Pizza? Pizza??? Okaaayyyy.

My child eats fruit or whole wheat crackers as a snack. That is just crazy stuff.

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My daughter always enjoyed those Nutri-Grain Bars. She like the strawberry best, and it was soft enough for her to gum, because she was late getting her teeth.

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I'm a registered dietitian and I don't give my kids American cheese slices nor would I top a list of the "who's-who in awesome in kiddie foods" list with it. Perhaps since Parents likes to appeal to a mass audience, they tried to use only the most commonly eaten foods?

I don't see a problem with the pizza, though. We make ours with whole grain dough (or for a thin crust, a whole grain tortilla), real tomato sauce, a blend of all natural cheeses, and tons o' veggies.

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Amanda, I am curious to find out what you DO feed your children. My son was eating everyting offered to him, but now he is SO picky. He is 21 months old. There is nothing more annoying than making a plate of all his 'favorites' to have him push that plate away. I need some new ideas here!

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Pickiness is super common during toddlerhood as deciding what to and what not to eat is often a toddler's first chance to exercise control. As general rules for the kiddos, I avoid all foods with trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, use organic dairy and limit dairy to 4 servings a day (a serving = 4ounces of milk/yogurt or one ounce of cheese), encourage healthy fats (olive oil, omega fatty acids, mono and poly unsaturated) and offer at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Also, keep in mind that toddlers have small tummys they may fill up on small amounts. I only serve water with meals so they don't fill up on milk and I don't offer juice. This way, they are hungry for food calories instead of filling up on liquid calories. When he is going through a food jag and only willing to eat a handful of foods, try to make the foods that he will eat healthier. Some healthy but very kid-friendly foods that are very well received in my house:

1. Fruit- any way, shape or form
2. Barilla Plus pasta (in the gold box- contains flaxseed and is a good source of protein and fiber)
3. Kashi cereals (my 2 year old begs for Tasheeeeeees!)
4. I buy frozen vegetables so they are always on hand and if they don't want to eat them, I chop them up finely and hide them in spaghetti and pizza sauces, quesadillas, and omelets. Also, sprinking a little bit of cheese on the does wonders.
5. Eggland's Best eggs
6. Whole wheat tortillas and whole grains breads
7. Smart Balance all natural peanut butter with flax oil
8. I add ground flax seed to oatmeal (I should also add that I sweeten plain oatmeal and peanut butter- instead of using jelly- with mashed fruit)
9. My husband makes whole gran bran muffins with flaxseed and grated carrots, zucchinis, and apples that my kids absolutely love. In fact, homemade breads and pasta sauces are a great place to hide veggies
10. My son sometimes refuses meat so we'll meake a cheesy quesadilla (whole wheat tortillas, all natural cheese, thin strips of grilled chicken, diced broccoli) and he'll eat it when he can't see it
11. Fruit smoothies. Frozen fruit blended with milk.

That's all I can think of for now. Hope this helps!

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I forgot:

hummus. My son LOVES to dip raw veggies in hummus.

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Amanda, aside from the "my husband makes muffins" part and adding flax seed (I never thought of that!) we feed our kids almost the identical foods. Thank God for Barilla Plus pasta (and Annie's Mac & Cheese singles!)

Breakfast, Dinner and Snacks are our main meals (they have a fantastic home-cooked lunch and good snacks at daycare every day - takes the pressure off me!) I make multi-grain oatmeal and add dried fruits (chopped up) while cooking. Both my kids (boys 3 and 1) love this breakfast! But I need some "quick" foods too so we get frozen whole-grain waffles or french toast and I cut them into strips so they can dip them in yogurt cups, applesauce or strawberry fruit spread. They also love to do this with graham cracker sticks for a snack.

Another favorite snack for us is guacamole. My boys love it! The Trader Joe's variety is not spicy, and when I make it at home I add very little mild salsa and fresh tomatoes, so we can get it with flavor but no real heat. They dip pepper strips and also flax-seed corn chips into this and love it. (The little guy just likes to eat it from a spoon!)

Ever since our pediatric dentist said "chocolate is OK as a once-in-a-while treat" but "no gummies" and "no raisins or dried fruits" as a snack, we have made a few switches. Dried fruits used to be our go-to snack. Now it's yogurt-covered pretzels or Annie's bunny crackers (both from Whole Foods or the "organic" section of your regular supermarket). Or for a really junk food-like treat, Pirate's Booty (they think it's cheese popcorn, which their older cousins eat and I won't let them have for fear of choking - too many parent horror stories!) Cutting out the chewy but healthy snacks (dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries, and the once-daily gummy vitamins) was hard for us. Until recently I had been oblivious to the otherwise healthy food's effects on little teeth!

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I am so jealous! I wish my son would eat those foods. He has a texture issue. If he doesnt like the way it feels in his hand, he feeds it to the dog(or my husband.) And he wont eat anything off a spoon/fork. He is also allergic to eggs and peanuts, so that makes it even harder. I'm going to give hummus a try. And, making my own bread/muffins sounds hopeful. I'm hoping that its just 'a phase.' He used to love ALL fruits. Now, he wont touch them. He wont even try them and that makes it SO frustrating! I know that if he tried half the things I put out for him he would love them. I dont want to force feed him, dont you think that would just make it worse??
I remember the days of organic baby food and I couldnt wait for him to eat table food. I didnt know how good I had it then!

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No, I wouldn't force your son. I think the best things you can do are set a good example by eating a healthy diet, offering a wide range of healthy foods and praising him even if he just tastes something new, and consider seeing an OT to address your son's texture issues. In the meantime, you may want to consider a multivitamin with minerals supplement if your son is avoiding one or more whole food groups but check with your pedi first.
HTH.

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I have discovered that edamame is the perfect toddler food. It's challenging but achievable for her to get the pods open, and she loves to eat the "beans." We buy huge bags frozen from Costco that just have to be warmed up under running water and they're ready to eat.

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That weird list is alphabetical... thus American cheese tops it.

Thanks Amanda for the good ideas!

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