My toddler is a notoriously, unpredictable eater. One month, she’ll adore eggs. And then, seemingly out of the blue, she’ll decide eggs are “Yuck.” One day, she is all about eating chicken. Then another day, she hates chicken and wants yogurt or Cheerios. Given that her weight gain has traditionally been slow, what she eats and how much of it has always been a huge concern of mine.
Beans are one of our "go-to" snacks.
It can be frustrating getting her to eat foods at mealtimes, but I’ve learned to work around her picky eating and keep her inspired to want to eat. One of the things I do with her is ensure that she eats high-protein snacks throughout the day. To do this, I had to admit to myself that the standard toddler “goldfish” and “crackers” were really just something that I was indulging in to stave off stay at home mom boredom and instead begin to make it a point to keep lots of the better snacks on hand.
A list of all our favorites can be found here. But, some of our favorite snacks this month are chickpeas, mozzarella cheese sticks, and unsalted peanut butter on apples. I pack these snacks in the car and at playdates just so she can always have great foods to eat at a moments notice.
Along with making sure that she snacks throughout the day, I’ve been making sure that she stays hydrated with only water and milk. My toddler doesn’t really like juices, so by only stocking our fridge with the beverages she prefers and keeping them available throughout the day, she stays hydrated.
And the last thing I’ve been doing is making sure to save all leftovers. If my toddler refuses to eat her breakfast, then I save it and offer it again as a snack later. Usually, this tactic works. It saves money on food and helps me from feeling the need to eat her uneaten foods. hehe.