healthy food for picky eaters Archives

How To Use Division Of Responsibility With Picky Eaters

Ophira2 CommentsJune 12, 2021September 3, 2019

Read time: 6 minutes

One of the common concerns mothers voice on my Instagram page is do to with toddler eating, “How much should a toddler eat?” and “How do I get my picky eater to eat?”. This got me thinking, what is the one thing a parent can do to encourage healthy eating habits in kids, especially toddlers? My answer was in front of me as I watched my son enjoy his plate of food, happily chomping away at all types of foods, Division of responsibility.

I have spoken about Division of responsibility in feeding many times before, but I think its time I write a dedicated blog post explaining what really is a division of responsibility and how this one concept can make mealtimes stress free for many families with toddlers.

WHAT IS DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY?

Division of responsibility is a term coined by childhood feeding expert Ellyn Satter

According to ELLYN SATTER’S DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY IN FEEDING

Children have a natural ability with eating. They eat as much as they need, they grow in a way that is right for them, and they learn to eat the food their parents eat. Step-by-step, throughout their growing-up years, they build on their natural ability and become competent eaters.

When talking about the toddler to adolescent years, division of responsibility dictates;

The parent is responsible for what, when, and where.

The child is responsible for how much and whether.

Trust is the foundation for future success with healthy eating. Parents trust in the child’s ability to determine how much and whether to eat from what parents provide.

When parents do their jobs with feeding, children do their jobs with eating.

Parents’ feeding jobs:

Choose and prepare the food.
Provide regular meals and snacks.
Make eating times pleasant.
Step-by-step, show children by example how to behave at family mealtime.
Be considerate of children’s lack of food experience without catering to likes and dislikes.

Children’s eating jobs:

Children will eat.
They will eat the amount they need.
They will learn to eat the food their parents eat.
They will grow predictably.
They will learn to behave well at mealtime.

Source: The Ellyn Satter Institute

HOW DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY CAN HELP WITH PICKY EATING

The essence of the division of responsibility is based on “Trust”. Since the parent and the child have a defined role to play in feeding, the parent learns to trust in the child’s learning process. Once the pressure by the parent is off the table the child can freely explore what he likes and how much he will eat.
Challenging boundaries is part of the toddler years and many toddlers love to say “No” in order to see what reaction they can get. If they get a reaction when they say “No”, the more they will say “No”. Feeding time becomes a game and the focus is shifted from the food to playing the game of testing boundaries. With Division of responsibility, since the parent is not involved in decision making once the food is on the plate, the child won’t get a reaction to the “No”. The Focus is now on the plate and not on playing games. Once the pressure is off, the child can now decide if he truly wants to eat the food on the plate or not.

HOW TO HELP PICKY EATERS WITHOUT THE POWER STRUGGLES?

1. If you make special meals for your picky eating toddler, different from what the family eats, stop this practice. Get them used to the same food as the family. Change the terms you use to describe his food. There is no “special food”, “your food”, or “my food” in the home. All food in the home is “our food.”

2. Family-style meals help picky eaters, pick and choose what he likes and build his own plate of food. It involves him in the process, putting the power back into his hands. Family-style meals also get him used to the concept that food eaten by everyone in the family is the same. Example of family-style meals; Taco night, build your own burrito, make pizza with your own choice of toppings, or build a sandwich.

3. At every meal have one or two foods that you know your picky eater will eat. If its potatoes, for example, have a side of potatoes at each meal. This encourages the picky eater to eat along with family at meals instead of whining about the food. Serve his favorite food alongside all the other options at that meal.

Initially, he will just eat the food he knows and loves, but over a period of time as you continue practicing division of responsibility he will try other foods on the plate and before you know it, you all will be enjoying the same meals.

4. Encourage and give the child positive reinforcement when he does try new foods.

5. Create a positive environment around food. Talk about different types of fruits and vegetables, go out and try gardening, talk about how food is grown, cook together, engage in activities that talk about food groups and nutrition, read books on healthy eating together.

All these activities set a positive conversation around food that is centered around learning about food and creates an excitement rather than pressure to eat.

Here are some of the games and books we use to talk about food and nutrition education

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle

Eating The Alphabet – Lois Elhert

Lunchbox: The Story Of Your Food -Chris Butterworth

Hape Fresh Fruit Chopping Toy

Toiing Nutrivity 4-in-1 Game

6. Consistently practicing Division of responsibility is the key to long term success. Shift all your focus on providing nutrient-rich foods to your family, instead of how much is being eaten. This book by Ellyn Satter is a great guide on how to make healthy family meals and raise good eaters. A book every parent should have in their library.

7. Observe weekly consumption in order to understand nutrient intake instead of the quantity of food consumed daily. Is the child growing on track as per his growth charts?

If picky eating has been going on for a while and you are concerned about nutrients like iron and calcium, get a blood test done. Sometimes it is important to find some answers instead of passing on anxiety about food to our children. And if there are some nutritional deficiencies talk with your healthcare provider and get expert help, instead of force-feeding or labeling the child a picky eater.

Recognize that your child is learning about food from his environment and that includes you. The less negativity there is around food the better eater he will be. Learning about food is a process, engage in the process and the outcomes will happen automatically.

Do leave me a comment below if you are troubled with any specific feeding issues and challenges, I will try my best to help you with some tips and tricks.

Super Simple And Healthy Oat Muffins Recipe

Ophira3 CommentsMarch 26, 2026April 23, 2019

Read time: 5 minutes

Coming up with new snack ideas for toddlers and young kids can be quite a task for many mothers. Recently I tried these healthy oat muffins and I instantly knew I had to share this recipe with other mothers looking for easy toddler snack ideas.

So many toddler moms are dealing with picky eating, that every new idea counts. This age group is also the most assertive and rule challenging. It can be tough debating with your toddler why they can’t have 5 cookies all at once.

One way around snack time battles is to have a recipe bank of toddler approved healthy snacks. This way whatever the toddler picks is healthy too.

Here are some easy and healthy toddler snacks from previous blog posts

Before we get to the recipe, I want to discuss a common question I get asked by toddler moms on Instagram

Healthy oat muffins-healthy toddler recipes

HOW TO CONTROL JUNK SNACK CONSUMPTION IN KIDS?

Many mothers complain about junk snack wars at home. They feel like it’s a losing battle with excessive exposure to junk food in our societies.

Some of us become a little hard on our kids when it comes to junk snacks. While some of us completely lose control of the situation.

Either way, the results are always disastrous. Too much restriction creates an unhealthy relationship with food. And giving in too much to the child’s demands for sugary foods leads to the replacement of healthy meals by junk snacks. In the long term, this can lead to lifestyle disorders like obesity, vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.

In our attempt at clean eating and eating healthy foods, we must also acknowledge the child’s needs and desires for sweet treats and fun looking foods.

As parents, we know that bakery goods and packaged foods contain high amounts of added sugars, many chemical additives like stabilizers, added colors and preservatives to increase the shelf life of the product.

But at the same time, we don’t want to continuously say “No” to our child’s demand for such treats. Unfulfilled needs in childhood may set a negative relationship with food in the long run.

Striking a balance between healthy food and treat food is important. The parent must lead the way here.

The child will observe, learn from you and then make the correct decision when the time comes to make a choice or decide how much to eat.

Educate your child on what is healthy food and why junk food is called “Junk” what it does to the body in the long run. Teach them to read ingredient labels.

At the same time showcase by example what “sometimes- treat days ” look like.

Do not shame the child for wanting what he sees his peers eat.

Instead of strict rules, have a positive environment that encourages questions and conversation. Relax the rules sometimes and let them have the fill of their favorite snack too. Once their desire for the said food is satiated they quickly move on from it.

Cook with your child and make these healthy treats at home, talk about the quality of ingredients chosen. This way the child realizes on his own that treats made at home are better quality than those that come in packets.

A consistent healthy approach to food as a family sets good eating habits in the long term.

Whether you choose to make such treats for consuming at home, as a snack to go or for school lunch box, making healthy treats at home over packaged foods is a lifestyle change that benefits the entire family.

HEALTHY OAT MUFFINS RECIPE FOR KIDS

This recipe includes egg, but you can exclude the egg if you want an egg-free oat muffin and add a flax egg instead.

The muffins last in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. You can warm them in a microwave before consumption.

Whole wheat flour makes the muffins denser, therefore, I prefer mixing 1:1 of whole wheat flour to all-purpose flour.

I would use these oat muffins as lunchbox snacks for school. They are homemade, you can control the sugar content on these making them easy and healthy lunch snacks for school.

Healthy Oat Muffins For Kids

Ophira

A healthy oat muffins recipe for toddlers and school kids.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 cup milk
1 large egg beaten
2-3 drops pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F .
Mix together the rolled oats, flours, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon. Sieve the flours at least 3-4 times. This adds air to the dry mix.
In a separate bowl add molten butter, and then add in the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Combine these ingredients well with an electric mixer.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and add the chopped walnuts and raisins and stir together. Be sure not to over-mix, just gently fold in the batter together.
Now scoop into the muffin tray and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven, cool on a cooling rack, and enjoy!

Keyword easy toddler snacks, healthy muffins for kids, Healthy oat muffin, healthy snack ideas, oats muffins for kids, toddler snack ideas

These oat muffins are wholesome and yummy. The whole wheat flour makes the muffins a filling snack option for the lunch box.

Go on, try these healthy oat muffins and write back to me. If you make substitutions to this recipe make sure to comment below and tell us how the muffins tasted.

Until next time,

Ciao!

10 Best Calcium Rich Foods For Babies And Toddlers

Ophira9 CommentsJuly 2, 2024March 27, 2019

Read time: 11 minutes

Children grow at a rapid pace and require a nutritionally adequate diet that supports this rapid growth. Calcium plays an important role in the growing up years and knowledge about calcium rich foods for babies and toddlers is essential for parents.

In this post, I am going to cover everything you need to know about calcium rich foods for kids and some bonus calcium rich recipes for toddlers. If you have a picky eater, you are going to thank me.

Let’s get started.

IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM FOR GROWTH

Calcium is an important mineral that supports bone and teeth development.

Not just that, calcium is also important for;

Proper nerve function, sending and receiving nervous system signals
Muscle function, proper muscle contraction and relaxation
Maintaining proper hormone levels in the body
Needed for maintaining a normal heartbeat
For clotting of blood

AGEWISE REQUIREMENTS OF CALCIUM

How much calcium does a child need?

1-3 yr olds 700 mg/day

4-8 yr olds 1000 mg/day

9-13 yr olds 1300 mg/day

14- 18 yr olds 1300mg/day

CALCIUM REQUIREMENTS FOR BABIES UNDER 1 YEAR OF AGE

Babies get their calcium from breast milk or formula.

Babies younger than 6 months old need 200 mg of calcium a day and babies 6 to 11 months old need 260 mg of calcium a day.

Do note babies should only consume breast milk or formula. Do not give cow’s milk or any other animal milk to babies younger than 1 year of age.

To get an idea of how I pair foods and build snacks to aid maximum absorption of nutrients you must check my ebook on toddler snack recipes.

It includes 36 snack recipes for toddlers and adults alike that fill in the nutritional gaps of the day. Its your one-stop resource for all things snacks. Get the book here.

calcium rich foods for toddlers- almonds

CALCIUM RICH FOODS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS

Once babies start solids including foods rich in calcium is important. Though cow milk or any other milk should be avoided under age 1, other milk products like yogurt and low salt cheese like paneer can be started gradually by 8-9 months of age.

Here is a list of calcium rich foods for kids for your reference:

1. Milk and Milk products

Cows milk, buffalo milk, goat milk can be started after 1 year of age.

Whole fat cows milk is recommended until age 2

Calcium content:

Cows milk (2% ) contains about 120 mg calcium/100ml

Goat Milk contains about 134 mg calcium /100 ml

Buffalo Milk contains about 210 mg /100 ml

Other milk products to try with babies 8-9 months and older.

Fresh homemade curd 149 mg /100 gm

Paneer (Cottage cheese) 200mg /100 gm

Cheese 721 mg /100 gm

source: USDA and IAP

Though with paneer and cheese caution should be exercised. These foods are high in saturated fats and sodium, limit intake to 1-2 cubes of paneer at a time, and small portions of grated cheese as toppings on foods for toddlers.

When buying cheese avoid processed cheese and look for natural hard cheeses containing minimal salt. Goats cheese, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese are great cheese options for toddlers. Check my recommendations for natural cheese here.

Many children however, don’t particularly like the taste of milk or dairy products, if you are worried about your child not getting enough calcium, don’t, read on to find more sources of calcium for toddlers that don’t drink milk.

2. Soy

Soy in the form of fortified soymilk, tofu set in calcium sulfate, edamame, tempeh can be included in the toddler’s diet in various ways to increase calcium intake.

Tofu can contain about 200 mg/100 gms of calcium depending on how it’s prepared.

Food ideas: Sauteed tofu, tofu chilly, tofu scramble, curries with tofu/soy nuggets added as a meat replacement.

3. Broccoli & certain dark green vegetables

Cruciferous veggies like broccoli and dark green leaves like kale, collard greens, spinach leaves, turnip leaves, amaranth leaves, and watercress are all great sources of calcium. When it comes to green vegetables it is important to mix it up and try different combinations.

Food ideas: Broccoli soup for babies, broccoli paratha, broccoli patty, watercress salad, add kale to pesto, amaranth leaves to paratha, Broccoli dosa wraps.

4. Ragi (Finger Millet)

Millets like ragi are traditional first foods for babies in India. Ragi is a rich source of calcium at about 344 mg/100 gms. It’s easy to digest for babies, gluten-free, and a super nutritious grain for children. Consider adding ragi to your baby’s diet as a calcium-rich food for baby teeth and bone development.

Here is a post I wrote recently on why millets are good for babies.

Food ideas: Ragi porridge for babies, ragi pancakes for toddlers, ragi dosas, ragi idlis, ragi- whole wheat chappati.

5. Beans and Lentils

Beans like white beans, baked beans, kidney beans (rajma), chickpeas, and lentils like black gram dal (urad dal), pigeon peas (tuvar dal), bengal gram (chana dal ) are calcium rich foods for babies.

The Indian diet uses these beans and lentils in very effective combinations to make some lip-smacking foods. It’s hard not to enjoy beans and lentils in our part of the world, and it’s just an added bonus that these superfoods are some of the best sources of vegetarian protein, iron, and calcium rich food for babies.

Food ideas: In vegetarian side dishes, dals, lentil and bean soups, hummus, chickpea patties, bean parathas, curries, khichdi (rice and lentil dish), bean chilly, baked beans on toast. Here are some lentil recipes for toddlers. Read here for more recipes using lentils for kids.

6. Sesame seeds

100 gms of sesame seeds contain up to 975 mg of calcium! While one cannot consume sesame seeds in such a large amount, it makes sense to include some sesame seeds in homemade hummus, tahini and use sesame seeds in ladoos or energy balls.

Including such calcium-rich recipes for toddlers daily should get more preference over cookies or chips.

Food ideas: As part of energy bars and energy balls, tahini, hummus.

Add a tablespoon of tahini to your toddlers morning oats porridge, or use tahini as a dipping sauce for cut veggies.

Date And Sesame Bliss Balls

7. Almonds

Nuts are a good source of calcium, but among nuts, the highest calcium content is in almonds at 248 mg/100 gms.

Food ideas: Almond nut powder on porridge, almond butter with whole wheat crackers or chapati, or almonds in pesto sauce.

Here is a quick recipe to make your own homemade nut butter.

8. Green peas

Green peas contain about 25 mg of calcium/100 gms. They can easily be added to a number of dishes or used as a side making them a versatile vegetable to work with.

Food ideas: Green peas patty, Pea soup, added to rice dishes, added to upma, poha.

9. Amaranth

Amaranth (rajgira) is used in many traditional Indian recipes. Both the leaf and the grains are considered nutritious. Of particular importance is the amount of calcium in Amaranth at 159 mg/100gms.

The grains need to be sprouted for 2-3 days in order to reduce the antinutrients present in them. Once sprouted you can cook amaranth similar to a rice or couscous dish.

Traditionally amaranth flour is used to make ladoos in Indian homes.

Food ideas: As porridge, in soups and stews, amaranth flour pancakes, amaranth flour ladoos, in salads, or as amaranth patty.

Amaranth Ladoo Recipe

This recipe includes amaranth flour and crushed almonds building up the calcium content and making it a calcium-rich food for kids

10. Okra

You may be surprised to find this vegetable on the list but Okra contains about 82 mg/100 gm of vegetable. That’s a good amount of calcium per serving. Okra is a commonly used vegetable in Indian homes with most kids loving Indian okra dishes.

IS MILK THE ONLY SOURCE OF CALCIUM FOR CHILDREN?

glass of milk for toddlers-cows milk calcium

Traditionally cows milk is looked at as the main source of calcium, but it is important to include a variety of calcium rich solid foods in the child’s diet. Some children may not like the taste of milk, while some may have milk allergies.

When parents only look to milk as an option for calcium it can lead to other problems like force-feeding, adding sugary syrups/powders to make milk taste good which in turn promotes a liking for more engineered foods with artificial colors and flavorings over natural flavors of whole foods.

Milk and milk products are also high in saturated fats and consuming these in large amounts increases the risk of childhood obesity.

Toddlers by nature eat very little which makes it vitally important to include calcium rich solid foods instead of filling them up on liquids like milk.

One of the side effects of drinking too much milk is an increased risk of developing childhood anemia. Calcium rich foods are known to hinder the absorption of iron-rich foods. Limiting milk intake to 2 cups a day for toddlers is recommended.

To summarize for you, milk provides good amounts of calcium, but should not be looked at as the only source of calcium for kids.

Try and incorporate a variety of calcium-rich solid foods alongside milk in the child’s daily diet.

In the case of lactose intolerance or dairy allergies look for fortified foods like fortified plant milk, calcium-fortified cereals, and the other non-dairy calcium-rich foods that I mentioned above in order to meet the daily recommendations of calcium in the child’s diet.

IS CALCIUM FORTIFIED ORANGE JUICE OKAY?

a glass of orange juice- calcium in orange juice

It is not necessary to offer fruit juices to children for nutrition. Once in awhile consumption is okay.

Fruit juices do not contain fiber, are high in sugars, and cause damage to teeth when consumed regularly.

Besides, filling up on liquids is never a good thing for little kids. Liquid foods take up stomach space and create a feeling of fullness.

The toddler fills up on liquid food with minimal nutrition and ends up not eating lunch/dinner or other solid foods that provide a wider variety of nutrients.

The occasional orange juice is definitely an option to get some calcium in. Some brands add Vit D to the orange juice too which helps in better absorption of calcium. But these types of juices are not something that needs to be incorporated into the daily diet.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced in recent guidelines on juice, that children under one year of age should not drink juice at all and for older kids limit juice consumption to very small quantities. (source)

Thus, when incorporated judiciously to the child’s diet, calcium-fortified foods like orange juice have some benefits, but should not be looked at as a daily source of the calcium nutrient.

calcium rich foods for kids- a glass of milk and almonds

How to ensure the child gets enough calcium?

Other than including the list of calcium rich foods for babies and toddlers mentioned above, try and include some of these alternative sources of calcium to the child’s diet.

Sweet potato

At 30 mg calcium/100 gms, sweet potato is a great way to add more calcium to the diet of babies and toddlers.

Food ideas: sweet potato as stuffing in parathas, baked sweet potato fries, sweet potato fritters, sweet potato mash.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk offers about 16 mg of calcium /100 ml

Food ideas: Add to curries, cook porridge in coconut milk, and smoothies with coconut milk.

Dried figs

Dried figs are one of the best dried fruits for calcium. 2 medium-sized dried figs contain about 27 mg of calcium.

While it is not advisable to offer large amounts of dried frigs to kids because of its high sugar content, it still makes for a significant amount of calcium that can be easily added as a topping to any food to boost the nutrient content of the food.

Food ideas: Most children love dried figs, you can easily chop them up in appropriate sizes and add to porridge, smoothies, or in energy bars.

Related reading: Oats recipes for babies and toddlers include my favorite fig oats porridge.

Sprouted legumes, seeds, and grains.

Sprouting of legumes, seeds, and grains increases the nutritive value of the food, by increasing the bioavailability of nutrients.

Sprouting not only increases calcium content in the beans but also reduces some of the antinutrients like phytic acid that block absorption.

The most common sprouts are alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, and other varieties of bean sprouts.

Vit D + Exercise

Other important points to consider when thinking of increasing calcium content in your child’s diet is to include Vit D rich foods (egg yolks, mushrooms, and oily fish) and time in the sun (early morning and evenings) engaged in play both of which are essential for calcium absorption.

Vit D + Exercise along with calcium rich foods makes strong bones.

There you go,

I hope this information helps you as you plan those calcium rich meals for your kids. Which calcium rich foods does your toddler enjoy? Do you have a special recipe to share? Leave me a comment below.

References:

Calcium. (2017). [Blog] kidshealth.org. Available at: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/calcium.html [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].

New Recommended Daily Amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D. (2011). MedlinePlus, [online] (Winter11 Volume 5), p.12. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/winter11/articles/winter11pg12.html [Accessed 26 Mar. 2019].

The Relationship Between Cow’s Milk and Stores of Vitamin D and Iron in Early Childhood. (2012). PEDIATRICS, 131(1), pp.X29-X29.

The Ultimate Guide To Iron Rich Foods For Toddlers

Ophira3 CommentsApril 6, 2023March 20, 2019

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;

Pale skin
Fatigue
Repeatedly falling ill, catching a cold.
Low appetite
Increased heartbeat
Dizziness

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

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

Red meat
Dark poultry meat
Fish
Organ meats like liver, kidneys, and heart
Egg yolks
Beans and Lentils
Dark green leafy vegetables
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds

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.

Foods rich in Vit C help to increase the absorption of non-heme iron from food.
Cooking foods in cast iron pans is another way to increase iron content in food.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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/

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

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.
Paratha (stuffed bread) with sweet potato /potato filling.
Lentil Bolognese: If your toddler likes spaghetti, this is an iron dense version that’s tasty as well.
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.
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.

iron rich foods for toddlers- energy balls — Energy Balls

iron rich foods for toddlers-lentil bolognese — Lentil Bolognese

iron rich foods for toddlers-smoothies — Blueberry Smoothie

iron rich foods for toddlers- sweet potato paratha — Sweet Potato Paratha

Whole wheat bread peanut butter sandwich
Whole wheat chapati and nut butter roll-ups
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.
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.
Whole wheat pasta in tomato sauce.
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.
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.

Healthy Toddler Meal Ideas: A Week Of Toddler Eats

Ophira4 CommentsDecember 14, 2021February 15, 2018

Read time: 4 minutes

healthy toddler meal ideas-what my toddler eats in a week.

I promised you all more healthy toddler meal ideas and here is a peak at what my toddler eats in a week. Hope this inspires you to make some creative and healthy meals for your littles. The last post got an overwhelming response from so many mothers. I was pinged on Instagram and Facebook asking me to do more of these. I am sincerely touched by the response to my toddler meal ideas. And I hope that these types of blog posts help you plan your family meals better.

If you have followed me for a while now, you know I love simple cooking and one pot type of recipes. I don’t have time in the day to cook elaborate meals for my family as I also work from home on my blog.

There are three areas I focus on when cooking; incorporating more greens, healthy fats and proteins. All of these are important for growing children. This also ensures that every meal my son eats is satiating and nourishing.

Toddlers are constantly moving and eat tiny meals at a time. That is why I focus on adding healthy fats like nut powders, nut butter, seeds, avocados, and coconuts wherever I can. I have already written an in-depth blog post on how I add healthy fats to my child’s diet. You can read that blog post to know more.

Disclaimer: Once again I would like to remind you I am not a nutritionist and neither am I promoting any specific diet plan for kids. This post is all about a mother sharing healthy toddler meal ideas with another.

Besides meals our toddler is also breastfeeding at the moment.

Okay now that all the disclaimers are out of the way, let’s look at the yummy meals.

What my toddler eats in a week – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Healthy Toddler Meal Ideas

Monday

Monday Dinner – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Oats porridge (made in soymilk, added flax powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds and almond butter) with strawberries

Snack 1 – Muskmelon and papaya

Lunch – Rice, mixed veggie (Cauliflower, peas, and potatoes) and coconut curry

Snack 2 – Strawberries, banana and besan Chilla (Gramflour pancake)

Dinner – Mixed veggie pasta (Homemade tomato base with broccoli, mushroom and peas.)

Tuesday

Tuesday Dinner – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Masala dosa with chutney

Snack 1 – Sweet potato

Lunch – Rice, chana dal curry, and potato sabzi

Snack 2 – Strawberry, blueberries, coconut water, and coconut meat.

Dinner – Rice, chana dal curry, spinach sabzi and potato sabzi

Wednesday

Wednesday Dinner – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Upma

Snack 1 – Muskmelon and walnuts powder (powder of 2-3 walnuts)

Lunch – Rice, dal and methi sabzi (Fenugreek leaves)

Snack 2 – 2 Quail eggs and muskmelon

Dinner – Rice, dal and peas sabzi

Thursday

Thursday Snack – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Chappati and almond butter roll

Snack 1 – Strawberry and walnuts powder

Lunch – Broccoli and potato soup, mushroom and carrots quinoa

Snack 2 – Strawberries and blueberries

Snack 3 – Chappati and almond butter roll with half cup soy milk

Dinner – Same as lunch with homemade potato fries

Friday

Friday Snack 3 – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Chappati and almond butter roll

Snack 1 – Sprouts bowl with a date and tamarind sauce

Lunch – Rice, dal, mushroom sabzi and capsicum sabzi

Snack 2 – 2 Quail eggs

Snack 3 – Smoothie bowl contains banana, strawberries, topped with chia seeds, desiccated coconut, hemp seeds and blueberries.

Dinner – Rice, dal and capsicum sabzi

Saturday

Saturday Snack – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Upma

Snack 1 – Upma and walnuts powder

Lunch – Quinoa, matki (Moth beans) sabzi and bindi (Okra) sabzi. Little one requested for quinoa instead of rice.

Snack 2 – Sprouts with date and tamarind sauce

Dinner – Rice, dal, matki, bhindi sabzi and dosa

Sunday

Sunday Lunch – Healthy toddler meal ideas

Breakfast – Dosa and coconut chutney

Snack 1 – Malida topped with raisins and pomegranate.

Lunch – Rice, dal, methi sabzi and besan chilla

Snack 2 – Banana and oats pancake with honey and almond butter.

Dinner – Rice, dal and methi sabzi

Featured Pantry products

That was all the toddler meals for a week. If you have a toddler who is picky about foods you can read about my strategies to get children excited about healthy eating. These are the same steps I used to get my son interested in eating green leafy vegetables, vegetables like broccoli and a whole other rainbow colors of foods. Patience and consistency work well during the toddler years to set healthy eating habits for life. Happy eating to you all!