Toddler I Blog Post

Getting a toddler to eat healthy and try new foods is something that often stumps parents. We often hear from parents, “My child only eats hotdogs;” “My child only eats chicken nuggets;” “I cannot get him to eat anything;” or “Meal time is often a battle.” Over the years we have found that the best way to encourage a toddler to try new things is to make them part of the process.

In May we planted our garden. The children were an active part of the planting and care of our garden. They loved digging in the dirt, watching the plants grow, caring for them, and harvesting what they planted. This summer, we enjoyed carrots and radishes from the primary garden, as well as tomatoes and butternut squash from our own garden. Surprisingly not only did most of the children eat the vegetables, but they loved them and asked for more!

Helping with food prep and simple cooking methods is a large part of the curriculum. As the school year progresses, the children will even begin to help prepare their daily snack. Encourage your children to help out where they can in the kitchen. Maybe ask them what they would like for dinner every now and then and have them help you pack their lunches. Helping with grocery shopping can also be a fun and exciting task for toddlers. They are little sponges at this age and love learning new things using their senses. What could be a better way to broaden their food horizons than getting them involved!