Toddlers always love to have different foods and textures. It is the perfect time when you teach your toddler how to enjoy various kinds of foods, textures, flavors, and tastes. Toddlers have the natural ability by which they come to know when they are hungry and when they are full. You should give a toddler a food which is being eaten by everyone in the family which is surely the encouraging factor for the toddler to try out different flavors and foods. Do not ever offer low-fat or diet food to the toddlers as it can result in poor growth.
Usual concerns of parents: It is very common in toddlers to have picky eating. For toddlers, there are huge numbers of things to explore rather than just eating food sitting in one place. There are some other reasons as well why toddlers tend to change their eating patterns are:
· Growing slowly: Usually, growth slows down in the second year, which means they need less amount of food and have a smaller appetite. It is possible to have considerable change in amount of food they it every day. It is for sure, that this change is going to make parents concerned about their toddler and they may feel that their toddler is sick or unwell. But no need to worry as this change is quite common.
· Snacking and grazing: Toddlers usually do not follow the typical patterns and mealtime every day. As they always in need of small snacks. Small snack timings and meals help children to have a full appetite and get energy throughout the day. It is obvious that a mealtime in the evening is smaller than that f in the morning. Children have the ability to accurately balance their food needs if as a parent you offer a perfect amount of meals and let them enjoy the food and not force them to finish their meals or to have more and more bites during meal times. T is important that you must offer nutritional and healthy food to the toddler every day to restore the energy.
· Fussy eating: Toddlers are slowly becoming independent and fussy eating is one of the parts when they can say no to their offered food. A toddler may reject a food offered by you but it is possible that they may eat it the other day. Here is one more tip you can use disposable placemats with appetizing colors which increase your babies appetite.
Other problems related to toddler feeding: Other problems may include; · Overeating · Taking less amount of food and more amount of drinks · Pureed food is better than chewing the other ones · Refusing food and tantrums at mealtime.
Make your toddler a person to take decisions: You have the right to choose what sorts of food your toddler must eat but let your toddler decide when and how much food he wants to have. As we know children have a natural ability to know that when they are hungry or full. So be sure that children will surely eat when they are hungry. Do not insist your child to eat more and more over every meal as this may lead to overeating in future which can be hazardous for their health. So let them decide when and how much they want to have at a mealtime.
Some suggestions for parents at mealtime: · Offer smaller quantity and give more if needed · Try to give the same food as other family members are eating · Teach your toddler to eat healthy, balanced and different foods · Do not forget that a toddler needs small but regular snacks. · Do not force them to finish their meal and let them tell you that they are full.