It's pretty safe to say that Matilda is taking a LONG time to grasp the concept of solids and that food should be her main source of nutrition now she is one. She is still a milk monster and the process of decreasing her milk and increasing her food intake is a difficult process but one I'm aware is pretty common so at least we are not alone! I've learnt to adapt to Matilda's likes and dislikes over the past few months (which change ridiculously quickly) and try and open her up to new foods. Generally she does fine with breakfast but is always reluctant to try anything other than weetabix. Toast gets nibbled but then thrown on the floor (another lovely toddler trait) and porridge gets thrown in my face...lovely.
Lunch is sometimes a tricky one as I'm still trying to persist with cold finger foods. I read about the idea of Bento Boxes a few months ago and thought it would be a great thing to try for Matilda when she is a bit older. Inspired by Japanese food culture, bento boxes are a way of taking a variety of foods and presenting them in a way which is more inviting to the toddler. For example, if you see the picture below, the lunchbox is divided into sections, small portions, easily picked up with the hands. Realistically NO mum has time to sit and cut out star shaped sandwiches and carefully put fruit onto kebab sticks but I still think the general concept is great, especially for a packed lunch. I really like the idea of splitting the foods into small sections because it means each little tub can be taken out individually.
Generally Matilda has lunch at home but if we are going out I will put it all in a lunchbox. It's normally a mish mash of things because she is so damn fussy! For example sometimes she likes sandwiches, sometimes she doesn't. So sometimes I just give her some cheese spread on bread finger slices and that works. She'll always have a yoghurt and whilst I agree they are sugary, she has 1 a day and no other sweet things other than fruit.
She has taken to liking cold pasta so sometimes she will have what is left over from my dinner the night before. She would eat cheese all day long if she could! She also loves cucumber slices and whilst they have no real nutritional value, they are basically just water, I don't see why she can't have a munch on them.
As I said Matilda is fussy. She, like any toddler, likes to nibble, throw food, spit it out...it is a test of patience for any mother. Over the last few months I have learnt some strategies to try and make meal times a slightly less stressful experience. Here goes...
1) Don't sweat the small stuff
If they don't eat much IT'S OKAY! The simple fact is, they will eat when they are hungry. If they throw your food on the floor, pick it up, keep calm and keep trying. If it fails after a few tries, move on.
2) Jars and pouches are GOOD
It really annoys me when people say using ready made jars and pouches for babies/toddlers is lazy. Erm, NO! There is nothing wrong with spending a little bit to have some put by for when is needed and they are so much more practical when out and about. I think baby food is so much better than it was for our generation, with the introduction of brands like Ella's Kitchen who do their best to make everything nice, healthy and organic. Sometimes, when you've had a tough day and your baby won't eat anything you make, a pouch of Ella's Kitchen chicken pie can save the day AND your sanity.
3) Eat with your child
It's always good to eat with your child-I find when Matilda sees me eating and we make a game of it, she tries more and therefore eats more...winner!
4) Quality NOT quantity
This doesn't need much explaining but it's a statement that was told to me and will always stick in my mind. It doesn't matter if your child eats small portions (some children, like Matilda are smaller for their age and don't need as much) as long as it's good quality, nutritional stuff.
5) Don't compare, whatever you do...DON'T COMPARE!
So easy to say, so hard to do. If you see your friend's baby wolfing down a spaghetti carbonara adult size and your baby is struggling to eat a piece of a cheese sandwich, DON'T COMPARE! All little ones are different, different apetites, different sizes just like us adults.
6) Don't stress about the mess
Like what I did there? Honestly, this is a piece of advice I need to take myself. Toddlers are messy. They will get yoghurt in their hair, cheese in their ears and good knows what is their nappies (once I found 2 crisps there). They are exploring and if you restrict them by going overboard to keep everything clean, then food isn't fun. Bringing food into play is a great idea because it means they associate it with something enjoyable. So for example, me and Tilly did some 'spaghetti play' last week, literally just put out a map, plonked a bowl of wet (not hot) spaghetti and let her go wild!
So, now after all of that, I'm off to take this advice and give Matilda her lunch...wish me luck! Just remember that you are doing a fab job no matter how much your child is eating. It's so easy to feel like a failure when you've prepared an awesome dinner only for it to end up on the walls...it's a learning process for both of you, let it be fun. xxx
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