All about toddler meals and food. Advice and information.

We all know that toddlers can be fussy eaters with their toddler meals. Learning about healthy eating is important if your toddler is going to grow up to be healthy and vibrant.

There are lots of things you can do to make learning about food and eating healthily fun, nutritious and delicious – here are ten for starters:

• Make your weekly food shop into a family outing and let your toddler see what you’re buying. Invite them to choose a couple of healthy items for their toddler meals – see if they can identify fruits and their colours etc.

• Eating breakfast helps toddlers stay alert and energised throughout the day. Try wholegrain cereals topped with low fat yoghurt and fruit to help them reach their five-a-day.

• Pack lunchboxes (if your toddler is at nursery) with healthy eating options, like pittas and bagels filled with tuna and sweetcorn. Low-fat yoghurt and a small packet of dried fruits will satisfy a sweet tooth

• For after-school snacks make sure there is plenty of fruit to hand. Beans on toast or mashed banana sandwiches are healthy ideas for really hungry toddlers.
• Try to make healthy food fun and tasty and blend fresh fruits together into a smoothie instead of offering sugary, fizzy drinks

• Think up fun games to play, such as asking your toddler to choose the fruit they want in their smoothie.

• Get your toddler to take part in helping you cook their toddler meals. They can have great fun mixing and mashing ingredients, this can even be educational, even at this young age.

• Meals can be made to look interesting by using lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables. Get your toddler to serve and arrange the food on the plate for you (with your help of course!)

• Don’t forget to practice what you preach! Set a good example by eating healthily yourself. Children love to feel grown up.

• Allow your toddler to have an occasional treat, such as crisps or cake – but make sure it’s not more than once or twice a week. Make sure you emphasize the fact that these items are a treat for good behaviour.
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Meal times for toddlers can be a testing time for parents. Whether your toddler meals contain enough goodness, whether your toddler is eating enough, eating properly and is actually getting a good variety of foods into their system can all pose issues at meal times.

Good eating habits and a routine can help to make meal times easier. You can even get you toddler involved in preparing their toddler meals. Your toddler can easily help you get items of food out of a low level cupboard or even the fridge (If you allow them to at meal times!)

Getting your toddler involved will make them for welcoming when it comes to sitting down and eating a meal. It is always a good idea where possible to eat together. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner with your toddler rather than having your food then preparing toddler meals and sitting your child down to eat separately.

During this early stages it is vitally important that you are introducing new foods to your toddler. Even if it meals putting one new item of food in front of them once a week. Even if they do not eat it. As long as they are introduced to it and look, touch and taste it they will soon learn what it is. If they reject a certain item of food, leave it around a 3 or 4 weeks and introduce it again.

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