Page 1 of 3

Healthy food diet for toddler?

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:41 am
by lavlow
Can anyone share with me what kind of food do you feed your kids throughout the day except lunch and dinner?

My girl is 3yo and day in day out eat about the same stuff and i'm cracking my heads what other healthy choices i can offer her, noting that she's resistance to new food / taste :(

Re: Healthy food diet for toddler?

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:59 am
by san76
lavlow wrote:Can anyone share with me what kind of food do you feed your kids throughout the day except lunch and dinner?

My girl is 3yo and day in day out eat about the same stuff and i'm cracking my heads what other healthy choices i can offer her, noting that she's resistance to new food / taste :(
Hi,

3 yr old should the time that they explore and always ah ah ah for new food. Try to give all kinds of food in small quantity. Dont give the same thing everyday like a routine. Do mean snacking? Try give cereal with tiny fruits, cheese, milk, all dairy stuff but in small quantity. Alternatively you can try giving sandwich cut in tiny triangles, shapes.

Dont forget water. make it interesting and cute. You can find finger food for toddles from the website.

Steamed baby carrots and let her try with different type of sauce, tomato, mayonise etc. The taste should be lighter not to sour or too salty.

You can bake your own tiny cup cakes with designs on top or sprinkles.

Good luck and have fun.

Easy food will be the best.

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:22 am
by heutistmeintag
hi Lavlow, if you have the time, try making cute looking (and healthy) food like
http://allthingspurple.blogspot.com/search/label/Bento
http://www.bentocorner.com/roller/page/ ... %2FRecipes

My kids just love fun food. :idea:

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:31 am
by Bowie
Any healthy off the shelf snack to recommed??

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:53 am
by schellen
Bowie wrote:Any healthy off the shelf snack to recommed??
Raisins?

Personally, I prefer the dried cranberries but toddlers may not like the tart taste.

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:02 pm
by Bowie
Given her raisins.

Last month, when I bring her out, an aunty in a shop gave her a sweet. She is beri happy and asked me if she is allowed to have it.

This simple event triggers some tots in mi.
I am quite particular on the things my gal eat. And I am very proud my gal (28 months old) is not a fussy eater and she love her daily share of veggies, fruits, fish and meat.

Sweets and chocolates are never a part of her normal treats.......is she missing something.....something that many kids enjoy everyday.....

I try to relax a bit on the things she eat and wan to find healthy snack so that she can explore variety of food.

Do advise if u have more idea. :lol:

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:53 pm
by schellen
Bowie, it's perfectly normal to not have sweets and chocolates. My DD never cultivated a taste for chocolate until she was in k1 or k2, and even then, she'd prefer to choose other flavours of ice-cream, cake, etc rather than chocolate. When she was a toddler, I gave her chocolate milk/cookie and told her what it was. She made a face and refused to even try it. Months later, I tricked her into trying a choc cookie without telling her what it was. She went "Bleah!", and stuck out her tongue.

As for sweets, she likes to buy them more that eating them. Maybe cos the bright and pretty wrappers are nice to look at? Ice-cream, she has about once a fortnight, I think, cos my DH regulates this. However, she doesn't ask often so if she doesn't ask, we don't offer.

Candies and chocolates from goodie bags from school and childcare are all passed to me or just chucked onto the dining table when she gets home. She may ask to eat a few of them but most of the time, she's not interested.

So, don't fret if you think your daughter is missing out on these treats. If she doesn't bother to ask you for them, good! It'll save you the dental fees and medical fees. :wink:

Besides raisins, I also gave yogurt and fruit. Buttered toast cut into fancy shapes using cookie cutters are fun too. Or melted cheese on toast.

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:10 pm
by schellen
Bowie, if you're buying pre-made/ready made stuff, read the labels. Watch out for too much sugar and salt/sodium. Sugar can come in many forms so learn to ID them. Avoid MSG, artificial flavours and colours and preservatives. Some fruit juices/drinks are not 100% juice so check the label. Even if 100%, you may want to add water cos natural juices are sometimes very sweet on their own.

Don't be fooled by thinking that since the food is meant for kids, and the brand is reputable, it should be okay for my kid. Keep in mind that in different countries, what is okay for them may not be okay for you. For example, the Japanese may add salt to their baby biscuits. The Europeans may add sugar. The British think that weakened or watered down tea is okay for kids. The Taiwanese take in a lot of MSG, I think. Etc, etc.

If you have time, you may want to use freshly-squeezed juices at home to make ice lollys. Just use any suitable (small container) that can be frozen, and ice-cream sticks that you can buy easily from Popular. Pour juice in mould, put stick in freeze. However, you need to stabilise the stick or else it will fall to one side. I think maybe places like Ikea sells lolly-making containers cheaply.

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:41 pm
by MLR
Hiya Bowie

Other than the ritz cheese sandwich biscuits and glico biscuits sticks, i hardly buy off the shelf snacks for DS. He doesn't quite enjoy them. He dislike sweet (taste and candies), cold, chocolate, he enjoys savoury stuff. As schellen pointed out, most snacks are packed with preservatives, colourings, flavourings, etc.

If she is not sensitive, nuts and cheese are nutritious and delicious. Banana chocolate (or nutalla) on toast is a all time fav since i was young. Cheese toast is the easilest snack to make. Mix raisins and almonds/macademia/sunflower seeds/pistacio and put them in small zip lock bags for easy access and good to bring for outings.

Whenever i make chocolate fondue and theres left over, i will mix in raisins and some crushed nuts, level out in a small tray and left to harden in the chiller for own chocolate bars. For making your own chocolate sauce, use dark (70%) chocolates, not those milk chocolate, melt 80g in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, mix in a dash of milk/cream and a teaspoonful of butter, a dash of cinnamom/nutmeg powder, mix well and for adults can also add in a dash of orange/cherry brandy/liquor.

Make your own jelly with apple juice and fresh fruits, instead of water, use apple juice (i use Florida fresh apple use). To encourage DH to eat fresh veg, i cut up carrots and celery sticks and allow him to dip them in peanut butter. Apple slices with cheese slices is an odd but delicious combination too.

Oh theres too many snacks that i love to make...... :love:

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:18 pm
by schellen
schellen wrote:If you have time, you may want to use freshly-squeezed juices at home to make ice lollys. Just use any suitable (small container) that can be frozen, and ice-cream sticks that you can buy easily from Popular. Pour juice in mould, put stick in freeze. However, you need to stabilise the stick or else it will fall to one side. I think maybe places like Ikea sells lolly-making containers cheaply.
I just remembered another easier way to make mini lollys. Use your freezer's ice-cube tray. Pour juice into tray. Stretch a piece of clear wrap over the top of the tray. Stick toothpicks into each compartment of tray through the wrap. The wrap will keep the sticks in place. And this method makes mini lollys that are the right size for little treats.