What to Feed Your Toddler: Milk Means More Moms Share What Works For Them
If you have a toddler in your house, you know they have lots of opinions about what they eatย (and about everything, really).ย
Sure, they likedย that peanut butter sandwich yesterday, but this is a newย day,ย and they wonโt touch it!ย
There are lots of resources out there to helpโin fact, we recommendย one of our own.ย But, sometimes hearingย storiesย from other moms who are living through the same thing is the most helpful.ย ย
At Milk Means More, we have three moms of toddlers on staff. They areย Jessica Niven,ย mom ofย 21-month-old Islaย (and Cora and Jonah);ย Cortney Freeland, mom of 18-month-old Wells; andย Sandy Sellers, registered dietitian and mom of 21-month-old Samantha, or Sammie, (and Lily).ย
We recently asked Jessica,ย Cortneyย and Sandyย to share their experiencesย withย feeding theirย toddlers. Below are edited excerpts from their responses.ย
What type of eater is your toddler right now? Picky? Lovesย everything? Somewhere in-between?ย
Cortney: I would say that Wells is somewhere in-between. He LOVES fruits, veggies and dairy but isnโt a big fan of meat. It gives us options and some limitations.ย ย
Sandy: Sammie is superย pickyย and it has been a challenge for me as a registered dietitian to understand why she refuses to try many foods.ย Butย we patiently continue to put smallย amounts ofย different foods on her plate and know that she will try them when she is ready.ย ย
Jessica:ย Somewhere in-between. When trying a new food, sheโll take cues from those around her. A lot of times with new foods, I’ll take turns having bites with her.ย
What have you learned from watching your toddler learn to eat?ย
Cortney: Some days he will eat like he is a bottomless pit and other days he wonโt touch the same foods as the day before. He has taught me that if he is hungry, he will eat; ifย heย isnโt,ย he wonโt, and he will be fine.ย ย
Sandy: I have learned that no two children are alike! Our oldest would at least try anything and everything set inย frontย of her. Sammie either ignores it, says โno,โ or takes it off her plate and hands it to us. We continue to offer new foods to get her comfortable with them.ย ย
Jessica: Food is so much more than just taste! There are different textures, temperatures, colors, etc. Itโs interesting getting to explore foods again through her eyes (or fingers, cheeks and nose).
How do you make sure your toddler gets enough dairy?ย ย
Cortney: We give him milk every morning when we get up and again before we brush our teeth at bedtime. This was an easy transition from breastfeeding because it was his existing schedule. However, he still wonโtย tipย his own sippy cup!ย Then he eats yogurtย and cheeseย almost every day as aย snack, or asย part of a meal.ย I am very excited he is getting intoย smoothies,ย sinceย that is a great vehicle for lots of nutrition!ย
Sandy:ย Sam has milk with every meal and often asks for โmore milk.โ Cheese is her favorite food.ย Jessica:ย We give herย milkย before naps and bed,ย sometimes yogurt at breakfastย and almost always a bit of cheese during lunch.ย
Editorโs note:ย For toddlers 12-23 months old, the daily dairy recommendation is 1 2/3 – 2 cups. Forย 2โ3-year-olds, it is 2 cups.ย Read more about recommended dairy servingsย here.ย ย
What advice would you give to another parent when it comes to feeding a toddler?ย
Cortney: Don’t sweat it! Every kid is different. If you have a picky eater, they will not stay picky forever. You are a good mom. If you have a kid who eats everything in sight, they will slow down when it is right.ย
Sandy: Be patient. Donโt compare this child to a sibling or any other child. You and your child are learning together, and you will figure it out together. Stick to your guns, though. If your child is not eating the healthy things they should be eating, donโt replace it with other foods that you know they will eat. They will eat when they are hungry!ย
Jessica:ย My favorite advice is fromย KidsEatInColor.com:ย If a kidย doesnโt wantย toย eatย a food, respond withย aย lightheartedย โYou donโt have to eat it.โย Meals can be challenging, especially with young kids. This simple phrase takes a lot of pressure off everyone and helps reduce tantrums.ย
Thank you to our toddler moms for their stories! If you missed it before, Jessica and Cortney shared what they ate when they were pregnant for Isla and Wellsย here.ย