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If your child refuses to eat at mealtime, experiment with introducing nutritious snacks throughout the day at specific times. Having enough of a time gap between meals will really help work up their appetite!
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If your toddler is saying no to certain foods, don’t stress! They have a way of coming around, but it may take time so keep reintroducing those foods. Sometimes incorporating something new needs to happen gradually so trust the process! The reality is that you are making progress even if you can’t see it right away. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and we promise it will pay off.
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Mealtime should feel like an important ritual, and anything you can do to add a happy or familiar touch to this moment will help. Allow them to help in the creation of the meal or the decision-making process. Pro tip: Giving them too much choice may encourage more pickiness.
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Though you will likely need to break up the food for your little one, try to keep the look and try to keep the look and feel of their food as close to your food as possible. Remember: Toddlers love to imitate, so keep that in mind when you’re eating. If you focus on your own enjoyment of the meal, your toddler may start to follow along. Again, this may take time and patience!
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Make mealtime as relaxed as possible. The table should be a toy-free zone for one activity only and that goes for the adults, too.
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We understand that a significant percentage of each meal may end up on the floor instead of their bellies. If you’re ever concerned that they may not be getting enough nutrients during mealtime, talk to a doctor or dietitian to make sure they’re growing at a healthy rate, and ask about Enfagrow A+, an everyday toddler nutritional drink.
A checklist for successful nutrient delivery from plate to toddler
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Start small. We recommend offering small portions one at a time and then waiting to see if they ask for more. This will make them feel more autonomous and trick them into eating more than they would if they were given too much at once and grew tired of it.
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If your toddler doesn't like something, we suggest making a doggy bag and trying again the next day with a smaller portion mixed in with a favourite.
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It’s important to incorporate food that has adequate amounts of DHA, a type of omega-3 fat and important building block of the brain. Several foods are actually very low in this important fat, which is why many toddlers are not getting the expert recommended daily intake of 70 to 100mg* of DHA per day.
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Try your toddler’s meals to make sure they’re tasty. This may seem obvious but we sometimes focus on bland food with low nutritional value because we know they’ll eat it. Nutrient-rich food for your toddler doesn’t have to be boring or yucky! The tastier the meals, the easier it will be to get them down the hatch.
Meal planning to enrich your toddler’s nutrition
When planning your toddler’s meals, incorporating Enfagrow A+ twice a day is an easy way to make sure your toddler is getting DHA. By incorporating up to two servings a day of Enfagrow A+ as part of your toddler’s overall diet, you may help them get closer to or reach recommended levels of DHA, iron, calcium, vitamin C and proteins.
Sometimes it’s easier said than done, especially when we’re busy parents who don’t always have the time or energy. That’s why we’ve taken the time to perfect a few of our favourite high-DHA recipes and shared them here: Enfagrow A+® Recipes for Your Toddler.
- Institute of Medicine recommends 70 mg of EPA and DHA for children 1-3 years of age. European Food Safety Authority Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies recommends 100 mg of DHA for children 0-24 months of age.
