As a mom, I think we all worry about whether our kids are getting the proper nutrition. I remember even during those first few weeks when my babies were first born, I would constantly worry about whether they were getting enough milk to gain her birth weight back in time and if I was providing the enough to help them grow and develop. Now that my little ones are a little older at 3 and 1 year old and eating on their own, I want to make sure that they’re getting enough variety and learning how to make good decisions when mealtime comes around. Needless to say, it’s easier said than done!
Toddlers can be picky and have a palette that is fickle, to say the least — what was “yum!” just hours ago is now nothing short of a vehement “yuck!”. Since I know the struggle all too well, I wanted to share my own tips for how I make sure my kids are getting all the nutrients they need (without it becoming a daily battle!).
Have them help in the kitchen. Food always tastes better when you make it, doesn’t it? I started having Dylan help me in the kitchen once he was able to follow simple directions and provided him with simple tools that he could use to help prepare meals and snacks with me. While his attention for cooking has ebbed and flowed (there were a few months when he just wasn’t interested at all), I didn’t pressure him but continued to try and find different tasks he might enjoy to spark his curiosity. I made sure to allocate extra time when preparing meals with Dylan’s help and kept it fun and playful. I love when Dylan sees the result of his hard work and he’s been much more likely to give different and new foods a try (even if it’s vegetables!).
Make healthier alternatives to traditional treats. For those times we do enjoy treats at home, I try to have healthier alternatives available whenever possible. We’ll add kale into smoothies, make brownies using black beans, and use spiralized zucchini instead of carb-heavy pasta. My kids don’t even notice the difference and I’m glad that the entire family can enjoy a healthier food option.
Be the example. Kids are literally always watching. We have a “just one bite” policy in our home where we always take one bite of everything just so we know that we gave it a fair chance. I actually distinctly remember the time I said that I didn’t like collard greens and Dylan reminded me that I needed to try one bite again! I strongly believe that healthy habits start at home and both Adrian and I make a concerted effort to practice what we preach.
Have vitamins fill in the gaps. And because it’s always nice to have a little insurance, we all take multivitamins just to cover the nutrients that we may not have gotten naturally from food. Olly Kids recently released a vitamin line and I just love that each one is created with a different goal – Super Brainy, Growing Bones, Happy Tummy, and Mighty Immunity.
Dylan looks forward to picking out his vitamin every morning (so much that he even goes to bed thinking about it!) and it’s a nice way for him to feel empowered about his health. I love that it makes him take a moment to pause and check in with his body and determine what it needs that day.
Fuel the body to unleash the inner superhero! I’ve always lived by the mantra that if you feed your body well, your body will treat you well. For kids, it can be explained as feeding the body food that will bring out the inner superhero! We don’t label food as good or bad, but instead, I focus on having my kids tune into how different foods make their body feel. When my son might complain of a tummy ache, we sit down and think through the different foods he may have eaten to cause the issue. My hope is that the natural feedback process from the body will let my kids learn that fueling it with the right foods with help them feel better and do better!
Olly Kids is having an incredible giveaway right now where you can win a year supply of yummy gummy vitamins plus gift cards to Tea Collection, Target, and Starbucks. Be sure to enter for your chance to win!
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Thank you to Olly for partnering on this post!
Lovely blog!! Really like your new layout. You are doing an awesome job balancing your career, family and blog! Keep up with the great content! xoxo, Viv
http://www.dudettesedge.com
thank you, Viv! it’s a juggling act for sure!
“I want to make sure that they’re getting enough variety and learning how to make good decisions when mealtime comes around. ” What I think that, when the kids are growing up, more and more nutrition are necessary for their development. So, as a mom’ s duties, they are very proud for their babies.
This is something really interesting and it also gives us an idea about the nutrition and how kids can be shown the preparation of foods when we cook food in the kitchen. Kids should also know about the ingredients used to prepare food apart from eating and the nutrition.
I really appreciate this article a lot.
Kids can be picky when it comes to food. Nevertheless, the methods highlighted here are sure to work and overcome the challenges when it comes to meal times.
I sympatise with the mother who has loads of work bringing up toddlers and babies and what more with the refusal to eat at meal times and grow up with sufficient nutrients. A mother’s job is never finished even when the kids are adults.
Beautiful and straightforward article! It is indeed very frustrating to let kids eat the right kind of food (vegetables, especially) and these tips really come in handy for all the struggling moms out there. Kids are very unpredictable and you must have unlimited tricks up your sleeve to get their attention (or make them eat!).
Most moms think it’s a disaster to let kids in the kitchen. But with the right preparation and supervision, it can be a fun activity! What I do is prepare everything beforehand (e.g. peel/slice fruits or vegetables) and leave the most interesting part for the kids to enjoy. Your kids will remember this and will make them appreciate the food they prepared with you.
I like the design of the OLLY vitamins. They are so lovely and I even want to have a taste.
My sister’s kids don’t seem to have any issues with regards to making her kids eat better. Actually, I am quite amazed that my nephews and nieces can eat vegetables that I didn’t and still don’t. I hope I can make my own children like that. The tips here will be helpful for that. Thank you for sharing!
Such cute kids! I like the simplicity of your layout. I missed my niece.
He looks like my Sammy. He dislikes broccoli like a lot. Must have got it from his daddy. Thanks by the tips!
This is a very informative article. kids are very picky eaters and it’s hard to force them to eat green vegetables or unappetizing food. I very much love the trick with the black beans for brownies and use spiraled zucchini for pasta!
I love you wrote this article and address the concern using your experience and kids as an example. I totally agree with eating by example and to take vitamins to fill the gaps.
Your kids look very beautiful…and smart too! I think it’s cute how they reminded you of your one bite policy. Goes to show that you have been an effective mom. Cheers!
I think I need to know more about how to add healthier veg to treats. That’s one very good idea so kids can still eat healthy while they enjoy their food. Oh and your kids look lovely!
Vitamins are really important during kids younger years! Thanks for sharing the tips. Will look into this fun chewables when out and about! 🙂
I have a nephew, a little older than five, and she already what’s proper food from not. My sister practiced her to eat more of vegetable, less to no sugar, and absolutely no pork just fish and chicken. My sister also practiced my nephew to prepare food with her, so, now she is a very responsible eater.
By the way, this is a very nice blog!
The first tip was genius! I like the idea of having kids involved in the kitchen. It does not just make the kids participate and then eventually love the food they help preparing, it also gives moms and their kids some bonding time. This is a lovely blog, btw.
Olly VItamins looks totally yummy and attractive to kids. I wonder if we can buy some of ’em here in PH. Anybody knows where we can buy these vitamins? Thanks!