What to feed your Toddler.

What to feed your Toddler. 

Now that Kaili'a is a Toddler I've hit a wall with what to feed her. I don't want her to only be drinking milk and eating gold fish because of my lack of creativity. 

Being a new mom/dad can be a little scary sometimes just because we've never done this before so everything is new. I was happy that I was able to find some ideas on Pinterest to help spark my own creativity on what to do. 

Important Tips

• Make sure everything you give your baby for the first time is closely monitored. Chew a small piece in your mouth first and pay attention to how hard it is to chew. If it takes you a second to break it down, it's probably best you wait until your child is older. 
• Stay calm if your baby coughs or chokes a little, it will happen. Baby's / Kids feed off your energy, so try and keep yourself calm and don't freak out because they will if you do. If they are coughing or choking on a food frequently, stop giving it to them and re-introduce at a later date. 
• Cut food into small pieces so they can chew it easily. Cut beans in half and make sure meats are soft and moist. Don't make pieces bigger just because your child is having a hard time picking it up, it's okay if you help them.  
• Try introducing healthier options to your child, like whole wheat bread, brown rice and whole wheat pasta. If they have this first they will be better off creating healthier habits as they grow.  

Proteins

Tofu

Meatballs

Meatloaf

Cheese (slice or shredded from a hand grater)

Tilapia

Chicken 

Turkey

Eggs (scrambled or hard-boiled) 

Black Beans 

Cottage Cheese 

Pulled Pork (plain) 

Pot Roast (plain) 

Yogurt 

Carbs

Bread (toasted or plain)

English Muffin

Bagel

Cereal (Cherrios)

Brown Rice 

Pasta 

Graham Crackers

Crackers

Pancakes

Waffles

French Toast

Tortilla

Oatmeal 

Cream of Wheat

Muffins 

Fruit / Veggies

Peaches 

Watermelon 

Mago

Banana

Avocado

Potato (Regular and Sweet) 

Applesauce 

Pears 

Peas

Apples (diced) 

Carrots (cooked and diced) 

Celery (cooked and diced) 

Broccoli (cooked) 

Cauliflower (cooked) 

Squash

Zucchini 

Strawberries

Blueberries

Blackberries

Raspberries

I'm pretty good with getting Kaili'a to snack on a lot of these foods, now my next step will to get even more creative and actually have her eat 3 meals a day. 

I'm still learning each and everyday on how my child is and what she likes. Some days she is very adventurous and will eat anything I put in front of her. Others she doesn't want anything but Smoothies, Milk and Goldfish. 

I know this helped me and I am hoping that it will help any other first time moms/dads get the hang of feeding a toddler. 

Thanks for Reading, 

Tara