Happiness In The High Chair

Your baby is becoming a toddler right before your eyes! He laughs. He points. He waves bye-bye. And he may be a little too finicky at mealtime.
Here's how to please his picky palate. Is your toddler fickle toward solid foods? You're not alone! Use these hints to help your finicky child eat well:

• Keep at it. Offer your toddler lots of flavors and textures. Remember, a food that's refused today may be accepted tomorrow. Don't fall into the trap of serving only foods that your baby seems to like. Expand his food horizons by offering new foods or familiar foods served in a new way, such as mashed banana served on a piece of waffle.

• Be consistent. Serve meals and snacks at the same time each day.

• Eliminate distractions. If the kitchen is too busy, your child may be more interested in the activities than in eating.

• Spark his curiosity. Serve your child the same foods he sees you and other family members enjoying.

• Be creative. Toddlers like bright colors and novel shapes. Coax your child into eating by serving colorful foods, such as melon or cheese, cut into fun shapes. Or make pancakes into turtles, happy faces, or dinosaurs. Cut sandwiches into circles, diamonds, or triangles.

• Let him feed himself. Give your toddler control over how he eats. A plastic sheet or large towel on the floor can catch the spills. If he shows interest in using a spoon, encourage him. He may not always get the spoonful of food into his mouth, but if you have a second spoon, you can switch your full spoon for his empty one.

• Let him play a little. Mashed potatoes and applesauce may seem more appealing if your child can finger paint with them first. But don't let mealtime turn into playtime.

If your toddler shows little interest in eating after more than half an hour, wipe him off and call it a meal. Don't discourage your toddler from experimenting with the food on his plate. If he wants to dip his cheese into his peaches, let him. He'll have plenty of time to learn more conventional food combinations later.
Coping with routines
Every now and then, a child may get in a food rut and insist on eating only one food—for example, cheese cubes or apricots. It doesn't matter that it was served at yesterday's lunch or last night's dinner. Your toddler wants his favorite food, and that's perfectly normal!
If your toddler insists on eating only one thing, you may need to take action. Calmly present an alternate food—maybe a little finely chopped chicken or some applesauce—on a plate with a variety of other foods. State matter-of-factly that dinner looks good. Then without showing concern, wait to see what happens. Don't resort to coercion or bribery. If you must, tell your toddler that he can have cheese or apricots tomorrow.
Though mealtime may seem challenging at this stage of your toddler's life, your persistence will pay off. You'll be setting the stage for your child to follow a lifetime of good eating habits.


source from http://www.verybestbaby.com