Nourishing Your Toddler

The last time we visited Kirstin's Pediatrician for her check-up, the Doctor asked if she's eating good still. Apparently, there is a sudden change of appetite once babies become toddlers. Oftentimes, the infant who once ate well becomes the toddler who shows little interest in food. The reason for this is that the child's growth has slowed somewhat. But that's not the case for Kirstin. I guess she's still growing like crazy...she'll probably grow just like her father! Oh no! I'd be left out! Haha!

He warned us though of the iron deficiency anemia, which is very common to toddlers. And because we weaned her from bottle to sippy cup, we stopped giving her Enfamil (which has lots of iron). So, we try to make up for it by giving her iron-fortified cereal or iron rich food sources.

The nice thing about this age is we don't have to feed her. She finds it exciting that she's able to feed herself so she won't allow us.

Here's a tip to foster feeding skills for toddlers:

1.) Provide foods that are soft and easy to chew, cut up in bite-size pieces.
2.) Cook foods that tend to stick to a spoon, such as oatmeal and mashed potatoes, to help your toddler master using a spoon.
3.) Small portions are the best - your toddler can always signal if he/she wants more
4.) Make mealtime a pleasant experience. This is often a challenge for parents who worry that their child isn't eating enough. As a result, some parents might become very pushy about food, and a toddler will learn quickly that he can gain control of the situation by refusing to eat. This situation often can be avoided by taking a few precautions: Make sure that your child is seated properly for ease of eating (a high chair works well), and reduce distractions from the television or house traffic to avoid overstimulating him. When possible, eat with your child so you can model how to eat and expose your children to new foods.