Ella's Kitchen nutritionist Claire Baseley on encouraging toddlers to eat healthy foods
Trying to get a toddler to eat a healthy balanced diet can turn into a battle of wills.
You find yourself spouting mantras such as 'You're not leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate,' and 'That's why you can't have snacks, they spoil your appetite,' as you glower at each other over an untouched plate of broccoli.
With so many rigid rules to abide by, it's no wonder that mealtimes can become a battlefield. But are these rules really necessary?
According to Ella's Kitchen nutritionist Claire Baseley the following food rules are made to be broken...
Rule 1: Toddlers shouldn't snack between meals, because snacking will spoil their appetite and make them less likely to eat their dinner.
'It's actually really important for toddlers to snack between meals, as they have really tiny tummies so they can't eat enough in one sitting to get all the calories and nutrients they need.
'Eating little and often helps toddlers to get the variety of nutrients that they need to grow and develop. Toddlers should eat at least two nourishing snacks a day, along with their meals and about 500ml of full fat milk.
'Good snack ideas include a couple of crackers with cheese spread; chopped fruit; a toddler-sized handful of veg sticks with hummus; or two toddler biscuits (try Ella's Kitchen's Spelt Cookies) and a small no added sugar yoghurt.
Rule 2: Toddlers shouldn't leave the dinner table until they've finished everything on their plate.
'Toddlers are not like us, they don't eat when they're not hungry, and equally they know when they've had enough.
'It's important to listen to your child's appetite. If you've asked them a couple of times if they want any more to eat and they don't seem interested, then don't force them to eat any more.
'Even if your child has eaten less than normal that day, there's no need to worry, she's not going to starve herself. Her needs will just vary from day-to-day and you can be sure she'll eat more when going through a growth spurt.'
Rule 3: Children shouldn't play with their food
'Food isn't just about fuel. Eating helps toddlers learn hand-eye co-ordination, chewing skills and helps their little hands to become more dextrous.
'Snacks like cubes of cheese, raisins or Ella's Kitchen Multigrain Puffs or Nibbles are great for honing that pincer grip.
'Also, by making food fun, you're more likely to tempt fussy eaters to try new foods. Turn their plate into a story: Broccoli looks like a tree and cauliflower looks like little sheep.
'Allowing children to really explore food with all their senses can really help them to form a much happier relationship with food.'
Rule 4: Toddlers who don't finish their vegetables can't have dessert.
'While it's tempting to use treat foods as a reward for eating more tricky foods like vegetables, this actually tells your children that veggies are bad and sweet foods are good.
'Soon, they won't eat their veg unless they always get a treat. It's better to reward eating vegetables or behaving well with lots of praise and smiles, or stickers, cuddles and play time.'
Rule 5: In an age with widespread childhood obesity toddlers should have low-fat foods.
'It's a mistake to think that what is healthy for an adult, is healthy for a toddler. Their needs are really quite different to ours.
'Toddlers are growing so quickly that per pound of their body weight they need more calories than we do. So actually a low fat adult diet isn't good for toddlers - they need more fat in their diet to help them grow.'
You find yourself spouting mantras such as 'You're not leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate,' and 'That's why you can't have snacks, they spoil your appetite,' as you glower at each other over an untouched plate of broccoli.
With so many rigid rules to abide by, it's no wonder that mealtimes can become a battlefield. But are these rules really necessary?
According to Ella's Kitchen nutritionist Claire Baseley the following food rules are made to be broken...
Rule 1: Toddlers shouldn't snack between meals, because snacking will spoil their appetite and make them less likely to eat their dinner.
'It's actually really important for toddlers to snack between meals, as they have really tiny tummies so they can't eat enough in one sitting to get all the calories and nutrients they need.
'Eating little and often helps toddlers to get the variety of nutrients that they need to grow and develop. Toddlers should eat at least two nourishing snacks a day, along with their meals and about 500ml of full fat milk.
'Good snack ideas include a couple of crackers with cheese spread; chopped fruit; a toddler-sized handful of veg sticks with hummus; or two toddler biscuits (try Ella's Kitchen's Spelt Cookies) and a small no added sugar yoghurt.
Rule 2: Toddlers shouldn't leave the dinner table until they've finished everything on their plate.
'Toddlers are not like us, they don't eat when they're not hungry, and equally they know when they've had enough.
'It's important to listen to your child's appetite. If you've asked them a couple of times if they want any more to eat and they don't seem interested, then don't force them to eat any more.
'Even if your child has eaten less than normal that day, there's no need to worry, she's not going to starve herself. Her needs will just vary from day-to-day and you can be sure she'll eat more when going through a growth spurt.'
Rule 3: Children shouldn't play with their food
'Food isn't just about fuel. Eating helps toddlers learn hand-eye co-ordination, chewing skills and helps their little hands to become more dextrous.
'Snacks like cubes of cheese, raisins or Ella's Kitchen Multigrain Puffs or Nibbles are great for honing that pincer grip.
'Also, by making food fun, you're more likely to tempt fussy eaters to try new foods. Turn their plate into a story: Broccoli looks like a tree and cauliflower looks like little sheep.
'Allowing children to really explore food with all their senses can really help them to form a much happier relationship with food.'
Rule 4: Toddlers who don't finish their vegetables can't have dessert.
'While it's tempting to use treat foods as a reward for eating more tricky foods like vegetables, this actually tells your children that veggies are bad and sweet foods are good.
'Soon, they won't eat their veg unless they always get a treat. It's better to reward eating vegetables or behaving well with lots of praise and smiles, or stickers, cuddles and play time.'
Rule 5: In an age with widespread childhood obesity toddlers should have low-fat foods.
'It's a mistake to think that what is healthy for an adult, is healthy for a toddler. Their needs are really quite different to ours.
'Toddlers are growing so quickly that per pound of their body weight they need more calories than we do. So actually a low fat adult diet isn't good for toddlers - they need more fat in their diet to help them grow.'
Article taken from Parentdish.co.uk
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