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Expert Q&A
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| By iParenting Staff iParenting Staff Experts | ||
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My 3-year-old hardly eats. How can I get him to eat more varieties of food?
Toddlers have tiny tummies -- about the size of their fist. Next time you sit him down to a plateful of food, put it next to his fist -- see the discrepancy? Toddlers like to nibble on foods throughout the day rather than sit down for three big meals. Here's a Sears' family trick. Fill an ice-cube tray or muffin tin with nutritious nibblees and give them childlike names, such as broccoli "trees," orange "wheels," cooked carrot "sticks," cheese "blocks." Reserve a couple compartments for nutritious dips, such as yogurt dip and guacamole dip (without the spices). Toddlers love to dip. Put the nibble tray on his own little table. (Do not allow him to run around the house with nibblees. Require him to sit down while he grazes.) Or, you can keep the nibble tray in the refrigerator and he can get it out when he wants a snack. Grazing gets more food into a busy toddler with less parental hassles. Smoothies are also a hit with toddlers. Many toddlers like to drink their meals. Let him help you make veggie art, such as zucchini pancakes with various fruits and vegetables for eyes, ears and mouth. In The Family Nutrition Book, by William and Martha Sears, you will find a chapter entitled "17 Tips on Feeding the Picky Eater," as well as some nutritious recipes for dips and smoothies.