One of the struggles with having twins? Trying to recall what and how much each ate. Many times I stood deep in thought, in the kitchen, trying to remember which twin refused the meal before. Who gobbled what and which little Miss threw her bowl to the floor. The frustrating toddler-pickiness that plagued my days, really made me wonder if they were getting proper nutrition in their diet.
I fully admit to seeking out whether or not one-year olds could take a multi-vitamin of some sort when Sophia only ate ‘white’ foods. Or, it could have been Katelyn… see my point?
I’m not alone either, according to a new survey 41% of Moms are concerned about whether their toddler is getting the correct nutrients every day. Picky toddlers? Yep, 1 in 3 Moms admit they struggle to get their toddlers to eat enough nutritious foods on a daily basis.
Sandra Gabriele, RD, CNSC is a Registered Dietitian and has a few Toddler Nutrition Tips:
- Remember Canada’s Food Guide recommendations, for meals and snacks.
- Make snacks count! It’s is a great time to sneak in those groups that were missed at meals, aim to choose from 2 different groups
- Consider taking a nutritional supplement
- Use Popular “Mom tricks” to get toddlers to eat such as pureeing vegetables and hiding them in foods, have a fun dip for fresh veggies, cut sandwiches into shapes and making fruit milkshakes
More interesting nutritional information is below, and I have to agree with most of the statistics. Right down to giving them Italian over Chinese cuisine. Yes I hid vegetables in their food, still do actually. Yet only 30% have given french fries? 17% gave fish sticks? I think these percentages could even be higher. It’s true, many times we give in and offer other choices when the top nutritional ones are thrown away {literally. Or at you. You pick}.
To help ease this struggle, Gerber Graduates provides a large selection of nutritious options for today’s ‘on-the-go’ families.
Ahhh, Gerber Graduates, it’s been a while since I seen you. We were BFF’s you know. From the Puffs to the Yogurt Melts, I relied on these many times when the twins were growing. Actually, we walked by a store shelf filled with Gerber Graduates a couple weeks ago. At over 3 now, the twins still remember them and reached longingly like a kid wanting a puppy.
Now if only they did that with brussel sprouts …
ENDED
Disclosure: I received product to facilitate this review, all opinions are my own.
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Adriana Fitzgerald says
04/02/2012 at 1:09 pmMy toddler HATES potatoes. She actually makes herself gag and vomit so she doesn’t have to eat them.
Danielle Nicole Knight Gainer says
04/02/2012 at 1:13 pmGerber graduates is the only thing my child will eat right at this point
Leanne M says
04/02/2012 at 1:22 pmBoth my sons don’t like potatoes and rice but my daughter loves them both. One kids only eats carrots, the others only eat broccolli.. It can be very frusterating fonding something for all three of them to eat.
Becky Boo says
04/03/2012 at 5:22 amI feel I’m pretty lucky with my son. He likes quite a few healthy foods. He loves peas, carrots, corn, and potatoes. He’s usually pretty good about trying new foods too and if he doesn’t like something out it goes. But at least he tried it 🙂
gibberish (Julie G.) says
04/03/2012 at 7:36 amI have a tough time getting mine to eat meat of any sort. He loves his fruit, veggies & cheese, but anything else is a real challenge.
Journeysof TheZoo says
04/03/2012 at 7:50 amMine are pretty good but they don’t like vegetables or red meat very much. A lot of chicken in this household. I’m always interested in finding new things for them. Thanks for the chance.
angela m says
04/03/2012 at 9:37 amMy toddler hates broccoli , she loves cheese and pasta
thanks
fancygrlnancy (Nancy Partin) says
04/03/2012 at 9:46 amMine eats most anything, but its timing for him. He will love something but refuse to eat it because he doesn’t feel like it. Dinner is most difficult because he doesn’t want to eat.
Anne Taylor says
04/03/2012 at 10:05 amgreen beans are always difficult to get my grandkids to eat
Janette says
04/03/2012 at 1:52 pmMy friend’s child only eat perogies for dinner. Absolutely nothing else.
Valerie Taylor Mabrey says
04/03/2012 at 1:53 pmmy grandkids love fruits but do not like the veggies that are orange like squash and carrots
vmkids3 at msn dot com
Jennifer Barata Allen says
04/03/2012 at 1:57 pmI daughter hates cabbage the most
Marlibu says
04/03/2012 at 2:00 pmMine hates broccoli
Debbie jackson says
04/03/2012 at 4:32 pmbrea won’t eat beets ever
janice budgell pollard says
04/03/2012 at 5:50 pmMy little one is not a picky eater at all. They will eat anything.
janicebudgellpollard at hotmail dot com
Nancy's Couture says
04/04/2012 at 6:50 amMy son will not eat broccoli
Emma says
04/04/2012 at 8:30 amAny food that touches the sauce. Soups (he hates liquid form food).
Emma says
04/04/2012 at 8:34 amhttps://twitter.com/#!/benitozk/status/187548051093733377
Emma says
04/04/2012 at 8:35 amposted back in the rafflecopter
gramt says
04/04/2012 at 8:46 amJust the granny researching, alot of the above makes me smile oh boy I remember my picky little eaters, grandson will be gobbling and spitting lol here pretty quick goodluck to you all.
Josie says
04/04/2012 at 4:26 pmmy daughter will not eat any vegetables except deep fried zucchinni!! She loves her pasta though!
Bree says
04/04/2012 at 8:58 pmMy boys are not very picky.. They both love corn, carrots and cucumber and both hate broccoli. (I am happy I don’t have to cook them each their own veggies lol)
Ira says
04/04/2012 at 9:48 pmI’m the lucky mom – mu toddler eats pretty much anything. And he loves Gerber Graduates
SweetPanda says
04/04/2012 at 10:57 pmMy daughter hates meat and for veggie, she only eats broccoli
Kelly Falcone says
04/05/2012 at 2:15 pmMy daughter hates all meat and fish! Hard to get protein in her : )
Darren says
04/05/2012 at 2:29 pmMy son really doesn’t prefer brocolli
marc-andre taillefer says
04/05/2012 at 8:27 pmGerber graduates is the only thing my child will eat right at this point
Sheri M says
04/06/2012 at 10:13 amMy son just turned 1 and he’s such a wacky eater. He gags to the point of throwing up if I give him chunks of banana, but loves it puréed. He gags with any texture he’s not used to, and sometimes does it just looking at food. He only wants finger foods if they are off our plate, and refuses (tosses on the floor) anything cut up just for him. Thank goodness for Herbert graduates treats! He loves peach and sweet potato puffs, apple wobbly wheels and the tropical flavored fruit and veggie melts. If all else fails at a meal, we know he’s getting nutrition from his gerber treats. He’s so picky he won’t eat the puffs from any other brand! Talk about a gerber fan!
Karla Sceviour says
04/06/2012 at 7:25 pmMy son is a very pickey eater! He dont like to try new things..he do eat alot of vegetables,but not very many fruits.
ksceviour at hotmail dot com
Cheryl Morreale (@loucheryl) says
04/06/2012 at 8:32 pmDS hates eating cooked veggies. Thankfully he will eat raw veggies.
Jenna Wood says
04/06/2012 at 9:57 pmCarrots!
Tammy says
04/09/2012 at 7:17 amMy boys are picky eaters, they dont eat alot of meats or veggies but they love fruits!
dalleykt at live dot ca
Kathleen says
04/09/2012 at 8:12 amFor me it’s my almost 5 year old that’s really picky. Only eats corn and cucumbers for veggies, doesn’t really like french fries even. Noodles, rice and meat cooked a certain way is about it. and bread.
However for the Gerber Graduates, I’d be winning them for my 12 month old. He isn’t picky but we love the Graduates for when he can’t have what I’m having or he wasn’t hungry at dinner and he’s hungry later.
Maggie Ann True Armstrong says
04/09/2012 at 8:21 amHe hates peanut butter! LOL, it’s so strange to me and my husband because we LOVE it!
kaitlin says
04/09/2012 at 1:13 pmmy 3 year old is not a big meat eater but will eat just about anything else you put in front of her. im hoping my 3 month old will turn out to be the same way/ (:
Brandi Elam says
04/09/2012 at 1:28 pmMy toddler hates anything that I have to feed him (oatmeal, applesauce, etc). If he can feed it to himself, he’s happy.
Masooma says
04/09/2012 at 1:54 pmMy son hates anything that’s green!!! ugghh
Angela M says
04/09/2012 at 10:59 pmMy picky eater will not eat any orange or yellow vegetables(turnips, parsnips, carrots, squash, sweet popatoes and yams).
Lyndsey Hart says
04/11/2012 at 4:03 amOne of my nieces won’t eat her greens
Geraldine Bond says
04/11/2012 at 5:47 amAspynn Loves everthing so far that she has tried from Gerber Graduates,But hates beets,makes the funny faces and spites it out,but I will keep trying.
Tamara says
04/12/2012 at 9:50 amMy twin boys love Gerber Graduates. They have not been to picky yet but we shall see..
Heather, Mmm... is for Mommy says
04/13/2012 at 7:49 amOh jeez, I don’t know where to start. She likes ‘naked’ spaghetti, rice, yogurt and oh yeah, chocolate :s
Jenette says
04/13/2012 at 11:01 amMy first was a super picker eater. But my second, he’ll eat anything even if he doesn’t like it. It’s funny to give him pea’s. He makes a bad face but eats it.
Amanda says
04/13/2012 at 11:35 amThere is lots of things Ava wont eat but she freaks out and gets so excited whenever she see the gerber graduates can lol
Lana Thompson says
04/13/2012 at 7:15 pmMy three year old lives on milk and bread products and refuses to eat anything remotely resembling a vegetable. We have had battles lasting hours long in the past… not a pleasant experience. We found sneaking some vegetable puree into pancakes (yams work best we’ve found) and getting fruit juice that has vegetables in it… Our 5 year old is willing to try more things, but still restrictive
Nathania H says
04/14/2012 at 10:03 amMy 3 year old avoids potatoes and veggies!!. She rather eat a slice or plain bread!!.
nathania.a at gmail dot com
Brandy says
04/15/2012 at 12:22 pmWe are reintroduceing for to my now 10mth old as she took very ill a month ago! After 2 weeks she is up to almost a full little jar of food at supper and 4 8oz bottles!
My daughter hates fruit except PRUNES!!!! She love most veggies! Food has to be cold and milk has to be warm! Hates dips! Love pasta! Love plain greek yogurt with honey! Funniest thing is she stores food in her cheeks for later like a squirrel!
Jeffrey G says
04/15/2012 at 12:36 pmMy daughter has to be the pickiest eater around. However, she does like tofu.
Tiffini Lance says
04/15/2012 at 6:46 pmmy daughter wont eat ravioli warm it has to be cold. weirdo 😛
Danielle says
04/16/2012 at 11:21 amThat’s so funny Tiffini, my daughter is the same! And that goes for all canned things. Ravioli, beeferoni, alphagetti, and even BEANS. Kids…
Emily B. says
04/17/2012 at 10:19 amMy toddler eats raspberries, goldfish crackers, yogourt, hummus and pizza – that’s about it!
Devon says
04/18/2012 at 3:32 pmMy Son Loves fruits and sweet potatoes. Veggies – not so much.
emma walpole says
04/19/2012 at 5:58 ammy little guy loves tomatoes and cucumbers
claire says
04/20/2012 at 3:05 pmmy child is open to eating a lot of food
Tirza @ Canadian Mommy Giveaways says
04/20/2012 at 4:44 pmMy boy used to like just about everything, but recently became a lot more picky! He loves cheese, cucumbers, bananas, bread, and anything that comes in a package (cereal bars, processed cheese, etc).
Lisa says
04/20/2012 at 5:40 pmI’ve been fortunate… My toddler likes a great variety of foods -even some that surprise us. We have been saved many times with Gerber Graduates…because he loves them so much they’re always on hand.
Sonya Morris says
04/20/2012 at 8:27 pmMy little one seems to dislike most things I put on her plate. But she will eat whatever is on mine!