddlers,!less!often!than!you!serve!food!made!from!whole!
ingredients,!or!straight!up!whole!foods,!where!you!can!decide!how!much!salt!to!add.!!
Use!herbs,!citrus,!and!other!natural!sources!of!flavor!to!serve!up!tasty!foods!without!
as!much!added!salt.!And!when!buying!stock,!soy!sauce,!or!even!jarred!pasta!sauce,!
look!for!low!or!reducedQsodium!varieties.!
!
Sugar!
Sugar!is!everywhere!in!our!kid’s!diets!but!some!sugars—like!the!natural!sugars!in!
fruit,!some!vegetables,!plain!yogurt,!and!milk!are!okay!to!consume!on!a!daily!basis.!
It’s!the!“added!sugars”!that!you’ll!want!to!worry!more!about.!When!buying!packaged!
toddler!snacks,!look!at!both!the!amount!of!sugar!in!grams!on!the!nutrition!label!and!

! 9!
the!ingredient!list.9!Fruit!juice!concentrate,!malt,!honey,!evaporated!cane!juice,!
syrups,!maple!syrup,!brown!sugar,!and!sugar!all!count!as!sugar.!
!
Limit!fruit!juice!to!6!ounces!or!less!per!day!since!it!usually!has!less!nutrients!than!
whole!fruit!and!can!lead!to!tooth!decay!and!cavities.!Reserve!candy,!cake,!cupcakes,!
and!the!like!to!“sometimes”!foods!that!are!not!as!readily!available!as!other!foods!in!
your!kitchen.!When!you!do!offer!them,!or!your!child!has!them!at!a!party!or!a!holiday!
dinner,!try!to!either!serve!them!alongside!other!food!or!a!glass!of!milk!to!help!
prevent!a!future!blood!sugar!crash.!!
!
Water!
If!you’ve!ever!wondered!about!how!much!water!your!toddler!should!be!drinking!
each!day,!know!that!it!varies!by!activity!level!and!the!weather,!but!they!should!be!
getting!about!five!8Qounce!servings.!Of!that,!about!20%10!should!come!from!the!
produce!they!eat.!(Think!foods!like!watermelon!and!cucumbers.)!Translation:!
Simply!aim!to!include!fresh!produce!throughout!the!day!and!alternate!milk!and!
water!at!meals!and!snacks.!And!keep!a!sippy!cup!on!hand!for!them!to!serve!
themselves!whenever!they!get!thirsty,!especially!during!active!playground!sessions!
or!outdoor!play!when!it’s!warm.!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!Your!toddler!should!eat!about!1!3/4!cup!of!produce!each!day.!!
2.!When!choosing!a!wheat!bread,!look!for!one!with!a!shorter!ingredient!list.!!
3.!Until!age!two,!about!1/3Q1/2!of!a!toddler’s!calories!should!come!from!healthy!fats.!
4.!If!your!toddler!drinks!has!calciumQrich!dairy!products!a!few!times!a!day,!it’s!likely!
that!they!are!getting!enough!calcium.!!
5.!Talk!to!your!pediatrician!about!whether!to!supplement!iron!and!vitamin!D.!
6.!Toddlers!only!need!13!grams!or!protein!a!day—so!they!are!likely!getting!plenty.!
7.!DHA,!plentiful!in!fish,!nuts,!and!seeds!is!key!for!brain!development.!!
8.!Choose!reducedQsodium!packaged!foods!to!keep!sodium!intake!down.!
9.!Your!toddler!needs!about!five!8Qounce!servings!of!water,!but!some!of!that!can!
come!from!produce!with!a!lot!of!water!like!watermelon!and!cucumbers.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9!http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2015/01/28/peds.2014Q3251.abstract!
10!http://www.parents.com/advice/toddlersQpreschoolers/toddlerQfeedingQandQnutrition/howQ

muchQliquidQshouldQmyQ1QyearQoldQconsumeQdaily/!

! 10!
Chapter!4!!
What’s!Normal!(and!What’s!Not)!
!
All!parents!wonder!if!their!toddler!is!normal!at!one!point!or!another…or!many!times!
a!day!!Here!are!some!realities!of!toddler!eating!that!might!help!you!worry!less!the!
next!time!yours!does!something!unexpected!at!mealtime.!
!
Appetite!normally!decreases!in!toddlers.!During!a!baby's!first!year,!growth!
occurs!at!an!incredibly!fast!rate.!They!need!to!eat!very!regularly!to!keep!up!with!
their!caloric!burn,!so!we!come!to!expect!that!of!our!toddlers.!And!while!it!doesn't!
happen!overnight!the!day!they!turn!one,!there!is!a!very!normal!decrease!in!appetite!
during!the!toddler!years.!(It!typically!happens!around!14Q24!months,!based!on!the!
questions!I!regularly!get!from!other!parents.)!This!means!that!your!toddler!might!
not!be!"picky"—they!legitimately!might!not!(yet)!be!hungry.!You!may!need!to!
lengthen!the!time!between!snacks!or!meals!and!limit!in!between!snack/meal!drinks!
to!just!water!instead!of!milk.!
!
A!normal!appetite!is!variable. What!your!toddler!eats!might!vary!considerably!
from!day!to!day!and!that!is!totally!normal.!It!could!have!to!do!with!how!they!are!
feeling,!if!they!are!teething,!whether!they!are!going!through!a!growth!spurt,!if!it's!
really!hot!outside,!or!some!other!unknown!factor.!Focusing!too!much!on!the!daily!
intake!of!your!child—or!their!intake!at!one!meal—can!make!you!crazy,!so!it!can!help!
to!look!at!what!they!are!eating!over!the!course!of!a!week.!
!
There!is!a!normal!stage!when!kids!can!fear!food. "When!kids!are!highly!food!
neophobic!(afraid!of!foods),!which!peaks!between!2!and!6,!they!can!be!very!adamant!
about!new!foods,!saying!things!like!'I'll!never!eat!that!'.!If!a!parent!doesn't!
understand!the!child's!development,!and!that!this!is!normal!and!will!lessen!with!
time,!they'll!be!more!likely!to!fight!against!it!making!the!stage!last!longer."!!This!
quote!is!from!MaryAnn!of!Raise!Healthy!Eaters11!and!I!think!it's!important!to!keep!in!
mind.!Introducing!new!foods!to!a!12!month!old!is!often!an!entirely!different!game!
than!offering!something!new!to!a!2QyearQold.!Toddlers!can!be!intimidated!by!a!food!
simply!because!it!looks!unfamiliar!or!maybe!the!texture!is!different!than!they!
expected.!Which!means!that!just!because!your!child!rejects!a!new!food!doesn't!mean!
they!are!picky—it!means!they!are!being!a!completely!normal!toddler.
!
You!may!need!to!introduce!a!new!food!repeatedly!and!in!many!different!ways!!
before!they!take!a!taste,!but!it's!not!like!you!have!to!make!a!schedule!or!turn!this!
into!a!chore.!Simply!serve!the!foods!you!and!the!rest!of!the!family!enjoy!eating!and!
go!from!there,!adding!in!newer!foods!right!alongside!items!that!your!kiddo!has!
accepted!in!the!past.!This!should!be!less!intimidating,!even!if!they!don’t!always!try!
the!new!food!right!away.!!
!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11!raisehealthyeaters.com!

! 11!
Issues!with!food!textures!are!normal!for!many!toddlers. It!takes!time!for!babies!
and!young!toddlers!to!learn!how!to!eat.!Foods!that!are!crunchy!(toast),!tough!(some!
meat),!and!thick!(nut!butter)!may!not!always!be!easy!or!appealing!to!a!little!one!still!
learning!how!to!move!things!around!in!her!mouth.!A!sandwich!can!have!a!lot!of!
different!textures!and!can!be!difficult!to!eat,!which!is!why!many!toddlers!take!them!
apart!to!eat!the!components!separately.!Raw!broccoli!is!really!dry,!so!they!
legitimately!might!have!an!uncomfortable!feeling!in!their!mouths!even!if!they!like!
the!flavor.!So,!if!it!seems!like!something!is!hard!for!your!child!to!eat,!make!it!easier.!
Steam!or!roast!the!broccoli.!Serve!open!face!sandwiches!or!put!the!components!onto!
their!plate!separately.!Serve!shredded!meat!rather!than!cubed.!Don’t!toast!their!
bread!more!than!just!a!smidge.!And!offer!a!range!of!textures!at!each!meal!if!you!can!
so!they!have!options!and!exposure.
!
Texture!can!also!be!a!learned!preference!too,!which!can!explain!why!some!toddlers!
will!scarf!down!frozen!peas!but!won’t!touch!them!when!they!are!steamed.!Or!why!
some!have!a!preference!for!purees!that!lasts!longer!than!other!kids.!Be!patient!and!
give!them!time!to!practice!by!offering!foods!in!range!of!preparations.!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!There!is!a!very!normal!decrease!in!appetite!during!the!toddler!years!so!yours!
might!not!eat!as!enthusiastically!as!they!did!when!they!are!younger.!
2.!What!your!toddler!eats!might!vary!considerably!from!day!to!day.!It’s!normal.!
3.!The!normal!period!when!kids!are!afraid!of!new!food!peaks!between!2!and!6.!
4.!It!takes!time!for!babies!and!young!toddlers!to!learn!how!to!eat!foods!with!a!range!
of!textures.!

! 12!
Chapter!5!
What!to!Do!When!Your!Toddler!Refuses!to!Eat!
!
I'm!sure!this!has!happened!in!your!house:!You!make!a!dinner!that!includes!foods!
that!you!know!your!little!one!likes.!You!get!everyone!to!the!table!and!bring!out!the!
food.!Your!toddler!won't!eat,!throws!a!fit,!sulks,!or!fusses.!No!matter!how!hard!you!
try,!this!is!the!occasional!reality!of!feeding!toddlers.!The!good!news!is!that!it's!
normal.!The!bad!news?!It's!your!job!to!help!your!little!one!handle!their!angst.!Here!
are!some!scenarios!that!you!might!encounter!at!the!table!with!your!toddler—and!
what!you!might!want!to!do!when!you!do.!

Your!toddler!decides!they!don't!like!something!before!they!taste!it.!This!likely!
won't!happen!with!a!1!year!old,!but!it!will!almost!certainly!happen!at!times!with!a!2!
or!3!year!old.!When!this!happens!in!our!house,!I!gently!remind!that!my!daughter!
that!she!can't!know!that!she!doesn't!like!something!if!she!doesn't!taste!it!and!I!
encourage—but!I!do!not!force—her!to!try!a!bite.!Explain!what!the!food!tastes!like!by!
comparing!it!to!other!foods!they!have!eaten.!If!it’s!hard!to!see!what’s!in!a!meal!(like!
in!a!casserole!or!stir!fry),!you!can!offer!to!separate!the!foods!for!them.!Remind!them!
about!how!they!helped!you!pick!out!one!of!the!ingredients!at!the!grocery!store!or!
how!a!character!in!a!favorite!book!enjoyed!the!food.!!
!
It's!also!entirely!possible!that!once!they!have!it!in!their!head!that!they!don't!want!
something,!they!won't!eat!it.!Because!sometimes!not!wanting!dinner!is!a!power!play!
and!your!toddler!is!testing!you—they!want!to!find!out!what!the!boundaries!are!and!
what!you!will!do!when!they!refuse!to!eat!something.!Here!are!some!things!to!say!
when!that!happens:!
!
• “The!next!time!you’re!going!to!have!a!chance!to!eat!is!at!breakfast!tomorrow!
and!I’m!worried!that!you’ll!be!hungry!before!then.!Do!you!understand!that!
your!belly!might!feel!uncomfortable!if!you!don’t!eat!now?”!
• “Can!we!see!if!there’s!a!way!to!make!this!dinner!yummier!for!you?!Would!you!
like!a!dip?”!!
• “Can!I!cut!this!up!for!you?”!!
• “Do!you!need!a!different!spoon!so!this!is!easier!to!eat?”!
!
A!child!pleads!for!a!specific!food,!but!it's!not!what!you!had!planned!(or!made)!
for!dinner.!The!easiest!way!to!handle!this!is!to!explain!that!we're!having!such!and!
such!tonight,!but!that!you!will!make!their!requested!food!soon.!Then!follow!through!
so!they!know!they!can!trust!you.!Make!sure!there!is!something!on!the!table!that!the!
child!likes,!even!if!it's!a!side!of!fruit!or!cheese,!and!involve!them!in!doing!something!
to!help!get!ready!for!the!meal!to!distract!them—helping!to!set!the!table,!filling!their!
sippy!cup,!or!washing!their!hands.!(Hand!washing!is!an!excellent!toddlerQdiversion!
tactic!in!all!sorts!of!scenarios!)!
!
They!are!too!preoccupied!playing!at!the!table!to!eat!their!food.!If!a!younger!
toddler!is!playing!with!their!food!rather!than!eating!it!at!the!start!of!the!meal,!

! 13!
chances!are!they!aren't!hungry.!If!an!older!toddler!starts!playing!with!their!food!
towards!the!end!of!the!meal,!chances!are!good!that!they!are!full!and!it’s!time!to!end!
their!meal.!
!
If!you!want!to!give!your!child!a!little!more!time!before!coming!to!the!table,!I!would!
suggest!that!you!go!ahead!and!eat!while!the!meal!is!warm.!Warm!up!their!food!when!
they!are!ready!and!sit!with!them!while!they!eat.!I!recommend!this!more!for!younger!
toddlers—who!often!show!physical!signs!that!they!aren’t!ready!to!eat!such!as!
playing!with!food!or!pushing!back!from!the!table—rather!than!a!2.5!or!3!year!old,!
who!might!be!avoiding!the!table!because!they!want!to!keep!playing.!In!that!case,!
explain!that!it’s!dinnertime,!they!can!go!back!to!their!activity!after!they!are!done,!
and!try!to!entice!them!by!asking!them!a!very!specific!question!about!their!day!or!an!
activity!they!like.!Again,!distraction!can!work!in!your!favor!here.!

They!don't!eat!well!at!dinner,!but!always!request!a!snack!before!bedtime.!It’s!
possible!that!if!your!toddler!expects!a!bedtime!snack!of!a!food!that!they!like,!they!
won’t!eat!dinner.!You!can!try!limiting!the!amount!of!time!between!dinnertime!and!
bedtime—so!basically!go!right!from!dinner!into!the!bath/bedtime!routine—so!that!
there!isn't!time!for!her!to!get!hungry!in!between.!!
!
Or,!if!there!are!2!or!more!hours!between!dinner!and!bedtime,!she!very!well!might!be!
hungry.!You!could!either!push!dinner!back!a!bit!or!institute!a!regular!bedtime!snack.!
This!is!a!tactic!I!read!about!in!the!book!It’s$Not$About$the$Broccoli!and!it!makes!
sense.!If!there!is!always!a!healthy!bedtime!snack,!you!won't!have!to!renegotiate!it!
every!night.!And!you!also!won't!have!to!worry!about!sending!your!child!to!bed!
hungry!if!you!are!prone!to!that!particular!worry.!I'd!just!caution!against!making!the!
snack!something!they!love!because!older!kids!may!decide!to!skip!dinner!so!they!can!
eat!their!snack.!Rotate!foods!that!are!basic,!nutritious,!and!that!your!child!generally!
likes.!You!could!try!toast!with!nut!butter,!plain!yogurt!with!a!little!honey,!sliced!fruit,!
applesauce,!dry!cereal,!hard!cooked!eggs,!string!cheese,!or!some!whole!grain!
crackers.!
!
They!legitimately!seem!to!not!like!the!food.!There!are!times!when!I!make!a!new!
recipe!(or!honestly,!anything!in!casserole!form)!when!my!daughter!simply!doesn't!
seem!to!like!the!meal.!And!whether!it's!the!texture!or!flavor,!I!am!never!certain,!but!
if!this!happens!in!your!house,!here!are!some!things!to!try:!
!
When!serving!a!new!recipe,!or!something!you!suspect!they!won’t!like,!include!
a!simple!side!dish!that!they!will!usually!eat.!It!could!be!fruit,!roasted!veggies!
or!peas—the!goal!is!to!have!something!on!the!table!that!you!know!they!will!
likely!eat.!This!makes!the!whole!experience!feel!less!threatening!and!can!
keep!everyone!happy!(and!full).!!
!
If!I!make!something!and!somehow!miss!the!target!with!my!sides!and!my!
daughter!is!refusing!to!eat,!I!offer!a!“backup!meal”.!If!you!use!sides!well,!this!
should!happen!rarely.!Decide!on!one!food!that!she!likes!well!enough,!but!

! 14!
 would!never!ask!for!on!her!own.!Think!plain!yogurt!with!granola,!toast!with!
nut!butter,!cottage!cheese!and!fruit.!(In!other!words,!don’t!make!the!backup!
meal!cheddar!bunny!crackers!or!mac!and!cheese!)!This!eliminates!any!short!
order!cooking!(because!the!meal!you!choose!is!not!something!that!requires!
you!to!cook),!it!ensures!that!there!is!something!nourishing!to!eat,!and!it!
reduces!drama!around!getting!her!to!eat!something!she!doesn't!like.!If!this!
option!is!always!the!same!food,!it!shouldn’t!be!all!that!enticing!of!an!option!
day!in!and!day!out.!!
!
They!won't!eat!because!of!teething!or!sickness.!Teething!is!the!worst!!Try!not!to!
expect!that!your!toddler!will!eat!normally!when!they!are!cutting!teeth!(especially!
not!with!molars)!and!instead!offer!them!plenty!of!liquids,!chilled!foods!and!things!
that!don't!require!too!much!chewing—smoothies,!yogurt,!pastina,!popsicles—to!
help!avoid!irritating!their!already!irritated!gums.!
!
And!with!a!cold!or!sickness,!it's!very!likely!their!appetite!will!go!down.!The!general!
rule!that!many!pediatricians!share!is!that!as!long!as!they!are!drinking!and!going!to!
the!bathroom!normally,!then!you!shouldn't!need!to!worry!too!much.!(Though!of!
course!you!will!still!worry…that!too!is!normal.)!Keep!portionQsizes!small,!don't!push!
food!too!hard,!and!trust!that!their!little!bodies!are!doing!what!they!need!to!in!order!
to!feel!better.!!
!
Bottom!line:!When!a!small!child!refuses!a!food,!it!is!not!a!judgment!on!our!cooking!
skills!(or!our!parenting!skills!for!that!matter).!A!lot!of!this!has!to!do!with!the!
developmental!stage!they!are!in,!of!learning!and!exploring!boundaries,!and!simply!
seeing!how!much!power!they!have.!And!usually,!the!less!you!can!react!in!the!
situation,!the!better.!You!can!air!your!complaints!out!with!your!partner!over!a!glass!
of!wine!once!the!kids!are!in!bed.!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!Follow!through!on!a!promise!to!make!a!requested!food!later!if!something!else!is!
on!the!menu!tonight.!
2.!If!a!child!is!playing!with!food,!remove!them!(or!the!food)!from!the!table.!
3.!Encourage!tastes!of!new!foods!by!comparing!them!to!foods!you!know!they!like.!
4.!Offer!to!make!a!meal!yummier!with!a!dip,!or!help!make!the!food!easier!to!eat.!
5.!Consider!adding!a!regular,!but!basic!bedtime!snack!if!there!are!more!than!2!hours!
before!bed!and!they!regularly!ask!for!one.!
6.!When!serving!a!new!food,!include!a!simple!side!dish!that!they!usually!like!as!a!
safety!net.!
7.!Have!one!basic!backup!meal!on!deck!for!the!nights!when!they!flat!out!refuse!to!eat!
what!you!made.!
8.!Remember!that!appetite!normally!decreases!during!teething!and!sickness.

! 15!
Chapter!6!!
Think!Through!the!Words!You!Use!at!the!Table!!
!
“Picky!eating”.!It's!a!phrase!and!a!topic!that!I!am!sure!you're!all!very!familiar!with!
because!at!one!point!or!another,!every!parent!looks!for!help!in!dealing!with!their!
"picky"!eater.!But!lately,!I've!been!hearing!the!word!used!to!describe!kids!that!
actually!eat!a!wide!range!of!foods,!kids!who!may!not!like!a!particular!food!at!a!
particular!meal,!or!ones!who!are!having!an!off!day.!Honestly,!I!hate!it.!!
!
"Picky"!is!not!a!nice!word,!it!is!often!used!when!a!parent!really!means!something!
else,!and!it!can!set!a!child!up!for!failure.!Let!me!explain.!
!
I!think!that!when!a!parent!says!that!a!child!is!a!"picky"!eater,!they!really!mean!that!
they!are!frustrated!by!what!the!child!does!and!does!not!eat.!That!the!child!doesn't!
always!necessarily!eat!everything!they!are!given.!And!that!the!child!sometimes!
exerts!their!will!and!their!power!at!mealtimes.!I!know!that!there!are!extreme!cases!
of!selective!eating!and!there!are!certainly!feeding!issues!that!sometimes!need!
professional!help,!but!those!cases!are!actually!quite!rare.!To!any!of!our!kids,!it’s!just!
not!nice.!
!
Recently,!we!went!over!to!a!friend’s!house.!When!we!walked!in,!my!daughter!hid!
behind!my!legs!and!declared!that!she!was!shy.!She!had!clearly!heard!me!say!that!
about!her!at!some!point!and!was!fulfilling!the!expectation!that!she!believed!I!had!of!
her.!So!if!you!call!your!child!picky!and!they!hear!you,!don’t!be!surprised!if!they!start!
to!act!the!part.!
!
Also,!if!you!regularly!call!your!kid!"picky"!you!may!start!to!resent!what!they!don't!
eat!at!mealtimes,!when,!in!fact,!they!might!be!doing!a!great!job!of!deciding!what!and!
how!much!they!want!to!eat!for!themselves.!Looking!at!it!that!way,!the!word!in!itself!
might!be!setting!the!child!up!for!failure!at!every!meal!regardless!of!what!they!eat.!
!
It!is!absolutely!unrealistic!to!expect!our!toddlers!to!eat!everything!we!serve!
them.!!
!
It!is$realistic!to!expect!them!to!make!choices!about!what!they!want!to!eat!
based!on!what!we!serve!them.!!
!
If!we!give!them!the!opportunity!to!do!that!without!judgment,!then!I!think!we're!
setting!them!up!for!a!much!healthier!relationship!with!food—and!their!bodies—for!
years!to!come.!It!will!likely!also!make!you!feel!a!lot!saner!too.!!
!
Slight!tangent!that!might!help:!We!rotate!through!favorite!packaged!foods!because!I!
have!learned!that!there!are!a!few!foods!that!can!undermine!my!efforts!to!feed!my!
daughter!a!range!of!healthy!foods.!Crackers!are!sometimes!on!this!list!because!if!
they!are!on!a!plate!with!veggies,!fruit,!and!cheese,!it’s!more!than!likely!that!she!will!
fill!up!entirely!on!crackers.!So!I!don’t!buy!them!every!week!and!they!are!a!rare!

! 16!
mealtime!component.!If!your!child!has!foods!that!give!him!tunnel!vision!at!the!table,!
try!spacing!out!servings!and!letting!the!package!run!out.!You!might!get!a!protest!at!
first,!but!the!benefit!of!toddler!memory!spans!is!that!they!will!soon!forget!and!will!
move!on!to!other!things—and!other!foods.!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!If!your!child!hears!you!call!them!picky,!they!will!likely!act!that!way.!
2.!Frustration!with!mealtime!drama!might!be!causing!you!to!unfairly!label!your!
child.!
3.!Rotate!through!your!child’s!favorite!foods!to!naturally!incorporate!variety!and!to!
help!them!avoid!getting!too!attached!to!any!one!food.

! 17!
Chapter!7!
Rethink!“KidAFriendly”!
!
Your!family!members!are!all!different!ages,!but!that!doesn’t!mean!that!you!need!to!
cook!them!separate!meals!according!to!who’s!a!grown!up!and!who’s!a!kid.!“Kid!food”!
is!purely!a!marketing!phenomenon!and!it!can!make!dinnertime!harder!than!it!needs!
to!be.!Of!course,!there!are!times!when!you!need!to!make!some!adjustments!to!
ensure!that!your!toddler!can!actually!manage!the!food!you!make.!Here!are!a!few!tips!
to!keep!in!mind!when!making!family!meals.!
!
Include!a!food!they!like.!I!try!to!not!serve!meals!made!entirely!of!new!foods,!but!I!
very!often!change!up!familiar!meals!by!swapping!in!new!ingredients.!If!your!kiddo!
likes!chicken!tacos,!try!black!beans,!steak,!or!sweet!potatoes!the!next!time.!Do!they!
love!pizza?!Try!pesto!instead!of!red!sauce!or!sausage!instead!of!pepperoni.!Love!
pasta?!Try!pesto,!cream!sauce,!or!a!butternut!squash!sauce!instead.!Or!buy!rice,!
quinoa,!or!lentil!pasta!instead!of!durum!wheat.!Have!a!bean!lover?!Buy!a!new!kind!
next!week.!Working!with!a!base!or!an!ingredient!that!you!know!they!like!will!
drastically!increase!the!likelihood!that!they’ll!try!a!variation!on!the!idea.!!
!
Serve!one!meal!but!serve!it!differently!as!needed.!Snip!spaghetti!with!kitchen!
shears.!Serve!tacos!and!sandwiches!deconstructed!with!the!tortilla!or!bread!on!the!
side.!Drain!most!of!the!broth!from!chicken!noodle!soup.!Stir!in!a!little!shredded!
cheese!to!rice!to!help!it!stick!together!so!it’s!easier!to!eat.!Your!toddler!won’t!be!able!
to!manage!all!of!the!foods!that!you!like,!but!that!doesn’t!mean!that!they!can’t!eat!it!if!
you!make!a!few!simple!adjustments!to!how!the!meal!is!served.!
!
Serve!food!family!style.!Usually,!if!I!put!our!dinner!components!onto!the!table,!my!
daughter!will!try!to!claim!them!for!her!own.!And!that’s!what!you!want:!By!letting!
kids!serve!themselves,!you!offer!them!the!chance!to!be!in!charge!of!what’s!on!their!
plate,!which!helps!them!feel!confident!and!in!control.!Let!them!tell!you!what!they!
want!to!eat!from!what’s!being!offered!(and!how!much)!and!you!can!even!try!to!help!
them!serve!themselves.!
!
Try!a!fruit!plate.!Almost!every!potluck!or!dinner!we!have!with!friends!and!their!
kids!involves!a!fruit!(or!veggie)!plate.!They!are!an!awesome!safety!net!when!you!
otherwise!aren’t!sure!what!the!kids!might!like.!It!works!for!family!meals!too,!
especially!if!you’re!trying!a!new!recipe.!Set!a!shared!produce!plate!on!the!table!and!
invite!your!little!ones!to!take!exactly!what!they!want.!(Making!a!shared!plate!of!fruit!
skewers!using!lollipop!sticks!is!almost!always!a!hit!in!my!house.)!
! !
Skip!“No!Thank!You”!Bites.!This!is!a!term!that!has!come!up!at!the!two!daycares!
we’ve!used!and!while!I’m!all!for!encouraging!kids!to!taste!new!foods!(or!foods!they!
liked!last!week),!using!the!term!“no!thank!you!bite”!sets!them!up!to!say!no.!You!are!
priming!them!to!not!like!the!food!before!they!even!have!a!chance!to!see!what!it!
tastes!like.!If!you!need!a!term,!“try!it!bite”!works!a!little!better,!or!just!suggest!they!
take!a!taste.!It!can!also!work!to!simply!not!make!a!big!deal!of!what!they!are!or!are!

! 18!
not!eating!because!often!the!more!you!push!them!to!try!something,!the!less!they!will!
likely!want!to—simply!because!of!the!power!involved.!
!
I!do!realize!that!many!of!you!actually!do!insist!that!your!child!take!a!certain!number!
of!bites!at!any!meal!and!that!can!of!course!be!a!good!strategy!as!long!as!it’s!working!
for!you!and!your!kids.!If!it’s!making!your!child!push!back,!you!might!want!to!
reconsider!it.!And!if!you!have!a!partner,!spouse,!or!other!regular!caregiver,!be!sure!
discuss!any!new!approaches!to!mealtimes!so!that!everyone!is!on!the!same!page.!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!Always!include!a!food!you!know!(or!think)!they!like!on!the!table.!
2.!Serve!food!family!style!and!let!the!kids!decide!what!they!want.!
3.!Try!including!a!shared!fruit!or!veggie!plate!with!family!meals.!
4.!Instead!of!forcing!bites!an!arbitrary!number!of!bites!of!food,!let!the!child!decide!or!
encourage!them!to!take!a!taste.!

! 19!
Chapter!8!
Teach!Toddler!Table!Manners!
!
Teaching!your!little!one!manners!is!an!ongoing!process!that!can!take!a!while,!but!
these!tips!might!help.!(See!also:!Patience.)!
!
Adjust!expectations.!It!is!highly!unlikely!that!your!toddler!will!be!able!to!sit!at!the!
table!and!enjoy!in!depth!conversation,!so!don't!expect!them!to.!They!often!eat!faster!
than!adults!and!when!they!are!ready!to!be!done,!they!are!ready!to!move!on!to!the!
next!thing.!So!when!you!see!the!signs!that!they!are!done—whether!it's!signing!"all!
done",!throwing!food,!starting!to!play,!or!fussing—end!their!meal.!Whether!you!
insist!that!they!stay!at!the!table!doing!something!else!(a!book,!playing!with!a!car,!
etc)!or!you!let!them!get!up!to!play!is!up!to!you.!!
!
Narrate!the!meal.!Your!toddler!likes!to!mimic!you,!so!tell!her!what!you!are!doing.!
"Mommy!is!using!her!fork!to!pick!up!her!pasta."!"Daddy!is!wiping!his!hands!on!his!
napkin."!It!might!feel!a!little!silly,!but!it's!one!of!the!easiest!ways!to!share!
information!at!the!table—and!help!your!toddler!adopt!the!habits!you!want!her!to!
have.!
!
End!bad!behavior!immediately.!Your!toddler!only!has!so!many!ways!to!
communicate!effectively!with!you,!so!if!they!are!throwing!food,!feeding!the!dog,!
playing!with!their!milk,!or!otherwise!doing!something!you!know!they!know!they!
aren't!supposed!to!do,!end!the!meal!by!removing!them!from!the!table—or!remove!
the!item!that!they!are!playing!with.!If!they!are!still!hungry,!reiterate!that!we!don’t!do!
whatever!it!was!they!were!doing!and!let!them!resume!the!meal!after!a!short!break.!!
!
Let!them!get!hungry.!My!philosophy!has!always!been!that!for!the!majority!of!
toddlers,!if!they!are!hungry,!they!will!eat.!So!if!they!aren't!eating,!they!could!be!
distracted,!not!hungry,!or!otherwise!preoccupied!(with!teething!pain,!say).!Limit!
snacks!between!meals!(especially!for!older!toddlers),!remove!toys!and!books!from!
the!table,!and!try!to!help!them!focus!on!their!food!by!sitting!with!them!and!talking!
about!what’s!on!the!plate!or!what!you!did!during!the!day.!Not!working?!Take!a!
break!and!try!again!in!15!minutes.!
!
Commit!for!the!long!haul.!I'm!not!kidding!when!I!say!that!we've!been!working!on!
"please"!and!"thank!you"!for!the!past!year!and!a!half.!My!girl!says!the!words!
unprompted!about!half!the!time,!which!is!at!least!better!than!none.!Reiterate!proper!
manners!again!and!again!(and!again)!and!know!that!they!will!eventually!get!it.!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!Teaching!toddler!table!manners!takes!a!long!time.!
2.!End!bad!behavior!at!the!table!by!removing!the!child!or!the!item!they!were!playing!
with!from!the!environment.!!
3.!Bad!behavior!may!be!a!sign!that!the!child!isn’t!hungry.!!

! 20!
Chapter!9!!
Handling!Treats…and!Snack!Food!
!
There!are!times!when!it!feels!like!there!are!snacks!and!treats!everywhere!
undermining!even!the!best!efforts!to!feed!our!kids!healthier!foods.!Here’s!how!we!
handle!the!excess!of!sugar!and!snacks!and!still!stay!sane.!
!
Sometimes,!try!serving!dessert!with!dinner.!Instead!of!planning!on!dessert!after!
dinner,!offer!it!as!part!of!dinner.!Each!time!that!I've!done!it!with!my!daughter,!she!
goes!back!and!forth!between!all!of!the!foods!and!in!the!end,!she!has!always!eaten!
less!of!the!dessert!food—if!any—than!I!have!offered.!It's!kind!of!amazing!to!watch!
her!balance!out!her!intake!this!way.!I!assume!that!this!is!partly!because!the!dessert!
food!is!being!neutralized!and!is!simply!another!component!of!the!meal.!It's!not!a!
treat!or!a!special!food!in!this!context,!so!there's!no!reason!to!want!it!more!on!an!
emotional!level.!It!may!taste!delicious,!but!she!might!be!just!as!hungry!for!the!other!
parts!of!her!meal.!!
!
Enjoy!treats!on!holidays!and!at!parties.!I!try!(very!hard,!though!admittedly!not!
perfectly)!not!to!make!a!big!deal!of!treats!when!they!are!at!birthday!parties!or!on!
holidays!because!I!know!that’s!part!of!the!fun.!On!the!flip!side,!I!often!decline!
lollipops!at!the!bank!or!the!grocery!store!since!I!don’t!want!candy!to!become!an!
expected!part!of!our!everyday!errands.!I!also!set!limits!during!the!course!of!our!
normal!routine—by!not!keeping!much!other!than!dark!chocolate,!whole!grain!
cookies,!and!fruit!leather!in!the!house—so!that!she!can!enjoy!the!special!occasions!
fully.!!
! !
Try!a!snack!reset.!If!your!toddler!is!refusing!to!eat!real!food!because!they!only!
want!crackers!(or!raisins!or!some!other!favorite!snack!food),!you!may!need!to!take!a!
deliberate!break!from!that!one!food.!Toddlers!get!into!routines!extremely!easily!and!
if!they!get!used!to!having!a!certain!type!of!crackers!every!day!for!morning!snack,!
that’s!what!they!will!want.!We!try!to!cycle!through!snacks!to!avoid!this!rut,!so!I!
deliberately!don’t!buy!crackers!(or!Cheerios)!each!time!we!run!out.!!
!
And!more!importantly,!I!don’t!offer!the!same!snacks—or!meals—two!days!in!a!row.!
The!more!you!can!vary!their!diet!or!rotate!through!foods,!the!better!able!they!are!at!
eating!a!wide!variety!of!healthy!foods.!So!if!your!little!one!gets!obsessed!with!a!
certain!food,!explain!that!we!had!that!yesterday!and!we’re!going!to!try!this!other!
food!today.!They!will!likely!fuss!and!they!might!refuse!to!eat!that!new!snack,!but!if!
you!stick!with!it!consistently,!they!will!adjust.!!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!Try!serving!dessert!with!dinner!to!neutralize!the!dessert!food!a!bit.!
2.!Let!the!kids!enjoy!treats!at!parties!and!on!holidays,!but!consider!limiting!random!
treats!that!come!up!during!the!week.!
3.!Vary!snack!foods!(and!meals)!to!avoid!serving!the!same!thing!two!days!a!row.

! 21!
Chapter!10!!
Help!Your!Toddler!Try!New!Foods!!
!
Getting!your!toddler!to!try!a!new!food—or!to!eat!a!food!they!liked!last!week—can!be!
an!uphill!slog!at!times.!Toddlers!are,!of!course,!notoriously!finicky,!but!I!do!think!
that!there!are!simple!things!we!can!do!to!encourage!our!little!eaters!to!branch!out!
from!their!beloved!staples.!Here!are!our!10!ways!to!help!toddlers!broaden!their!
taste!buds.!
!
Offer!teensy!portions.!I'm!talking!2!peas,!1!sliver!of!apple,!or!1!spoonful!of!yogurt.!
New!foods!can!easily!intimidate!or!overwhelm!our!little!ones,!especially!when!it's!a!
plateful!of!something!unfamiliar.!But!offering!really!small!tastes!helps!keep!fear!at!
bay!and!it!can!go!a!long!way!towards!reducing!the!amount!of!food!that!gets!wasted.!
!
Use!foods!you!know!they!like.!Using!foods!your!toddler!usually!likes!as!a!base!to!
introduce!a!new!food!can!help.!Do!they!like!oatmeal!with!raisins?!Try!swapping!in!
diced!peaches.!Pasta!with!peas?!Try!broccoli!the!next!time!around.!Providing!
familiarity!and$variety!can!go!a!long!way.!Explain!what!you!are!doing—you!will!
almost!never!get!away!with!a!covert!switch—so!they!understand!that!sometimes!
there!is!one!fruit,!and!other!days!you!get!to!enjoy!another.!
!
Try!a!new!food!as!an!appetizer.!This!might!not!always!work,!but!every!once!in!a!
while,!try!a!new!food!as!an!appetizer.!If!your!kiddo!is!really!hungry,!they!might!try!a!
slice!of!red!pepper!or!a!few!edamame!beans!if!there’s!nothing!else!around.!(You!
could!also!say!that!the!food!is!yours,!since!toddlers!tend!to!want!whatever!mom!or!
dad!is!eating!)!!
!
Change!the!scenery.!This!might!sound!silly,!but!I!swear!my!daughter's!vegetable!
intake!is!light!years!higher!when!we're!outside.!From!nibbling!veggies!straight!from!
the!garden—cherry!tomatoes,!kale,!spinach,!lettuce,!green!beans,!you!name!it—to!
trying!the!offerings!on!veggie!trays!at!potlucks,!the!fresh!air!(or!something!)!seems!
to!help.!(I’ve!never!had!this!interfere!with!her!appetite!at!the!next!meal!since!
toddlers!digest!vegetables!pretty!quickly.)!You!could!have!a!lunch!picnic!in!the!living!
room!or!breakfast!on!the!porch.!A!new!setting!is!fun!to!little!people.!
!
Talk!it!up.!Use!descriptive!words!about!the!color,!the!texture,!the!flavor,!and!the!
temperature!to!intrigue!your!toddler.!Challenge!them!to!describe!the!food!too—is!it!
cold!or!hot?!Does!it!feel!crunchy!or!soft?!What!color!is!it?!What!other!things!match!
the!color?!This!might!get!you!farther!than!focusing!on!"like"!and!"dislike".!!
!
Don't!push.!With!many!toddlers,!the!more!you!push!them!to!try!a!food,!the!less!
likely!they!are!to!actually!taste!it—because!what!your!toddler!probably!wants!more!
than!anything!is!power!and!a!sense!of!control.!So!let!them!be!in!control:!you!decide!
what!to!offer,!they!decide!if!and!how!much!to!eat!it12.!And!don't!sweat!it!if!they!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12!http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/dor/divisionofresponsibilityinfeeding.php!

! 22!
refuse!since!that's!a!totally!normal!part!of!learning!around!the!table.!It!does!not!
mean!you!failed!!
!
Try!not!to!take!it!personally!if!they!refuse.!I!can!almost!guarantee!you!that!
whether!or!not!your!toddler!tries!the!broccoli!has!little!to!do!with!your!cooking!
skills.!The!more!you!show!them!your!frustration,!the!harder!mealtime!is!likely!to!be.!
I’m!not!saying!that!you!can!stop!yourself!from!feeling!badly!if!they!don’t!like!the!
dinner!you!made,!but!I!am!saying!that!you!don’t!have!to!let!it!show!in!the!moment.!
When!my!daughter!won’t!try!something!I’ve!made!or!calls!a!food!“yucky”,!I!simply!
let!her!know!that!her!words!hurt!my!feelings.!And!I!think!that!she!can!relate!to!that.!
I!save!my!ranting!about!how!she!ate!the!exact!same!food!last!week!for!after!she’s!in!
bed.!
!
Remember!this!is!normal.!Almost!all!kids!show!some!resistance!towards!new!
foods!or!foods!they!are!given—it's!part!of!growing!up!and!learning!how!to!be!a!good!
eater.!And!think!back:!Did!you!like!everything!your!mom!served!when!you!were!a!
kid?!Did!you!jump!energetically!into!eating!all!the!new!food!around!you!in!college!or!
did!it!take!some!time?!There!legitimately!might!be!foods!that!your!child!doesn't!like,!
but!it!also!might!take!them!some!time!to!learn!to!become!familiar!with!some!foods.!
!
Add!flavor.!I!know!that!I!have!a!tendency!to!keep!veggies!really!simple,!especially!in!
the!summer!when!things!taste!so!good!(to!me)!on!their!own,!but!I!also!know!that!my!
girl!loves!broccoli!at!our!local!Japanese!restaurant.!Why?!Because!it!tastes!delicious!
in!that!brown!sauce!!And!sure,!that!sauce!probably!has!a!lot!of!salt!(and!sugar),!but!
don't!underestimate!your!kid's!palate.!Flavor!is!good!and!it!might!be!the!gateway!to!
helping!toddler's!learn!to!eat!the!foods!plain!down!the!road.!
!
Keep!trying.!You've!all!seen!the!stats!about!how!many!times!it!takes!a!toddler!to!try!
something!before!they!like!it,!so!think!of!your!longQterm!goals.!I'd!bet!that!you!care!
more!about!raising!a!healthy!person!overall!than!whether!or!not!your!toddler!eats!
another!spoonful!of!cauliflower!tonight.!So!keep!offering!fruits!and!veggies!that!your!
toddler!currently!won't!eat!regularly,!alongside!accepted!foods,!and!relax.!You!are!
doing!a!great!job!!
!
Takeaways:!
1.!Offer!really!small!portions!of!new!foods.!
2.!Pair!new!foods!with!foods!they!usually!like.!
3.!Change!the!scenery—take!it!outside!or!have!a!picnic!on!the!floor.!
4.!Try!not!to!pile!on!the!guilt!if!they!won’t!eat!something!you!made.!
5.!Explain!new!foods!to!help!them!understand!what!it!might!taste!like.!
6.!Try!not!to!push!too!hard.!
7.!Resistance!towards!new!foods!is!a!totally!normal!part!of!toddlerhood!!
8.!Don’t!be!afraid!to!add!flavor!to!vegetables.!
9.!Think!of!raising!a!healthy!eater!in!the!long!run!rather!than!getting!them!to!eat!a!
bite!of!veggies!tonight.

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Bonus:!Frequently!Asked!Questions!
!
My!inAlaws!feed!my!daughter!a!steady!diet!of!fast!food!and!treats!whenever!we!
visit.!What!can!I!do?!
I!know!a!lot!of!friends!who!have!decided!that!this!is!not!an!issue!that!they!have!the!
energy!to!push!back!on,!but!I!think!that!if!someone!is!doing!something!with!or!to!
your!child!that!makes!you!uncomfortable,!it’s!your!job!(and!your!right)!to!say!
something.!It!doesn’t!need!to!be!confrontational!because!it’s!very!likely!that!the!
grandparents!are!trying!to!give!the!child!a!special!treat!to!show!that!they!care.!But!
you!could!try!to!explain!your!approach!to!feeding!at!home!and!ask!that!they!
consider!healthier!meal!options.!Or!that!perhaps!they!focus!on!activities,!rather!than!
food,!as!a!way!to!bond.!
!
You!might!also!want!to!look!at!the!frequency!in!which!this!is!occurring.!If!it’s!a!few!
times!a!year,!maybe!you!don’t!worry!about!it!as!much.!But!if!it’s!really!regular,!it’s!
probably!causing!you!a!lot!of!stress!that!could!be!reduced!with!a!simple!
conversation.!
!
My!toddler!wants!to!eat!the!same!foods!every!day.!Is!that!okay?!
If!your!toddler!eats!the!same!foods!every!day,!there!will!likely!come!a!point!when!
that’s!all!they!will!want!to!eat.!Which!means!that!over!time,!their!list!of!accepted!
foods!will!get!smaller.!And!that!will!get!very!exhausting!very!fast.!As!I’ve!said,!we!try!
to!not!serve!the!same!thing!for!the!same!meal!or!snack!two!days!in!a!row.!You’d!be!
amazed!at!how!that!simple!rule!can!build!in!enough!variation!to!keep!your!child!
used!to!eating!different!foods.!Also!try!offering!new!foods!alongside!the!favorite!
food!when!you!do!serve!it.!
!
Remember:!You!get!to!decide!what!foods!to!keep!in!your!house.!So!if!you!aren’t!
happy!with!the!snacks!or!meals!your!family!is!eating,!make!small!changes!to!get!it!
closer!to!your!preference.!There!might!be!some!initial!resistance,!but!the!sooner!you!
can!eliminate!a!very!rigid!diet,!the!better!it!will!be!for!everyone.!!
!
My!son!is!never!hungry!for!breakfast.!Is!that!normal?!
“Normal”!hunger!patterns!can!vary!greatly!from!child!to!child,!so!it’s!possible!that!
your!son!isn’t!a!big!morning!eater.!A!few!things!to!keep!in!mind:!If!he’s!getting!a!
bottle!or!sippy!cup!of!milk!first!thing,!it’s!possible!that!he!has!no!room!left!for!other!
food.!Try!serving!the!milk!right!along!with!the!food!to!see!if!that!helps.!Otherwise,!
offer!a!smaller!breakfast!and!a!more!substantial!morning!snack!to!make!sure!he’s!
getting!enough!opportunities!to!get!the!nutrients!he!needs.!And!check!in!to!see!if!he!
might!be!distracted.!Is!everyone!racing!around!trying!to!get!out!the!door?!Does!he!
have!time!to!actually!sit,!focus,!and!eat?!If!that!seems!like!it!could!be!an!issue,!try!to!
stop!multitasking!(if!you!can)!during!breakfast!time!to!calm!things!down!a!bit.!
!
Similarly!with!dinner,!if!your!toddler!doesn’t!seem!hungry!for!dinner,!try!serving!
water!instead!of!milk!or!lightening!up!the!afternoon!snack.!They!might!just!need!
more!of!a!chance!to!work!up!an!appetite.!

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!
Can!you!help!me!convince!my!toddler!to!eat!vegetables?!
Toddlers!all!go!through!phases!when!they!will!eat!more!or!less!of!one!food!group.!It!
may!be!that!your!toddler!is!suddenly!less!hungry!overall.!Or!they!might!be!wanting!
more!flavor!in!their!veggies.!Or!they!are!bored!with!the!normal!offerings.!Who!
knows!!I’d!suggest!changing!things!up!regularly,!serving!formerly!favorite!foods!in!
new!ways,!cutting!the!veggies!into!different!shapes,!trying!totally!new!vegetables,!
and!relaxing—because!even!if!you!do!everything!in!your!power!to!make!the!most!
flavorful!broccoli!ever,!they!still!might!not!want!to!eat!it.!Remember!to!think!long!
term!with!their!intake!and!to!not!worry!so!much!if!they!skip!out!on!veggies!a!few!
days!in!a!row.!As!long!as!the!rest!of!their!diet!has!some!variety!and!you!keep!offering!
vegetables,!they!will!eventually!come!back!around.!!
!
It!can!also!help!to!just!have!fresh!produce!around!and!available.!So!in!the!summer!
when!there!are!snap!peas!and!cherry!tomatoes!at!the!market,!we!keep!them!on!hand!
when!we’re!playing!in!the!yard—or!on!a!shelf!in!the!kitchen.!(Snap!peas!in!the!
winter!are!also!a!pretty!delightful!treat.)!I!also!like!to!have!my!girl!help!me!pull!kale!
off!of!stems,!rip!up!lettuce,!chop!soft!veggies!like!cucumbers,!peppers,!or!zucchini!
with!a!crinkle!cutter,!and!deQstem!strawberries!because!she!tends!to!nibble!as!we!
work.!She!might!not!go!on!to!eat!the!food!when!it’s!prepared!at!the!table,!but!
knowing!that!she!already!had!her!fill!takes!a!lot!of!the!pressure!off.!!
!
Why!won’t!my!toddler!eat!meat?!
It!could!be!the!texture,!the!flavor,!or!just!their!mood,!but!here!are!a!few!things!to!
keep!in!mind.!Meat!can!be!hard!to!chew,!so!you!can!make!it!easier!by!offering!
ground!meat!in!pasta!sauce,!sausage!removed!from!the!casing,!shredded!chicken!or!
pork,!soft!lunchmeat,!or!stew!meat!that’s!been!cooked!well.!And!even!those!
preparations!can!still!trip!some!kids!up,!so!go!slowly,!don’t!push!too!hard,!and!know!
that!your!child!is!learning.!(It’s!also!okay!if!they!don’t!eat!a!ton!of!meat!per!their!
preference.!Just!incorporate!other!sources!of!protein!like!dairy,!beans,!tofu,!and!
eggs,!and!make!sure!they!are!getting!enough!iron.)!
!
My!18!month!old!is!suddenly!only!wanting!to!eat!mac!and!cheese?!What!
happened!to!my!good!eater?!
It’s!possible!that!they!suddenly!realized!that!they!can!get!you!to!make!them!mac!and!
cheese!whenever!they!won’t!eat!anything!else!!Toddlers!like!to!be!in!control!and!
yours!might!have!just!realized!that!he!has!some.!Your!kiddo!is!going!to!want!to!eat!
the!foods!he!likes!most!often,!so!it’s!your!job!to!help!prevent!the!list!of!liked!foods!
from!becoming!too!small.!I!know!I’m!repeating!myself!here,!but!we!try!to!not!have!
the!same!foods!two!days!in!a!row,!which!naturally!builds!in!some!variety.!And!look!
to!include!sides!with!favorite!dinners!so!that!there’s!a!regular!opportunity!to!eat!
other!foods.!I!sometimes!don’t!buy!favorite!foods!every!time!I!go!to!the!store!simply!
to!eliminate!any!battles!over!them—because!if!there’s!no!mac!and!cheese!in!the!
house,!dinner!has!to!be!something!else.!
!

! 25!
I!know!it!can!be!hard!to!give!such!a!little!person!tough!love!at!the!dinner!table,!
especially!if!you!are!worried!that!they!won’t!eat!anything!at!all.!But!you!need!to!take!
ownership!of!the!fact!that!you!get!to!decide!what!foods!to!keep!in!the!house,!and!
then!your!toddler!gets!to!decide!what!of!the!foods!you!serve!he!wants!to!eat.!If!you!
consistently!offer!a!variety,!let!him!choose!and!feed!himself,!things!should!
eventually!even!out.!!!
!
My!toddler!hates!it!when!I!make!a!new!recipe.!What!can!I!do?!
This!sometimes!happens!in!our!house!and!to!help!avoid!any!meltdowns,!I!surround!
the!new!recipe!with!foods!I!know!my!daughter!likes.!If!it’s!a!soup,!try!cornbread!and!
fruit!or!crackers!and!cheese.!If!it’s!a!casserole,!make!a!simple!veggie!side!or!veggie!
plate!and!offer!some!applesauce.!You!want!there!to!be!something!on!the!table!that!is!
familiar!and!welcoming!to!your!toddler!to!help!them!relax!about!the!main!dish.!
!
What’s!your!best!tip!for!saving!time!when!cooking!weeknight!dinner?!!
I!prep!produce!on!Sunday!afternoons!whenever!possible.!This!means!that!I!wash!
and!chop!ingredients!and!place!them!into!airtight!containers,!mason!jars,!or!zip!top!
bags!so!that!when!the!time!comes!to!make!the!soup,!tacos,!or!pasta!sauce!on!my!
meal!list,!all!I!have!to!do!is!open!the!container!and!dump!it!into!the!pot.!(When!
storing!leafy!greens,!add!a!paper!towel!to!the!container!to!absorb!any!excess!
moisture.)!This!is!also!a!good!way!to!cut!down!on!food!waste!since!it’s!much!easier!
to!see!what!you!have!when!you!take!everything!out!of!the!big!plastic!bags!that!you!
put!them!in!at!the!store.!You!may!not!have!time!(or!energy)!to!do!all!five!weeknight!
meals!ahead!of!time,!but!even!if!you!just!do!one,!I!bet!that!you’ll!be!glad!that!you!did.!
!
What!can!I!do!about!my!daughter!throwing!food!whenever!she’s!in!her!
highchair?!Depending!on!the!set!up!of!your!kitchen,!she!might!feel!a!little!left!out!if!
she’s!far!away!from!the!main!action!at!the!dinner!table.!You!could!try!scooting!the!
highchair!closer,!switching!her!over!to!a!booster!seat,!or!using!some!of!the!other!tips!
I’ve!mentioned!to!make!sure!that!she’s!really!hungry!for!a!meal.!You!could!also!try!to!
change!her!eating!scenery!for!a!day!to!reset!her!little!brain—because!she!might!just!
be!in!a!routine!of!throwing!food.!Try!a!picnic!in!the!living!room!(on!a!towel!with!notQ
tooQmessy!foods)!or!take!lunch!outside.!
!
What’s!the!deal!with!muffin!tin!meals?!
If!you!follow!me!on!Instagram,!you’ve!seen!the!occasional!post!featuring!a!lunch!in!a!
small!muffin!tin.!These!are!usually!a!collection!of!simple!foods!that!when!paired!
together!make!a!balanced!meal.!So!a!protein,!a!carbohydrate,!sometimes!meat,!and!
produce.!Like!cheese,!crackers,!salami,!snap!peas,!and!grapes.!Or!hummus,!
cucumbers,!sliced!apple,!raisins,!and!chickpeas.!The!beauty!of!this!sort!of!a!meal!is!
that!it’s!primarily!noQcook!and!it!gives!the!child!a!lot!of!choice!over!what!they!eat,!
which!almost!always!makes!for!a!happy!kid.!It’s!also!really!fun,!and!you!don’t!need!
to!become!a!professional!food!stylist!to!execute!it!well.!
!
!
!

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Which!foods!do!I!need!to!buy!organic—and!do!I!need!to!worry!about!GMOs?!
These!are!personal!choices!that!you!will!need!to!decide!for!your!family!based!on!
your!comfort!level!with!pesticides!and,!quite!frankly,!your!budget!and!where!you!
live!(because!availability!varies!widely).!Here!are!the!things!I!consider!when!buying!
groceries!to!help!me!decide:!
!
When!possible,!I!buy!organic!versions!of!the!produce!that!typically!has!the!most!
pesticide!residue.!So!I!buy!organic!apples,!peaches,!nectarines,!strawberries,!grapes,!
celery,!spinach,!sweet!bell!peppers,!cucumbers,!snap!peas,!potatoes,!cherry!
tomatoes,!and!kale13.!!If!I’m!buying!from!a!local!farmer!or!farmer’s!market,!I!simply!
ask!them!about!their!spraying!practices!because!they!often!use!a!lot!less!than!
commercial!growers!to!keep!their!own!costs!down.!!
!
I!opt!for!organic!dairy—or!hormoneQfree!dairy,!especially!if!there’s!a!good!local!
option—almost!always.!
!
I!buy!organic!corn!and!soy!products!when!possible!to!avoid!many!GMOs.!(We!make!
an!exception!for!local!sweet!corn!because!there!are!no!organic!options!where!we!
live!in!the!Midwest!and!missing!out!on!sweet!corn!season!would!be!too!sad!)!
!
We!buy!the!majority!of!our!meat!from!a!local!farmer!because!it’s!the!least!expensive!
source!for!grassQfed!meat!in!our!area.!When!buying!meat!from!a!store,!such!as!
chicken,!I!usually!opt!for!“natural”!over!“organic”!simply!due!to!cost.!
!
To!be!honest,!there!is!no!way!that!I!could!stick!to!our!food!budget!if!we!bought!all!
organic!foods!in!the!town!where!we!live.!There!simply!isn’t!a!great!demand!for!it!
here!and!so!the!prices!are!much!higher.!By!prioritizing!with!the!list!above,!I’m!able!
to!keep!my!spending!in!check!but!also!feel!comfortable!with!the!food!that!I’m!
feeding!my!family.!!
!
!
!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
13!http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty_dozen_list.php!

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And!finally…!
Feeding!your!little!one!will!be!a!constantly!evolving!equation!that!will!shift!as!they!
grow.!Since!you!took!the!time!to!read!this!book!and!are!clearly!interested!and!
invested!in!making!mealtimes!work!for!the!whole!family,!I!know!you!are!already!
doing!a!great!job.!So!keep!it!up!and!let!me!know!if!you!have!any!questions!or!helpful!
tips!of!your!own!to!share!!
!
Find!me!at:!
Yummytoddlerfood.com!
yummytoddlerfood@gmail.com!
Join!the!Yummy!Toddler!Food!Community!on!Facebook:!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/818231748246738/!
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All!content!and!images!are!copyright!Palanjian!Media!2016.!Please!do!not!share!or!
copy!any!text!without!permission.!!

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