As a parent of toddlers, you may be constantly challenged to feed your kids with food that is both nutritious and delicious – especially when they are picky.
Director of the Clinical and Health Psychology Research Centre at the University of Roehampton Lee Gibson, PhD assures that it is perfectly normal for children to go through a picky eating stage, especially as they are grappling to learn concepts like autonomy and control.
However difficult it may be, it helps to know that you are not alone. Meal prep may be a big help in organising your routine and getting your toddlers well fed and taken care of, before pickiness turns into a larger issue.
With this in mind, here are four tips for meal prepping for toddlers to get you started:
Meal Prepping Tips for Toddlers
1. Set a schedule and give an illusion of choice
Chief of Paediatric Speech Pathology, Hildy S. Lipner says that one of the best things you can do when preparing your toddlers’ meals is to set a routine.
At one point or another, you might have constantly tried to offer an array of food whenever you couldn’t get your kids to eat something.
Instead, she advises establishing an eating schedule: three meals a day, with two snacks in between.
This way, they also have something to look forward to, and it promotes healthy habits. Also, you can get them involved in the process by giving them the illusion of choice.
You can do this by limiting their options, but engage them by asking them what fruit or vegetable they want. This could also help you get a clearer picture of their preferences, and work this into your plan when you are doing meal prep.
2. Repurpose leftovers
Meal prep can be a breeze when you plan ahead and make a big batch of dishes at the start of the week which you can reuse in different ways. This is a great time-saving trick for busy parents.
If you’re wondering where to get started, whole grains always work well as a base for meals and are packed with fibre, nutrients, and minerals.
For this, we can turn to trusty rice cookers to get the job done. Cuckoo is a tried and tested brand, and their rice cookers are no exception. These can even double as steamers and pressure cookers, allowing you to multitask and prepare other meals in a breeze.
If you make a large batch of grains at the start of the week, you can repurpose them into porridge, fried rice, rice balls, or add them to the burritos featured in ‘Healthy Recipes for Vegetarian Children.’ These keep things novel for your toddler and also help you minimise food waste.
3. Present the meals creatively
Bento boxes are a great way of making food look enticing enough for toddlers to eat. This is true even when they contain things they may be unfamiliar with, and it is a strategic way of introducing new foods into their diet.
Bento boxes ensure that you are giving your toddlers a good portion of every meal component. The Bentgo Children’s Lunch Box is a popular choice as it is durable, portable, and comes with five compartments.
This also allows you to get creative and change things up every time. Some parents even shape food into different characters’ faces to entertain their kids.
4. Eat by example
Dietician and blogger Kath Younger says that you do not always have to prepare separate meals for your toddlers. It is good to acclimatise them to new textures and flavours that are not necessarily considered ‘kiddie meals.’
She suggests deconstructed versions of your adult dinners, perhaps serving them the same pasta you will eat, but with the sauce on the side. This shortens the meal prep process for you and demonstrates leading or eating by example, getting your toddlers to trust you better, too.
Stay tuned with Motherhood Story for more meal prepping and nutritious food ideas for your little ones.