When baby Eli was younger I would make my own homemade purées with a range of nutritious fruits and vegetables, and he loved them all. I remember thinking to myself wow he is going to be such a great little eater! Oh how wrong I was
Fast forward to having a 16 month old independent little man who doesn’t like the majority of foods I make for him. It can be tough and so disheartening putting so much time and effort into making healthy meals and snacks, for it just to be thrown all over the floor.
But, don’t give up! Consistency is key. Keep offering those foods and one day your toddler may just decide they now like it.
Understand that fussy eating is all part of normal child development. It’s a way of asserting their independence and exploring their environment, just as throwing food on the floor is playing with cause and effect. It’s also normal for children to like a food one day, and refuse it the next, to refuse new foods and to eat more or less from day to day.
Things I tend to do to get Eli interested in eating is including him in the food preparation. Generally this means he is hanging off my hip while I am trying to prepare food one handed, or sitting on the bench making a huge mess. But you know atleast I try, right? I also try to offer a variety of foods with different colours, textures and tastes, in finger sized portions so he can pick and choose.
Eli has some food allergies so I have to work around these when thinking of meals to make for him. Below is chocolate chia seed pudding, with fresh fruits. This one is super easy to make, full of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, and is fully vegan.
Lately though our absolute winner has been slow cooked meals! He has actually been finishing his whole bowl which he never does. In the coming days I will post up some of my home made slow cooker recipes, so keep an eye out for anyone who is interested!
I hope this article has helped you in some way or another. If it’s knowing that you are not alone and most parents go through having a fussy eater at some stage or another, or trying out some of the tips I’ve offered.
Thanks for stopping by!
