Toddler Recipes

Toddler recipes are handy to have for every parent, especially toddler snacks. Your toddler's diet and eating habits are now developing and it's vital that during these toddler years you lay down the foundations of a well balanced diet and a positive attitude towards eating and food.

Here we have a selection of recipe ideas and general toddler good and eating information. There are lots of wonderful toddler recipe books available in shops and online to enjoy and it's worth browsing to see what whets your appetite.

However, try not to worry that you have to always cook separately for your toddler - ideally you want to prepare meals that are suitable for the whole family.

• Toddler Recipes: Soups
• Toddler Meals
• Snacks For Toddlers
• Finger Foods For Toddlers
• Toddler Recipes: Treats
• An Easy Scone Recipe
• Toddler Nutrition: A Healthy Diet For Kids
• Toddler Food and Eating problems

Plus,

• Childhood Obesity Facts

An attitude promoting a healthy and varied diet is so important to the welfare of your toddler. Junk food such as processed foods, take aways, sweet drinks, processed pizzas, burgers and chips, etc. are high in fat, sugar and salt and does very little good for your child. In the short term eating convenience food can cause hyperactivity, sleep problems, teeth problems, weight problems and in the long term, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

If you set up a good diet in your child's toddler years you will help protect him in his future life. It really is that important - and what you offer to your children to eat is within your control.

During the toddler years your child may become a fussy eater and have phases of only wanting to eat certain foods. This is part of your toddler finding out about his independence. If your toddler rejects his food it doesn't mean that he doesn't like it. Keep offering a little of a new food every day so that he can get used to seeing it and the smell of it.

Try and let mealtimes be relaxed and let your toddler explore the food - it can be messy so try putting down a plastic sheet under his chair! Bibs are great as well. Serve some food for yourself so that you can sit down and eat something with your toddler. He will then have a chance to model your bahaviour and it'll make mealtimes fun and an opportunity to have some time together. If your toddler needs help then encourage him, but never force or argue with your child about food as it could easily make mealtimes difficult.

Your toddler's stomach is small so only offer small amounts of food and offer frequent healthy snacks such as fruit and vegetable sticks. A toddler's food intake can vary from day to day so believe them when they say they are full - some days your toddler will eat a lot, other days, he'll just pick at food. Try and judge your child's food intake for the whole week rather than worrying about each day.

If your toddler has finished the amount on their plate then offer him more, rather than giving a big bowl of food to begin with. Never leave your child unattended with food as choking is a real threat. If your child hasn't finished or doesn't appear hungry then put his food in the fridge and try again later.

If your toddler doesn't want to eat what's been prepared then refrain from offering lots of choices. Put the food in the fridge and try again later.

Avoid adding salt to you cooking as young bodies cannot properly digest it and it can make your child nervous and irritable. Children's taste buds are very acute and so what tastes bland to us adults will be tasty for a child.

In this section we've also added information regarding child obesity because it is such a huge problem in developed countries. Childhood obesity is avoidable by having a healthy diet and by including exercise into your daily life.

However, be careful not to exclude all sweets and other goodies from your toddler's diet as when he has tasted them he could then gorge himself on them when they are available. A small amount now and again is fine. We've included toddler recipes for treats and goodies here which are simple to make and delicious.

Try and let your toddler join in preparing some of the food - maybe mixing, stiring, rolling dough, using cutters or adding some of the ingredients. This makes the whole idea of food and eating more fun, interesting and something that he is having some control over.

By the time you already have a toddler, he will be able to eat the food that you prepare for yourselves. The main difference is that he will probably eat smallish amounts at your meal times and have more snacks. You could try toddler recipes to suit the whole family and family recipes to suit your toddler.

Eating with your toddler at meal times and enjoying the food whilst chatting together makes eating and food a good time for all. Maybe teddy wants to join in too!