Parenting Toddlers

Toddlers are notoriously picky, fussy, strange eaters. I know Peanut isn’t “fussy” per se. She eats a variety of foods - she eats raw Kale leaves straight from the garden. On the other hand, the kid likes TicTacs (provided by her grandfather!). She doesn’t always eat a balanced diet, though. She loves veggies, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to eat them when I serve them. It is impossible to know what she’ll eat at any given time, which makes meal times hard. Anyway, my point is that it is hard to know what your toddler is actually consuming as far as nutrients. Our pediatrician told us not to look at it day by day, but rather week by week. Is she getting enough vitamins and nutrients overall? Some days she may eat nothing but noodles (which are bleached out and usually covered in a weird orange cheese sauce. Yes, I do make her mac and cheese from a box!). Anyway, a tool that can really help you see what your child is eating is What My Toddler Ate Today by Jacqui Herrmann. This book is particularly important for parents who are concerned with their child’s weight - either that they gain too much or too little.

This book isn’t about telling us what to feed our children. You can find that information in a host of other places, like the FDA food pyramid or your doctor. Portion sizes are obviously different for toddlers also. Instead, this book functions has a log or food diary, a portion tracker, and/or a meal planner. You can track everything your child eats so you know if they are getting a balanced diet. You can take a look at the log sheets here. (Sorry, I was going to take pictures of the book but my camera wouldn’t cooperate.)

This is a great book for anyone who has a fussy eater, a light eater, an overeater, a grazer, a snacker, or any other type of eating behavior. I was able to see that, yes, my child is eating enough, and no, she is not in danger of malnutrition! It costs only $10.49 from Amazon, but I have a copy I’d like to give one of Parenting Toddlers readers. If you’d like a copy, email me a short entry about the type of eating behaviors your child has by next Friday. (You can email me by going to the contact me section on the right side of the page.) I’ll choose a winner and send you this book. Hopefully, you’ll then want to share your own review with us!