healthy eating habits

The Ultimate Guide To Iron Rich Foods For Toddlers

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Read time: 11 minutes
guide to iron rich foods for toddlers-list of iron rich foods for toddlers

Toddler years mark the onset of personal preferences and food choices. Often times toddlers showcase fussy and picky eating behaviors. As the range of food starts to narrow down to a few favorites, nutrient deficiencies start to crop up. One of the most common childhood nutrient deficiencies is iron deficiency anemia. A combination of picky eating and lack of parental awareness leads to many toddlers suffering from anemia. In this post, I will talk about iron rich foods for toddlers, with special attention on picky eaters. We will also look at lesser-known foods that are good iron sources and how a combination of these foods together can help prevent the onset of anemia in toddlers.

WHAT IS IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA?

Iron in the red blood cells helps carry oxygen and take it to the different parts of the body.

Every red blood cell in the body contains iron in its hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to the body’s tissues from the lungs. Iron gives hemoglobin the strength to “carry” oxygen in the blood so that oxygen gets to where it needs to go.

People who become iron deficient aren’t getting enough iron in their diet. This means that the body can’t make hemoglobin, so it makes fewer red blood cells. This is a condition called anemia. When someone has anemia, less oxygen reaches the cells and tissues and affects how the body works.

Iron plays an important role in muscle function, energy creation, and brain development. As a result, a child with iron deficiency may have learning and behavioral problems. (source)

IRON DEFICIENCY IN TODDLERS SIGNS

Some of the tell-tale signs of iron deficiency in toddlers are;

  1. Pale skin
  2. Fatigue
  3. Repeatedly falling ill, catching a cold.
  4. Low appetite
  5. Increased heartbeat
  6. Dizziness

In rare cases, the child develops Pica which is a strange craving for non-food items like dirt, chalk, ice or paint.

iron rich foods for toddlers-iron rich foods for toddlers list

WHAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL IRON LEVELS IN CHILDREN?

For infants RDA

7-12 months – 11 mg/day

1-3 years – 7 mg/day

4-8 years – 10 mg/day

(source)

IRON RICH FOODS FOR TODDLERS

  1. Red meat
  2. Dark poultry meat
  3. Fish
  4. Organ meats like liver, kidneys, and heart
  5. Egg yolks
  6. Beans and Lentils
  7. Dark green leafy vegetables
  8. Whole grains
  9. Nuts and seeds

Master List of Iron Rich Foods

HOW TO INCREASE ABSORPTION OF IRON?

There are 2 types of iron present in foods; heme iron and non-heme iron.

Heme iron is present in animal food sources and is more easily absorbed by the body.

Non-heme iron is present in plant foods and compared to heme iron is less easily absorbed by the body.

  1. Foods rich in Vit C help to increase the absorption of non-heme iron from food.
  2.  Cooking foods in cast iron pans is another way to increase iron content in food.
  3.  Avoid giving more than 2 cups a day of whole cows milk to children above age 1. Milk is low in iron and drinking too much milk fills them up which then decreases the amount of iron-rich solid food consumption.
  4. Avoid combining calcium-rich foods with iron-rich foods if your aim is to obtain iron from the meal. Some studies showed that calcium hinders iron absorption. This is a very tricky situation since young children need a good amount of calcium for growth too. One way around this is to include iron-rich foods at every meal so as to ensure the child gets enough iron throughout the day.
  5. Iron fortified foods like bread, pasta, cereals are also good options to include in daily diet paired with Vit C rich foods like berries, tomatoes to give that additional boost of iron.
  6. Phytates in foods like lentils, legumes, and certain grains are also known to hinder iron absorption but soaking, sprouting and fermenting grains and legumes can improve iron absorption by lowering the amount of phytates present in these foods.
  7. Chicken liver is a good source of heme iron, one that is easily absorbed in the body. If the child likes organ meats like liver, make sure to offer it once a week.  However, iron rich foods like liver should not be had more than once a week because they are also very high in Vit A which is toxic when consumed in large amounts. Another point to note is that the liver is the organ in the body that removes impurities, which means that antibiotics and hormones fed to the animal are most probably found in this meat. The solution to this problem is to buy good quality meat that grass-fed, is antibiotic and hormone free.

HOW TO INCREASE IRON LEVELS IN TODDLERS?

Here is a list of iron sources that I use regularly that aren’t as commonly talked about, but work wonderfully with toddlers. While some of these are not looked at as the main sources of iron, these do contain iron which when supplemented with other high iron foods toddlers and kids are eating, add up to the iron content throughout the day.

Take this list of foods more as a supplement to the overall iron content of the day.

Quinoa

Sweet potatoes

Whole wheat in chapatis and cracked wheat dalia

Hemp seeds

Almonds

Nut butter

Millets

Peas

Cashews, most picky eaters prefer the taste of cashew nuts over almond or other nuts. Making it one of the easiest nuts to offer picky-eating kids.

Pumpkin seeds

Dried Apricot

Tofu

Chickpeas

Potatoes

Mushrooms

Amaranth

Coconut

Here is a look at the iron content in some of these foods and how to combine them in meals that appeal to toddler and increase iron content in total.

Foods Nutritional value How to offer/Combinations that boost iron content
Quinoa 2.8 mg/185gm cup Quinoa salad, boiled quinoa mashed with potatoes, quinoa khichdi
Sweet potatoes 0.7 mg /100 gm boiled and mashed Boiled, Baked, roasted sweet potato fries, sweet potato stuffed whole wheat bread (paratha), sweet potato stews cooked in coconut milk, sweet potato mash
Whole wheat 4.7 mg/100gm whole wheat flour Whole wheat chapati, chapati wraps, chapati with nut butter, dalia (cracked wheat) porridge, whole wheat crackers.
Cashews 1.9 mg/28gm, raw Plain, roasted, in energy bars and balls, added to smoothies or porridge
Nut butter 0.6 mg/1 tablespoon eg. almond butter On toast, on chapati, in energy bars, banana boats, in smoothies, and porridge bowls.
Millets 1.1 mg/1 cup of 174 gm Upma, millet flours can be used to make pancakes, mixed with whole wheat to make chappatis, porridge, ladoos, soups, idlis, dosas, pulav, paniyarams.
Peas 1.2 mg/1/2 cup 80 gm Veggie sides, pea fritters, soups, pulav, and upma.
Dried apricot 0.7 mg/28 gm As a snack option on the go, apricot energy balls.
Tofu 5.4 mg/100gm Sauteed, tofu curry, tofu scramble
Chickpeas 2.9 gm/100gm Hummus, chickpea curry, chickpea wraps, chickpea patties, boiled chickpeas as finger food for older toddlers.
Potatoes 0.5 mg/1 medium 167 gm boiled potato Potato mash, potato cutlets, potato hash, latkes, potatoes in rice and vegetarian dishes.
Coconut milk 1.6 gm/100ml Stews, smoothies, semolina porridge cooked in coconut milk, use in pancake batters.

Source: https://nutritiondata.self.com/

foods rich in iron for picky eaters

THE PICKY EATER SOLUTION: HOW TO BOOST IRON IN YOUR PICKY EATER

Since toddlers eat very little and are sometimes picky about food and textures remember to include iron-rich foods in every meal.

I recently asked my Instagram audience of moms about the types of foods their picky eaters prefer and found the following foods to be crowd favorites: pancakes, parathas, and dosas. Besides these foods, every picky eater seems to enjoy potatoes.

Going by the responses I got, these foods are a great way to include some iron-rich millets like bajra, jowar, and ragi in dosa/pancake forms.

Parathas a dish made of potato stuffing in whole wheat flour is a way to get in more iron in meals. Maybe add in different types of vegetables to the stuffing too.

Most toddlers in the survey had tried some of the additional iron sources I spoke about in the table above, namely; peas, coconut, cashews, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes.

These foods can be introduced repeatedly in different ways to gauge which preparation the child likes the most.

Potatoes were a clear winner in the tried and loved category. And though most moms I know are unhappy that their toddlers only like potatoes, I think it’s a great thing, because potatoes also contain a reasonable amount of iron and can be combined with other foods to make yummy preparations.

Because of this ease of combining potatoes with other iron-rich foods like mincemeats, peas, whole wheat etc, not only do potato-based dishes make for calorie dense foods but also increase the iron content of the overall meal.

In the nuts category, cashews seem to be a crowd pleaser thanks to its mild taste compared to other nuts. Adding a cashew nuts powder to parathas, or cashew butter with an iron-rich pancake mix can help boost overall iron content of the meal.

Most picky eaters don’t like to eat meat, but minced meat in meatball shapes can be a way to add heme iron into the diet. As a picky eater myself, I remember as a child not liking meat, but being okay with organ meats and fish.

Offer your child a variety of meats and fish in order to understand what it is they like and then make that food in different ways to keep them interested.

Serving the toddler food in a section divided plate also helps. A section divided plate makes the food on the plate look appealing and increases curiosity about the food, thus encouraging the toddler to try at least one bite of each food.

Here is our favorite toddler section divided plate. For more details about these plates read my blog post on Avanchy bamboo bowl and plate review.

IRON RICH RECIPES FOR PICKY EATERS

  1. Sweet potato muffins: A great option to add sweet potato in muffin form. I don’t know of any toddler who doesn’t like muffins.
  2. Paratha (stuffed bread) with sweet potato /potato filling.
  3. Lentil Bolognese: If your toddler likes spaghetti, this is an iron dense version that’s tasty as well.
  4. Energy balls: Dates and nuts make these tiny delicacies that any picky eater with a sweet tooth will love. Energy balls are also a great snack option to get oats into the picky eater’s diet. Oats contain a good amount of iron and the combination of oats, nuts and dates make energy balls perfect iron rich foods for toddlers.
  5. Pancakes: There are many ways to boost the iron content in pancakes. Use a base flour like whole wheat, mix this with flours rich in iron like jowar, ragi or barley. For topping use almond nut/cashew butter. This way there is iron in the wheat and jowar flour base and nut butter. If you choose to make the pancake in coconut milk, then, even more, iron there. This is how I build meals for my son, adding layers of nutrient-dense foods that not only help with flavor but also increase energy and nutrient density of the meal.
  1. Whole wheat bread peanut butter sandwich
  2. Whole wheat chapati and nut butter roll-ups
  3. Breakfast egg muffin: If the toddler refuses eggs, try egg muffins instead. Add vegetables to your egg muffins and boost the iron content even more.
  4. Dosas: All types of dosas. If your picky eater loves dosas, then do a little happy dance because dosas are an iron and protein-rich food. Plant foods that have undergone fermentation, soaking, and germination, help reduce phytates, leading to enhanced bioavailability of the non heme iron.
  5. Whole wheat pasta in tomato sauce.
  6. Smoothies: Most picky eaters will enjoy a green smoothie made with spinach, mango, and almond milk. This delicious combination packs in on the iron and tastes super yummy.
  7. Popsicles: The smoothie trick can be applied to popsicles too. Homemade popsicles are super easy to make and a huge toddler favorite. Some combinations we love: Blueberry coconut milk popsicles, spinach, mango popsicles, and strawberry almond milk popsicles.

MORE EASY IRON RICH RECIPES FOR TODDLERS

I regularly post healthy recipes for toddlers on Instagram, and most of them are focused on iron. Have a look through these and try a few of these recipes with your toddlers and let me know how they like it.

Gram flour Pithale

Matzo with hummus and basil

Vegan Sheera

Chickpea flour pancakes

Rolled oats porridge

Chickpea cakes

I will continue updating this blog post with more iron rich foods for toddlers including recipes and ideas so bookmark this post for future reference.

Some moms may ask, what about iron supplements for toddlers? It is generally advised to focus on iron rich foods and nutritionally balanced meals over supplements of any kind.

But if you notice symptoms or have that nagging feeling about the quantity of iron in your toddler’s daily diet, it is advisable to talk with your pediatrician and get a blood test done before remedying with supplements.

In the case of iron supplements, too much is not a good thing. The short answer: Iron supplements are to be taken only on doctors’ advice.

What iron rich foods does your picky toddler like? Leave me a comment below, this can help other moms looking for ideas.

10 Power Packed Immune Boosting Foods For Kids

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Read time: 10 minutes
immunity boosting foods for kids

The child’s diet is the number one concern for most parents. I get asked about, how to boost immunity in toddlers, and immune boosting foods for kids, quite often as a mommy blogger. And since I write about healthy meals for kids, this is known territory for me.

Food plays an important role in maintaining good health. We all know good food equals good health. But how can we help our little children with varying appetites, fussy eating problems and get them to eat a good quality diet in the right quantities that helps maintain strong immunity?

In my blog post tackling common toddler eating problems, you will find tips on how to overcome fussy eating with a consistent routine and modification to your approach to food and eating.

In this post, I will talk about 10 immune boosting foods for kids.

If you follow me on Instagram where I post regularly about healthy toddler food ideas, you will see that I include each of these foods in our daily diet at home.

Regardless of how well our son eats, these foods are always on the plate.  A diet centered around these foods is known to maintain a strong immunity and keep most illnesses at bay. That’s why I call them my mommy arsenal against diseases.

But wait, before we start,

Immune Boosting Foods for Kids-bowl of healthy toddler food

WHAT ARE IMMUNITY BOOSTING FOODS?

To understand why we include the following foods in our arsenal against illness and disease we need to first understand what happens inside the body when infectious disease-causing bacteria or viruses gain entry.

Our body has a natural defense mechanism that includes fighter cells like the WBC’s and antibodies which are the bodies first line of defense against disease-causing bacteria and viruses. These cells neutralize any threat to the body.

Certain foods in conjunction with factors like good rest, Vit D and low-stress help keep the body in a balanced and healthy state ready to take on any invasion by infectious bacteria or viruses.

These foods contain immune system supporting compounds like antioxidants, certain key minerals and vitamins like zinc, selenium, iron, copper, Vit A and Vit C for example that keep the body nourished and ready to take on any pathogens.

It is well known that malnourished persons are most vulnerable to disease-causing pathogens.

Poor nutrition in childhood causes frequent illnesses. Including the below-listed foods is the first step towards building your child’s immune system and ward off infectious illnesses.

10 Power-Packed Immune Boosting Foods For Kids

  1. Vegetables

assorted-broccoli-cabbage

Vegetables have a high antioxidant level that prevents inflammation in the body. The darker the vegetable the more antioxidant-rich it is. Vegetables like green leafy’s are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, containing important vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate.

Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy are rich sources of vitamins C, E, and K. They contain compounds that are anti-cancer and cardioprotective in nature.

These nutrient-dense foods when consumed regularly not only keep the body’s immunity strong, they also protect against various diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and cancer. Encouraging the love for vegetables when children are young is like gifting them with life insurance.

For an average toddler, you should aim for 2-3 servings of vegetables a day.

How to offer: Vegetarian sides, vegetable soups, stews, roasted vegetables, vegetable curries, vegetable stuffed parathas.

  1. Fruits

fruits-immune boosting foods

Next up is fruits of course. If your kids don’t like vegetables but eat fruit, don’t worry too much, offer fruit instead. Most of the nutritional benefits are the same between fruits and vegetables. Offer fruits in all the colors of the rainbow, making sure to include seasonal fruit varieties. These come with the right amount of nutrients that are suited to the weather at that time of the year and provide natural immunity against illnesses.

The Vit C in fruits helps guard against the common cold and other illnesses. The phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals paired with fiber is what makes fruits and vegetables health foods with immune protective properties.

How to offer: Cut up into appropriately sized pieces in a fruit platter, fruit smoothies, nice creams, popsicles, fruit skewers.

  1. Turmeric

turmeric powder-immune boosting

The health benefits of turmeric are world-renowned. Turmeric is now recognized as the superfood with cancer-fighting properties.

Luckily for us, Indian food has incorporated this immune boosting food for eons. In fact, I am sure most of us grew up drinking turmeric milk every morning as a part of the Indian breakfast meal.

Turmeric or Haldi contains a compound called curcumin, that is known for its anti-inflammatory properties that help boost immunity.

Curcumin’s reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system. Some researchers now believe in using this compound as immune therapy for certain immune disorders. (source)

If you are wondering how to eat turmeric, then the answer is to eat it in the whole form, as root or in ground powder form where its own natural oils help the body to absorb the curcumin best.

Pepper, when combined with turmeric, is also found to be the best combination to boost the absorption of the curcumin.

How to offer: Added in stews, curries, rice dishes, added to a glass of cows milk with saffron and dry fruits powder.

  1. Mushrooms

brown-mushrooms

Mushrooms are very good at immune modulation and various studies have elucidated how adept mushrooms are as antitumor agents. (source)

In fact, mushrooms have been used in Eastern medicine for a long time, it is only now that the world is becoming more aware of the benefits of consuming mushrooms.

Mushrooms contain Vit D which makes it an important immunity boosting food. Increasing mushroom intake definitely helps maintain a healthy body. To know more about the superfood benefits of mushrooms, read my blog post on vegan superfoods for kids.

How to offer: Stir fry, sauteed mushrooms, in vegetarian stews, curries, and rice dishes.

  1. Lentils

Lentils are powerhouse foods containing B vitamins, folate, zinc, and magnesium. They provide protein and a good amount of fiber needed by the growing body. Lentils are also a good source of iron which is an important mineral during childhood.

The beautiful thing about lentils is that they contain certain polyphenolic compounds and phytochemicals that are known to be immune boosting, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammation.

The polyphenols in lentils do not lose their health benefits on cooking, which is great because you need to cook lentils thoroughly in order to be able to digest them properly. (source) Here are some lentil recipes for toddlers.

How to offer: Lentil curry, Dal, Lentil patty, Sambhar, lentil bolognese.

  1. Ginger

ginger

Ginger has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-nausea and immune boosting power. The protective effects of ginger are well known in traditional medicine.

Raw ginger can be a little spicy for kids to handle so hiding it in small quantities in vegetarian dishes or making a drink sweetened with honey can help.

Ginger is a great food to increase immunity against cold and cough. In winters, I make basil and ginger tea – Add 1/2 inch stalk of ginger, 3-4 basil leaves in 2 cups of water. Bring water to boil. Now remove the basil leaves and ginger. Add a little honey to this tea and offer toddlers as a drink in their sippy cup. Be careful to offer this tea lukewarm.

How to offer: Ginger can be added in curries, stews, and green juices.

  1. Root vegetables

vegetables-immune boosting foods for kids

Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, yams, taro, kohlrabi, celeriac, offer a variety of nutrient-rich ingredients that support good health.

Even turmeric, garlic, and ginger are root vegetables, but I don’t include them here as we use them more like spices and flavoring ingredients.

Since root vegetables grow in the soil, they absorb a lot of nutrients from the soil. Root vegetables provide much-needed fiber, vitamin C and a variety of antioxidants that provide with protective action against diseases and illness.

Winters are known to be cold and flu season. And if you look at what is naturally available in season at this time of the year you will find many of these root vegetables in the markets. Nature has perfectly designed the foods we need to eat each season to maintain good health and disease resistance.

How to offer: In stews, boiled with a little salt and pepper, or roasted root vegetables.

Get this yummy sweet potato mash recipe for babies and toddlers.

  1. Millets

millets for babies

Millets are tiny seeded grass that is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are classified as superfoods by some for their ability to protect against cardiovascular ailments, cancers, and nutrient deficit problems.

Millets are easy to digest and some like ragi, bajra, jowar are a great addition to a growing child’s diet. To know more about the benefits of millets read my post on Millets for babies.  I also included two baby-friendly recipes in that post.

How to offer: Millet based soups, pancakes, porridge, dosas, and idlis.

  1. Nuts

almond-almonds-brazil-nut

If there is one advice by my grandfather that I remember to this day, it was his, “Eat a handful of nuts everyday” advice. He strictly followed his own advice and ate a handful of mixed nuts including almonds, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts daily.

Nuts are a powerhouse of vitamins, and minerals beneficial to health. Not just vitamins and minerals, they provide protein, omega 3’s, and healthy fats. What’s not to like?

Nuts contain Vit E which with its high antioxidant properties helps keep cells healthy and protects against disease.

Adding nuts to a child’s diet is a great way to reduce overall saturated fat content in daily diet and substitute it with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Not only are you providing immune protective foods but also helping maintain a healthy weight on the baby.

Here is a detailed post on healthy fats for kids.

How to offer: Add nuts to smoothies, nut powder to parathas or porridge, include nut butter in the child’s diet, nut butter on toast, or with pancakes, make energy balls with nuts and dates.

  1. Eggs

bowl of eggs-immune boosting food for kids

Eggs contain many healthy vitamins and minerals like Vit A, Vit B 12, Vit D, Vit E, zinc, selenium, iron, choline, iodine, lutein and zeaxanthin and omega 3 fatty acids.

The lutein and zeaxanthin especially are eye protective in nature.

All these vitamins and minerals are important to support good health and boost the immune system.

How to offer: Scrambled eggs, omelets, egg muffins, egg sandwiches, and boiled eggs.

immune boosting foods for kids-healthy toddler foods- image of a pineapple

OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD HEALTH AND STRONG IMMUNITY IN KIDS

  1. Vit D: Vit D has an important role to play in immune modulation. A deficiency in Vit D is known to increase susceptibility to infections and increases the risk of autoimmune diseases. Which means a good amount of time should be spent playing outside. At the same time choose timings of the day when the sun does not burn the skin, for example, early mornings and early evenings.
  2. Good sleep: Low-stress levels and good sleep both contribute to better immune function.
  3. Avoid sugar: Excessive sugar intake suppresses the immune system. Sugar is found in so many foods besides chocolates and sweets. Foods like sauces, ketchup, fruit juice, packaged snacks for kids all contain sugar. A diet high in sugar puts stress on the immune system and causes regular illness. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting sugar for kids above 2 years of age at 25 gms or 6 teaspoons a day. To understand how sugar is leading to a rise in children’s obesity in India read my post detailing the harmful side-effects of sugars and hidden sugars in foods.

I hope this post helps you design a healthy meal plan for your toddler. One that supports growth, development and also protects your little one from unnecessary illnesses.

Which foods do you rely on to boost immunity in your kids? Leave me a comment below.

7 Baby Led Weaning Benefits No One Tells You About

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Read time: 6 minutes
baby led weaning benefits

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know my family has experienced baby led weaning benefits firsthand. Today my son is a confident and independent eater because of baby led weaning.

In this post I wanted to focus on some of the baby led weaning benefits no one really talks about much on parenting forums. These benefits are in tune with the responsive eating style and set your child for weaning success.

To begin, let’s first talk about readiness for solids;

READINESS SIGNS TO START BABY LED WEANING

It is important to note that the WHO recommends that all babies have breastmilk/formula exclusively for the first six months of life.

Besides this there are a couple of baby led weaning readiness signs to look for in order to start baby led weaning without any hiccups;

  1. the baby is able to sit up on his own (at least for 10 secs). This is to ensure strong truck control to start on finger foods.
  2. has lost tongue thrust.
  3. is showing interest in food and making a grab for it
  4. is mouthing toys

By six months of age developmentally most babies are already showing these signs which means they are ready for solids.

I know when you are first learning about baby led weaning, there is a lot of information to cover. I hope this article helps those on the fence about this weaning route. Ultimately you need to decide based on your specific family needs and lifestyle.

BABY LED WEANING BENEFITS

  1. Freedom from elaborate food preparations especially for baby

No more purees, soups or other special foods for baby. Surprisingly many second time moms go the baby led weaning route because they no longer have the time and patience to make elaborate baby food preparations. At the same time, they don’t want to open up baby food jars. If you are in a similar dilemma and don’t have time and support systems to help you through this phase, baby led weaning can be the answer.

Baby led weaning offers baby an opportunity to taste foods in the whole form. It also increases the chances of baby eating home cooked meals over processed baby food and gives mommies the freedom they need in the kitchen. It is much easier to serve the baby family foods. If you have doubts on how to prepare baby led weaning appropriate foods and include the baby in family meals, I have a post explaining how to get started and what to offer a baby led weaning child.

  1. Exposure to varied textures and different foods

Baby led weaning exposes babies from the beginning to a wide variety of textures and flavor profiles. The baby touches and holds different foods which provide much needed sensory feedback and aid in better acceptance of new foods.

Most baby led weaning proponents will tell you their children are adventurous eaters. There is no fussy eating at the table because children have developed a wider taste and texture based palate.

  1. Responsive style of feeding

Though research on baby led weaning is limited, it is commonly found that most baby led weaning mothers follow a responsive style of feeding. This style is one that most scientists and doctors recommend for a successful transition of children to healthy eating habits.

In responsive feeding, infant hunger and satiety are given importance over portion sizes and quantity of food eaten. Parents are recommended to be patient and encouraging at the table rather than force feed set amounts of food. Responsive feeding also recommends experimenting with different foods, combinations, tastes, and textures.

Baby led weaning primarily focuses on all the above tenants as a part of its framework. – Providing family foods, a wide variety of foods, encouraging self-feeding and no pressure at the table.

A study found that baby led weaning mothers adopted a more responsive feeding style compared to traditional approach. Thus laying a strong foundation for future healthy eating habits.

 

baby led weaning benefits

  1. Healthy weight gain

Young infants are more in tune with their hunger and posses appetite regulation skills. Baby led weaning helps the child to understand his own appetite and allows the child to feed in response to hunger. This key skill once learned allows for a steady weight gain throughout childhood and lowers the risk of being overweight.

  1. Developing motor skills

Self-feeding requires a lot of skill. Think about it, the baby needs to locate the food on his table with his eyes, pick the food in palmer grasp or pincer grasp skillfully so as not to let it slip, bring to mouth and then feed.

These complex set of actions are learned quickly by our little ones given the chance to explore food on their own. Imagine the type of feedback to the brain if a child does this from the beginning of their weaning journey. This type of interaction with food, though messy and clumsy looking impacts their motor skills and brain development deeply.

  1. Cognitive development

I have already mentioned in a previous blog post how messy eating positively impacts language development. Why invest in elaborate sensory play activities when you can provide this in the form of interaction with food at meal times. Both sensory play and baby led weaning benefits brain development in a similar way.

  1. Independence and confidence

Lastly, a point that is missing on this subject in most articles talking about baby led benefits. The process of baby led weaning helps make children independent and confident eaters. The confidence your child develops as he learns to eat on his own and successfully at that is amazing to watch as a parent.

As your child navigates through the different combinations of foods, textures, and flavors he develops his own unique style of eating and tackling each course of the meal.

He begins to learn when to stop eating when to ask for more, and request how he likes some foods.

He slowly gains confidence in understanding his own appetite and eating style through the independence baby led weaning provides. All these seemingly simple learnings are key to setting lifelong healthy eating habits.

I have observed most of these baby led weaning benefits through our weaning journey. I am sure there were a few points here that you may not have associated with baby led weaning. But all of these together contribute to an all-round love for eating and healthy habits from the beginning.

Did you notice these benefits of baby led weaning with your child?

If you are a new mom planning your weaning journey I hope this post helps you understand baby led weaning and its benefits better.  There are many articles on this blog to help you begin.

Related Posts:

Baby led weaning guide for the Indian mother

Baby led weaning breakfast ideas

Baby led weaning first foods

Baby led weaning on vacation part 1

Baby led weaning on vacation part 2

Take a moment to search for topics under the baby led weaning tag. Do leave me a comment below if you have any doubts, I am always here to answer your queries.

Toddler Eating Habits: Challenges And Solutions

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Read time: 11 minutes
toddler eating habits

Toddler eating habits are a topic of discussion on all weaning forums. Once children enter toddlerhood, their eating habits take center stage and parents start to feel like they are in a constant state of war with their kids.

Common challenging areas and questions regarding toddler eating problems are;

  1. The toddler stopped eating
  2. Eats only select few foods (selective eater/picky eater)
  3. Has a reduced appetite (only 1-2 meals a day)
  4. Rejecting previously loved foods
  5. Distracted at meal times

Moms who follow me on Instagram see the success we had with baby led weaning and wonder how my son readily eats every meal offered.

While baby-led weaning has a huge role to play in reducing fussiness at the table, we too have faced other toddler feeding issues such as distraction at meal times, wanting to be out of the high chair, rejecting previously loved foods and dips in appetite.

There is a conscious effort that goes into raising children to be healthy eaters. I will tackle each of these toddler feeding problems and provide actionable steps to encourage and bring back toddler to eating healthily in a calm and gentle way.

No control wars at the table, no tears and no whining. Just a happy and peaceful transition back into regular mealtimes with family.

How is this possible you ask? Well, it does requires a lot of patience and creativity but not impossible to do.

 

COMMON TODDLER EATING HABITS AND HOW TO MANAGE THEM

The toddler stopped eating

This behavior usually stems from control issues at the table. Once children enter toddler years they begins to exert more and more control over their environments in a bid to gain independence. Don’t take this personally. It’s just a developmental phase.

I would recommend starting by giving independence and freedom to choose the food they like at the table. Serve a family style meal where everyone picks what they like. Giving control over what they can pick and choose is the first step towards breaking the barriers stopping them from eating.

An example of a family style meal can be “Build a Taco Night” Or “Build a burrito night” Some sort of food where they are involved in making and choosing the ingredients themselves as they eat.

Another option is to ask them what they would like to eat between 2 options at dinner. Would you like pasta or dosa? Now, don’t make this a habit, use this technique just to get them to start sitting at the table with you. Be very cautious about the number of times you use this technique otherwise before you know it you are a short order cook.

Also, always pick options that are already a part of dinner time, making it look like a choice to your toddler but not putting yourself through too much trouble making new meals just for the children.

If they still don’t want to eat at dinner time, just go with the flow and let them have it their way. No child will willingly starve himself. This behavior is only one asking for more independence.  So give them the independence they seek. As long as your child is otherwise energetic and meeting growth requirements they are doing fine.

Continue practicing a calmer and peaceful meal routine, where you sit with them and eat as a family. Not bothered too much on whats going on in their plate. Just happily eating and enjoying family time at the table. In time they will be reassured that you are truly giving them the choice to eat by themselves and will be back to eating healthily.

How to ensure proper nutrition during this period?

  1. Offer energy-dense foods whenever you can. Adding healthy fats to your child’s meals is one way to make the meals energy dense.
  2. Offer child’s favorites at every meal along with other varieties so that they feel motivated to try more.
  3. Give them time for a lot of physical activity. This was a trick my grandpa used on me when I was a little fussy eating girl. He would take me out for long walks or to the beach nearby every day. I would play to my heart’s content, return home ravenously hungry and eat the same food I rejected at lunch without uttering a single word. A little bit of sunshine and activity always does the trick. As I mentioned before, no child will starve themselves on purpose. When hungry they will eat.

How to restart a positive and encouraging environment at home around the dinner table?

Ideally, parents should be focussed on creating a positive environment around food and eating habits instead of enforcing strict rules on what should be eaten and how much.

Your role as a parent is to decide what foods to serve your child and let your child decide how much and if at all to eat. If this is practiced from the very beginning there is rarely fussiness at the dinner table.

If at all you have lost your way read this article for tips on how to bring your fussy eater back to eating healthily. I speak in depth about the reasons behind toddler fussy eating and tips on creating a positive home environment.

The selective eater

So, your toddler does eat, but only a few of his favorites. Sometimes those options maybe junk foods, then how do you go about changing his eating habits?

The first step is always to start with known foods that are loved. If your toddler loves french fries, offer those in a healthier version – baked fries at most meals alongside other foods. And don’t pressurize on what to eat from the plate. Just wait and watch. When they do try something different let them know that you saw that they tried something new and appreciate the effort they took. Then move on, continue eating your own meal. Do this every time they try something new.

Slowly start to add more varieties on the side and as they start to enjoy newer foods make more and more of the new foods slowly bringing back to complete family meals.  It can take up to 10-15 tries before a toddler accepts new foods so don’t be disheartened if they don’t like something in the first or second try.

A great way to get the selective eater open to newer foods is to start taking them to the market, talking about different fruits and vegetables.

Getting them involved in making/cooking something with parental help. Easy dishes for kids to make themselves are fruit salads, salads, smoothies, sandwiches, nice creams, or energy balls.

Key to success with a selective eater is to provide the food they already eat alongside exposure to a variety of other new foods at the table, in the kitchen or at the market. The more they learn about healthy foods the more they will be motivated to try.

 

Reduced appetite

There is an appetite drop in the toddler years compared to when your child was an infant. This is part of normal development because they are not growing at a fast pace compared to the infant years.

So, the first step here is to check your own expectations on what a normal appetite and portion size for a toddler looks like.

In case you are overfeeding your toddler at meal times, there can be a likelihood that they will skip meals which you, in turn, can look at as reduced appetite.

If your child is truly eating very little even after a lot of activity, you can try and make every food energy dense using healthy fats and proteins to fill any nutritional gaps.

Examples of energy-dense foods: Fruit Smoothies with nut butter and nut powders, paneer aloo patty or meat patty, parathas, pancakes served with nut butter and maple syrup, oats porridge topped with fruit, nut butter, and seeds like chia, hemp, flaxseed.

All of these meals are yummy, filling and nutritious and can help to maintain nutrition on days your toddler is not particularly excited about eating or eating just a few meals.

Rejecting previously loved foods

Another common toddler eating problem is rejecting previously loved foods. This hurts us mommies the most, especially if they loved a healthy food previously.

The key to helping your child get over this phase is consistency. Do not stop offering the food because he rejects it now. Keep on offering the food made in the same way as before alongside other foods he enjoys currently.

And as always do not force or manipulate your child into eating, just offer and wait for him to try on his own.

This takes months sometimes, but having gone through such food rejections I know that they always turn around and come back to the foods they loved. It’s most likely a temporary phase.

Rejecting a few loved foods should be used as an opportunity to introduce other new foods. Tastes change throughout childhood, don’t take these food rejections personally.

No need for labels

Most importantly do not label your child a fussy eater because of such changes in likings. Be careful about what words you use, the child may take your label seriously and start identifying himself as a fussy eater which will lead to even more fussy eating.

How do I know this? Well, I was a former “fussy eater” and I carried the label throughout my childhood with pride. Instead of focussing on teaching me about healthy eating and foods, there was too much focus on what I was not eating and how little I was eating. This only made me want to rebel further.

Respect your children’s wishes too. Sometimes there may be some foods they truly don’t love, it does not make them “fussy eaters” Such labels damage self-esteem and lead to eating problems in children.

Personally for me, once the shift was made from focussing on what I don’t eat to teaching me about healthy foods, I changed my eating habits on my own. Today I eat foods that belong to all the colors of the rainbow. And here I am talking about healthy eating to mothers like you. This shift was self-driven on the foundation of knowledge.

Our role as parents is to drive the shift, share our knowledge and not enforce strict rules that may lead to eating problems.

Distracted at meal times

This is one of the most common toddler eating habits, especially when they first start walking. They want to engage with the world around them and use their feet as a tool to go explore.

Once again as parents all you need to know is that your child is going through a developmental phase. No need for labels, here too! Provide support to your child in the form of consistency and structured routine.

Some tricks that worked for us:

  1. Announcing meal times, so that he knows he has to leave his toys and go sit in the high chair for his meal.
  2. Sitting together as a family. Say to him, “mommy and daddy sit at the table to eat”.
  3. Using the high chair from the very beginning is useful as a form of a reminder, that meal times only happen at the table.
  4. Consistency helps if the situation is getting out of hand and your toddler is getting up frequently. It’s time to end the meal. Believe me, you won’t have to do this more than 2 times for them to get the message that they need to focus on meals at mealtime and play after. You can say, “Looks like you are done eating? Let’s get you out of there”. And stop the meal. If he is still hungry he will ask to sit, that’s when you remind him, meals are eaten sitting down. Once done he can get up.

Being distracted at meal times is also a temporary phase and turns back to normal meal times when handled in a calm and consistent manner.

As much as I say these tips worked for me, I want you to know that implementing them and seeing results does take time and patience. Nothing permanent is ever a quick fix. You have to constantly improvise and stay consistent with your messaging.

Children demand and deserve all our patience.

They also thrive on consistency and routine.

And both of these; patience and consistency are very important when setting healthy eating habits.

As difficult and challenging as it may be, positive language and outlook from both parents motivate children to move quickly through these temporary phases. These attitude changes from the parent’s side are also important so that the feeding issues don’t end up becoming long-term bad eating behaviors.

What feeding challenges do you face with your toddler? Do you have special tricks of your own to handle these toddler eating habits? Leave your tips for other moms reading this article. Let’s talk about our experiences in the comments below.

How I Get My Child To Eat Healthy Every Day

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How I get my child to eat healthy everyday

India is celebrating National Nutrition Week from 1st to 7th September. The theme this year is Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices: Better Child Health.

Family health and good nutrition have always been topics that I have deep interest in. Most of my adult life I have strived to maintain a healthy balance between good food and junk food. Since becoming a mother my passion for this subject has only increased. I have spent the first year of my baby’s life researching on what to feed him, how to offer nutrient dense foods and how to implement a system at home where an environment of healthy eating thrives. As a mother to a 18 month old I have found a few systems and tricks to keeping good healthy food available at home and outside regardless of how busy I get. Today I want to share my tips on building a healthy eating envirnoment for your child, and getting your children to eat healthy always.

  • Start with meal planning and abundance of fresh food. This is a no brainer. If you want to inculcate healthy eating you first have to stock up your house with fresh fruits and vegetables. There has to be abundance in order to eat healthy. The more good food there is the lesser the chance of opening packets. Find a weekly home grocery delivery service in your area, it will get you organized as a busy mom. It’s best when you make a meal plan for the week and prep on the weekends. Though I personally can’t stick to meal plans, I am quite creative at coming up with dishes that are healthy with whatever I have in the fridge. If you struggle with meal ideas its best to plan a weekly menu for family, write down a few meal ideas and stick it to your fridge so you know what you are going to prepare during the week.
  • Stock up the house with your child’s favorite staples. These need to be replenished every-time they run out. These are go-to meals you know your child will love. Better homemade food than take-out. My toddler loves : Pastas, quinoa, coconut meat, peas, eggs and avocados. These are all easy meal staples that can be thrown together to make quick combinations of meals. Eg. avocado and peas quinoa bowl, pesto pasta or tomato pasta, etc.

How I Get My Child To Eat Healthy Everyday

  • Vegetables are a must for your kids, they contain many vitamins and minerals that are essential during development. Don’t be afraid to use them in meals. In my experience, I have seen many mothers have a mental block in using vegetables in dishes for fear of rejection and food wastage. Pack vegetables into every dish you can think of. Its ok if they don’t eat it once, consistency helps when it comes to vegetables. Get innovative with the dishes you prepare. Don’t give up easy.
    Eg. Add peas and carrots in upma, pohe, leftover vegetables can be made into a vegetarian patty and served as a snack, buy vegetable pastas, there are many options in the supermarket now – beetroot pasta, spinach pasta. Kids love the colours and get excited about eating them.
  • Every once in a while make new dishes for the family. This keeps the kids interested in meal times. I try to make new recipes once every weekend as a change.
  • Make friends with simple meal ideas or one pot meals for the weekdays. This makes it easy for you as a busy mom. My go-to weeknight recipes are one pot meals like hearty soups, stir fried rice, pots of vegetarian curries served with rice. All these recipes are easy to make, don’t require much cooking skills and are packed with vegetables to up the nutrition content.
  • Always stock the house with super foods like avocados, berries, coconuts, ragi flour, barley grass powder, flaxseed powder, nuts and seeds, sprouted wheat (dalia). Kids benefit from eating these on regular basis. You can incorporate them in a variety of ways in your meals and be assured that your child gets great nutrition from the food too. Here are some easy recipes using these super foods as snacks. I make these when I am running out of ingredients in the house, this way I am still managing to serve healthy options to my little one. That is why its so important to always keep the house stocked with some of these ingredients.

healthy pancake recipe for children
healthy pancake recipe for children
healthy pancake recipe for children

  • Lentils come in many varieties like masoor dal, tur dal, moong dal and are high in protein and fiber. Lentils are an excellent natural source of folate and manganese. If your child is like mine and doesn’t like dal as a dish you can add these lentils to soups or in finger food forms. They enjoy the novelty of these dishes.
  • Healthy fats are important for growing kids. If you are a largely plant based family include avocados, sesame paste, nut butters, nut powders, coconut meat and almond meal in food preparations.
  • Mothers tend to worry about adequate iron content in their children’s diet and rightfully so. Children with insufficient iron may suffer from cognitive and behavioral development deficits and delays. You can add iron rich foods like meats, legumes, lentils, green leafy vegetables to your child’s everyday diet. Serve iron-rich foods alongside foods containing vitamin C (such as tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, and strawberries). Vitamin C improves the way the body absorbs iron. Eg.
    • Oats porridge with berries or mangoes
    • Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin C – have them along with lentils and quinoa to increase absorption of iron,
    • Squeeze lemon over quinoa salad, rajma (kidney beans) sabzi,
    • Beans cooked in a tomato base or with tomato salsa etc.
  • Be mindful about the sugar consumption of your kids. Even honey and jaggery are considered added sugars. The AHA reccomends limiting the amount of added sugars in the diets of children 2-18 years of age to about 6 teaspoons a day.
    To know more about the effects of exessive sugar consumption in kids read my post on sugar and our children here. Ripened banana and cooked apple sauce are great substitutes for added sugars in dishes like smoothies and pancakes.
  • Model good eating to your children. Eat meals together as a family. Give them more information on how to eat healthy. About the vegetables and fruits they are eating. Get them excited about food.

I hope my tips on serving healthy food to children helps you too. How do you plan and prepare meals for your kids? Do you have some tips for me?