Healthy Eating with a Toddler. It's Possible!

Flashback to a few months ago, on a night when my toddler daughter went to bed pretty easily. Not much of a fight, very little negotiating, and only one kick to the stomach as I tried to put her in the crib on this lovely night. 

As I walked out of her sweet little room feeling like a total boss, ready to pour a glass of wine and get ready for a night with Netflix, the truth crept up on me and pretty much made me wince in pain. 

My daughter had eaten one bite of a fish stick, a tater tot, and an old goldfish she found somewhere under the couch for dinner just an hour or so before my big bedtime win.

The truth of the matter? Mealtime with my toddler had become hell.

I mean, unless I was happy with her dream diet of goldfish, mac and cheese, and gummies. 

Because here’s the thing. I’m a stickler for healthy eating. I am a proud over-spender of all Whole Foods products and have convinced myself that one day, hopefully in the near future, my daughter will learn to appreciate almond milk yogurt and quinoa with roasted butternut squash. And then I won’t have to feel like I’ve failed my daughter’s tiny growing body on a daily basis.

“Where did I go wrong?” I would always wonder. Until her 2^nd birthday, this kid ate all kinds of fruits and veggies and was even stealing pieces of salmon off of my plate, for goodness sakes.

Well, guess what? 

I’ve learned that unless you keep your child in a bubble, outside of a classroom and completely away from any playdates – they’re going to learn what the good stuff is. They’re smart, these teeny-tiny humans. It only takes one classroom birthday party to learn that cupcakes trump grapes cut lengthwise any day of the week, and that Lila has way better snacks at her house because they crunch and have actual salt on them. 

So, what is a health food-obsessed mama to do?

Learn to roll with the punches – in the shadiest way ever, of course. 

Now while I’m not telling you to give in to your child’s unhealthy eating demands, I’m telling you to use them as an opportunity to jump on that whole sneaky food movement to ensure your child is getting some kind of nutrients on a daily basis.

Want mac and cheese, kiddo? You’ve got it, but you better believe I’m buying quinoa pasta with added protein, and blending up that cheese with cauliflower and teeny bits of broccoli. Winning – and it’s guilt free enough for me to eat it, too!

Want another handful of veggie sticks? Go for it, because I’m not serving up the ones from that giant grocery store bag anymore. Not after that time she polished off a whole bag in a weekend and I found myself googling “sodium poisoning” in a frantic panic. I’m buying the actual dehydrated veggies from my local market now, lightly sprinkling on some salt and handing them over.

Ice pop? I mean, duh, take your pick! I’ve got kiwi, pineapple, strawberry AND lime, all without any added sugar. Thanks, Whole Foods!

And here’s my favorite: gummies. My daughter would happily trade me, her own loving mother, for a bag of the good stuff any day of the week. In fact, there isn’t much she wouldn’t do for the taste of that squishy, mushy, sweetness she craves so much. I’ve got two words to combat this problem, my friends, and feel like much less of a mom fail:

Gummy vitamins, a la Juice Plus. A win even my child’s pediatrician approved of.

My point here is this: getting your toddler to eat things you want them to eat will always be difficult. Getting them to eat the healthier versions of what they love to eat so much? Much, much easier, as long as you’re willing to get creative.

Happy eating!