Toddler Food

Carter is a good eater. He eats a good mix of foods, and we really shouldn't complain about his eating habits. But sometimes we do.

He is getting quite a bit more finicky lately. In typical toddler fashion, it's not so much about one food versus another, its about him asserting his independance. One day he'll eat something, the next day he'll refuse. And, in general, Carter isn't fond of is leftovers. If I reheat something, he's not into it. It's as if he knows I didn't put out sufficient effort.

So, I've discovered a trick that (so far) virtually guarantees that he'll eat what we give him. If he helps cook it, he'll eat it (he's also guaranteed to eat it if it is a waffle or mac n' cheese).

I've been letting Carter help pour, mix and season his food. We watch the toaster oven or the microwave, and I talk to him about what we're doing. Even if its as simple as letting him hold the peppermill while I put a tiny bit of pepper on the leftovers before they go in the microwave, the participation is sufficient to get him to eat the food. The first night I tried this trick, he wolfed down an entire fillet of asian-spiced tilapia and green beans. Another night, in my desparation to find something he could sprinkle on some leftover lima beans, I chose a spice that was a bit too spicy. It was clear that Carter's mouth was on FIRE, but he refused to stop eating. Fire-mouth aside, the only other problem is the time it takes to get the food from the heat source to his plate. He's not fond of waiting for the food he has prepared to cool down!

As with most toddler tricks, I don't expect this to work for long... but I've gotten a week out of it, so that's something!