Cooking for toddlers and growing kids offers unique challenges along the way. While you want to give them these important nutrients, it is often difficult for them to eat the best foods for their growing bodies. We are probably all well aware of the food pyramid and how many servings of healthy grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, and calcium products our kids need. Unfortunately getting them to eat these nutritious products is another matter.
The good news when it comes to cooking for kids is that you don't necessarily have to incorporate all the important nutrients into dinner dishes. The truth is that raw cucumbers, thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt, are a much healthier snack than french fries and many young children love this as a snack. You get a vegetable in their system and they are enjoyed at snack time. Same goes for cantaloupe and cantaloupe. These are great snacks and an important must-have fruit in your toddler's diet.
However, when it comes to cooking for toddlers, men, women, and children can't live off of mac and cheese alone. It has been tried and tested and failed miserably. Try to mix things up whenever you can while still making sure the meal is kid-friendly. It's important to try to include whole grains, protein, and vegetables whenever possible in meals around your home. The good news is that more prepackaged convenience foods are introducing whole grains than ever before to meet the growing consumer demand for healthier meals that can be prepared without the need for a meal. takes a lot of effort.
It's now easier than ever to cook healthy meals for kids. Fresh fruits and vegetables are best whenever possible. However, if you can't afford fresh fruit, you should avoid canned fruit as much as possible (especially since they often swim in sugary sweetness). Freezing is much better than canning when it comes to fruits and vegetables, as there are often fewer additives.
If you need affordable, kid-friendly meal ideas, you can often find ready-made recipes online. You can meet your child's calcium and milk needs by adding milk as an optional beverage to meals or a slice of melted cheese on top of their favorite veggies. Of course, ice cream, yogurt, and pudding are also nutritious foods rich in calcium.
Encourage your child to try new foods rather than cook the same meals over and over again that you know they are likely to eat. This prevents two things from happening. First of all, it keeps you from getting bored cooking for your kids. Second, it allows your child to try new flavors and textures and form opinions about them. By trying new things, they'll not only learn what they don't like, but also what they really like.
You should also remember that your children are human too when you cook for them. Just as you have foods you like and dislike, they will also develop tastes over time. These tastes can also change over time. I know how frustrating it is to spend time and money preparing a meal only to have your child push the plate away and refuse to try it. For this, I recommend using their help in the kitchen. Children are more likely to eat what they have been involved in preparing for the sake of achievement and pride. It's psychological warfare, I know, but all is fair in war and dinner time.
Perhaps the greatest gift you can give yourself (more than helping out in the kitchen) by “forced” your little ones to help prepare dinner is that they will learn to appreciate the effort of cooking. your health and eat peacefully rather than sullenly. This tactic has had great success at my home when cooking for toddlers. I hope you will enjoy the same level of success.
