Dispelling Myths About Toddler Feeding

Feeding your 1 to 3-year-old child can be extremely frustrating as their tastes get more specific and their appetites get smaller and smaller. Worse yet are some of the myths surrounding toddler diets, which can make mothers of toddlers feel like they're not only practically starving their babies, but that what they are managing to get into baby's tummy may hurt him. The following are some of the most common "wisdom" most mothers hear, and the facts that dispel them.

Myth #1: Toddlers must eat 4 meals a day, of around 200 g./7 oz. each
Fact: Toddlers' appetites decrease after their first birthdays, since their growth rate slows considerably. While the above amount is a good goal, don't be surprised or dismayed that your toddler doesn't seem to eat anywhere near that amount. Toddlers' stomachs are only the size of their little fists, and they are still at the point in life when they listen to their bodies, rather than following emotional cues, concerning how much they should eat. As long as the baby has a few bites from each food group, she's fine.

Myth #2: Toddlers cannot handle sugar or salt in their diets
Fact: The restrictions on both salt and sugar for toddlers are there in order to prepare their adult palates to crave more healthful fare, not because they can't physically process them. As opposed to babies under 1 year old, whose kidneys can be damaged by the ingestion of salt, toddlers can process virtually everything the same way adults can. This is not say that your child should subsist on pretzels and chocolate, but don't worry too much if she shares your chicken parmesan; she can take it.

Myth #3: Toddlers can't tolerate spices or "strange" flavors
Fact: Toddlers like what they're used to, and follow their parents' cues as well. If no toddlers liked garlic or cumin, the children in Italy and India would all starve. The best way to develop a young palate, and prevent a picky eater in the future, is not to make your toddler's food overly bland. Simply give young toddlers bits of what you're eating. After an interval of getting used to the fact the food won't make them sick (an instinct developed to help guard babies against eating strange and possibly poisonous things), the toddler will more than likely come to like it. Don't worry if it takes a while; studies have shown it can take 15-20 introductions to food before babies consider it familiar and safe.

Most importantly, don't worry. Even if he loses weight because of fussiness, your toddler won't starve himself. Just remember to keep mealtimes healthy, relaxed, and easy for everyone involved.