Getting Your Toddler to Eat During Meals

Encouraging your toddler to eat is often a power struggle. Toddlers are easily distracted and have trouble sitting still during meal time. They are just beginning to explore their world and exercise their independence in little ways. They may not have much freedom yet, but eating is one of the few things that they can control. Letting your toddler choose his food isn't such a bad idea. It may even help both of you if your let him pick from healthy food choices.


Toddlers are stubborn. It is in their nature to contradict whatever you ask them to do. Threatening them with punishment won't work either. It is best to use a diplomatic approach when feeding your child. You can still get him to eat his vegetables but do it discreetly. Toddlers may be stubborn but this doesn't mean they can't be outwitted. Parents just need to be a little creative in order to get their child to eat. With a little patience, you can get your toddler to finish that bowl of veggies.


Most parents are wondering how toddlers can manage to last for a long time without going hungry. They never seem to starve even if they had just one decent meal the whole day. Depriving them of snacks won't make them hungrier during meal time. The sad truth is that a toddler won't eat something unless he likes it. A bowl of broccoli is still a bowl of broccoli. It doesn't matter what time of day you serve it.


Surprisingly, most toddlers get enough nutrition from what they eat. Your child should be alright as long as he is gaining weight and developing normally. Toddlers don't need as much calories as we do. A daily caloric intake of around 1,300 should be enough for their age group. The reason why many parents are anxious about their toddler's diet is because they overestimate the amount of food that they should be eating.


Serving smaller-sized portions may get your child to eat more during meal time. An ideal measure of toddler-size portions would be a quarter of whatever you would consume. A whole slice of bread is too much for a toddler. Half-sized portions of fresh fruit, bread and eggs are more manageable for your toddler. Instead of giving a whole cup of yogurt, scoop out 1/3 into a separate container and keep the rest for later. Encourage him to eat at least one to two tablespoons of vegetables.


Never bribe your child with candy or small toys, nor should you threaten him with punishment. Yummy dessert is something to look forward to after meal time. However, this tactic would only work temporarily. Offering dessert as a reward for eating vegetables makes it seem like sweet treats are more valuable than the actual meal.


Encourage your child to eat well by being a good example yourself. Let him sit with you during meal time. A toddler is more likely to develop good eating habits if he sees his parents eating healthy meals. It's crucial to educate your child with proper nutrition at an early age. Just be sure to do it discreetly. There's no need to clap your hands with every successful bite of broccoli, nor should you punish your toddler for spitting out his veggies.

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