Twin Toddler Feeding & Nutrition Archives | Twiniversity #1 Parenting Twins Site

Toddler Lunch Ideas That Your Kids Will Actually Eat

Twiniversity — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 04:00:29 +0000

Need some toddler lunch ideas that are simple and easy to put together for your toddlers at lunchtime, without the fuss and tears? Let’s get real: feeding toddlers is a big challenge. Just when you think you’ve got it down, their tastes change, or they’re no longer interested in that texture / flavor / shape of food. It can be super frustrating to come up with toddler meal ideas that your kids will actually eat. If you are struggling with lunch ideas for kids, you are not alone! So many of our parents have the same exact struggle. Foods that work well for lunch for toddlers don’t have to be complicated. Simple is usually best — don’t drive yourself crazy looking for toddler food ideas or toddler recipes that are complicated and take too much time. Lunch Ideas for Kids We polled our community of twin parents to find out what exactly they are feeding at lunch for toddlers on a regular basis and what their kids like. Below you’ll find tons of toddler lunch ideas to try out on your kiddos at your next meal. We broke our list down into main dishes and side dishes, but there’s really no rules. These are easy toddler lunches that will quickly become a part of your weekly rotation. Toddler Meal Ideas In general, it’s recommended to offer one protein, one fruit, one veggie, and one starch at each meal for healthy toddler lunches. But you know your kids! If they struggle with meat, there’s no rule that says they have to eat meat. Substitute high protein non-meat items instead (such as beans, legumes, quinoa) and don’t stress. Give your kids a few things you know they like and try something new now and then. Don’t make a big deal out of it or they may automatically push it away. Just put it on the plate and see what they do. Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids Our pediatrician always recommends to never force a child to eat everything you offer. Put it out there and see what happens, but if they refuse just let it lie and try again a few days later. Don’t force your child to clean their plate either. This can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food in the future. If they are consistently leaving food on the plate, just offer them less food the next time. Their tummies are little and maybe you’re just overestimating the portion they need. As for their drink, offer water or milk at every meal. Limit juice because it has a lot of sugar — don’t even make it an option. They get to choose water or milk and that’s it. Toddler Lunch Ideas Main Dishes Here’s some great ideas for main dishes for toddler lunch ideas. And it doesn’t have to be for lunch! These also make great dinners and snacks, and even breakfasts. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into small bites, or use a small cookie cutter to make into fun shapes. Substitute sun butter if there are allergies to peanuts. Chicken nuggets Macaroni and cheese Turkey or ham sandwich with lots of veggies loaded on Toddler Running Away? 10 Tips to Deal Turkey and cheese tortilla wrap – slice them into pinwheels! Turkey burger / hamburger / meatballs / rotisserie chicken in bite-size pieces Cooked salmon (easy to eat!) Nachos (light beef & kids add their own toppings!) Grilled cheese sandwich cut into small bites Mini cheese ravioli, cooked and served at room temperature with tomato sauce on the side for dipping Campbell’s chunky soup without the broth. Heat as usual and you give them everything but the broth so there is less mess. You can drink or save the broth. Pre-packaged diced ham pieces — offer it plain or in an omelet Quesadillas using canned pre-diced chicken, scrambled eggs, or black beans Homemade “lunchables” with turkey pepperoni, cheese slices, and Ritz crackers Turkey corn dogs Pasta with butter – try different shapes such as bowtie or spiral Pizza rolls – use canned biscuits or crescent rolls with pasta sauce and mozzarella! Waffles or mini pancakes with yogurt to dip. Breakfast for lunch is a great idea! Add veggie sausage and fruit as a side. Side dishes Here’s some great toddler lunch ideas for side dishes, including fruit, veggies, dairy, cheese, and other side items that will be a sure thing with kids. ANYTHING that can be dipped in something is a hit with kids Hummus or guacamole dip with veggies, pita, pretzels, crackers, etc. Cut-up apples or bananas with peanut butter or honey to dip Sweet potato fries or tots Fresh fruit: pineapple, mango, pears, blueberries, sliced strawberries, quarter-sliced grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, etc. Fresh veggies: carrot chips, celery sticks, sugar snap peas, cut-up cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, pepper slices Frozen veggies: peas, corn, carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower Cubes of avocado Cut-up berries with a bowl of yogurt to dip Cheese cubes, slices, sticks, or shredded cheese White rice, brown rice, quinoa (can mix in beans) Any kind of beans – kidney, pinto, black, chickpeas, whatever they like Smoothies – blend frozen mixed berries, banana, yogurt, spinach, etc. and mix with milk or water. You can add oatmeal or peanut butter too. Sliced foods in jars – olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, mini corn Cottage cheese with fruit Related Articles – Toddler Lunch Ideas That Your Kids Will Actually Eat

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5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat More Than Chicken Nuggets

Twiniversity — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 04:00:28 +0000

Do you struggle to get your kids to eat more than chicken nuggets? A mom of twins shares her tips to help your kids try new foods. When my twins were just starting out on real food (I’m not talking pureed fruits and veggies in a jar, but REAL pick-it-up-and-eat-it food) it actually felt like they would try everything and more or less enjoy everything. I was so excited that they were eating calamari and broccoli and olives! Their taste buds were in overdrive and my mom-brain was beaming with joy that I had somehow managed to avoid having picky eaters. But then they morphed from “tabies” (that slightly awkward in-between phase of not-quite-baby to not-quite-toddler) to full-blown toddlers and it was like a switch was flipped. They were rejecting the many-colored fruits and veggies they had previously devoured and, as if the food regression wasn’t enough, they were also turning up their nose to proteins. I had two-year-olds that wouldn’t even eat your run of the mill chicken nugget. So, I had to get creative, and quickly. 1. Sneak ‘Em In The first and most successful method I found for reintroducing those important fruits and vegetables into their diets was the ever-popular “sneak them in” routine. Our favorite go-to was homemade pizza. I’d use tomato paste or sauce as normal for the base, but mix it with pureed red peppers, spinach or even extra tomatoes. The taste and color were rarely skewed (not that I’m sure they’d question it so long as the overall product still LOOKED like pizza) and the result was multiple servings of veggies in one meal. Pizza was our go-to, but the same tactics can be applied to a variety of menu items. Pears and peaches can be mashed up alongside apples in homemade (or even store-bought) applesauce and cauliflower is a great addition to cheese sauce in homemade macaroni and cheese! And when in doubt or desperate for some vitamin intake, the internet is crawling with smoothie recipes that will shock you with their ability to incorporate the rainbow and still look and taste delicious! Similarly, those smoothies can be frozen for ice pop treats. What better way to sneak in some goodness than by tricking them into thinking they are getting sweets? 2. Serve It in Plain Sight In the early days of real food life, sweet potatoes were a staple in our household. We could serve them baked, mashed, roasted, or turned into fries and always see success. But after our toddlers somehow got wind of the idea that little kids don’t like foods that don’t match the colors of noodles, nuggets, and applesauce, sweet potatoes joined the bad list. And that is when cookie cutters entered the picture. My twins loved just the sight of cookie cutters alone due to their connection to you guessed it—cookies, but also play dough and basically all things fun. From there, we picked out some good roasting veggies and let them get involved in the cooking process. I’d slice up butternut squash, sweet potatoes, really anything that can hold its own when sliced thin and roasted, into ½ inch or so pieces and let them pick what shapes they’d dine on that night. Around Thanksgiving, we had beautiful turkey shaped butternut squash sprinkled with salt and pepper and for Christmas, Christmas trees cut from sweet potatoes and sprinkled with rosemary for an extra spriggy touch! 3. Cover It in Dip We all know that toddlers love their independence and being able to take the reins on anything and everything, and mealtime is certainly no exception. I am not ashamed to admit that our condiment supply has increased significantly since feeding two-year-olds. If they don’t like the carrots I’ve cooked, I let them have their choice of a ranch or bleu cheese dressing, hummus, or ketchup. Yes, some of these involve a lot of extra sugars and calories that some health conscience parents may wish to avoid, but my theory is, if they are eating the broccoli or the chicken then they are still getting the goods, and at this young age a little extra will not hurt. The dipping portions certainly do not have to be super-sized, and the parents can offer options that are still good for the little ones. For example, any time we are having something with some Mexican flavor, my kiddos love to slather it in plain Greek yogurt—which to them, looks and tastes just like sour cream. This Dip Theory (as I so lovingly refer to it) works with things besides the classic condiment too. In my house it’s a cheese that ultimately can bring any food from the plate to the mouth. If my littles aren’t eating, the offer of a sprinkle of parmesan cheese will make just about anything infinitely more appetizing. 4. Store-Bought Saviors Oftentimes, getting picky eaters to eat is really just creating more work for mom and dad. On rough days, that pureeing extra peppers for pizza is just too arduous a task in an already insanely busy day. But grocery stores are getting better at supplying kid-friendly options that don’t make YOUR stomach turn. Sure, the frozen dinners with questionable chicken patties and blocks of brownies from our youth still exist, but companies like Birds Eye, Green Giant, and many others offer far better cuisine for today’s kiddos. From broccoli and cheese tots, to spiralized zucchini noodles, to riced cauliflower and protein blends, the freezer aisle can be your best friend in a pinch. 5. Trial and Error I find its always important to still just get your little ones to TRY new things and remind them it’s okay to not like it as long as they try it. I may have some of you scoffing at your screen when I say this, but you never know when they might surprise you. Long after I had given up on just serving a side of steamed veggies on my kids’ plates, my little boy randomly… Continue Reading 5 Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat More Than Chicken Nuggets

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10 Tips to Transition from Bottles to Cups

Twiniversity — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 05:00:33 +0000

10 tips to transition from bottles to cups, plus we also held an awesome giveaway from Dr. Brown’s! One lucky family will win a fantastic Dr. Brown’s Sippy Cup Prize Package. THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED but check and see what Giveaways are open right now on our Twiniversity facebook and Twiniversity instagram pages. Dr. Brown’s Sippy Cup Prize Package did include: Dr. Brown’s line of sippy cups are the easiest way to help your babies make the transition from bottle to cup. The Dr. Brown’s 2-in-1 Transition Bottle Kit is designed to grow with baby and easily converts from Options™ bottle to sippy spout. If you already own Dr. Brown’s Options bottles, you can purchase the transition spouts separately in standard neck or wide neck to help your babies more easily transition off the bottle to a spout cup. The soft spouts and straws on Dr. Brown’s cups make sipping easy for tiny mouths. The contoured handles on both the Soft-Spout Transition Cup and the Baby’s First Straw Cup are spill-proof and travel safely with handles that are easy for little hands to hold. The Soft Spout Toddler Cup has a contoured, easy-grip shape with no handles to make it simple for toddlers to hold this cup like a grownup. All 3 cups have attached lids that stay open when your little ones drink and keeps straw or spout clean when not in use. Transition from Bottles to Cups: 10 Tips It was 4 am. Both babies were wide awake. Time to eat. Again. I sighed and made yet another set of bottles. This scene repeated over and over, night after night. In my sleep-deprived haze, I spilled one of the bottles all over the counter. I almost took a sip of it. I thought it was my coffee. This is what three hours of sleep per night does to you. I remember asking my husband if this stage of constant bottle making would ever end as he crawled out of bed to help. I couldn’t fathom making bottles for the rest of my life, but it felt like there was no end in sight. Then it happened. Our pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to begin the transition from bottles to cups. I did a little happy dance and searched for the best cups Amazon Prime could buy. Our daughter loved the idea of drinking from a cup. We were hoping our son would follow suit. As life with twins usually goes, they decided to do things differently. While our daughter was happy with her cup, our son was less than enthusiastic. We tried replacing his bedtime bottle with his cup. It worked great for about ten seconds. When he realized his bottle was gone he panicked. He was not giving up his “baba” easily. I asked fellow parents of multiples and our pediatrician for advice to help make the transition smoother for all of us. Here’s what they suggested to help my twins give up their bottles for good, along with a few things we learned in the process. 1. Let Them Play Both of my twins have always loved to play with cups in the bath tub. I took advantage of their excitement by giving them a sippy cup with a small amount of water or milk in it to drink during their bath. Our pediatrician suggested just letting them play in the beginning. It took a few weeks of playing with the cups before they got the hang of using them. Get ready to get messy! Practicing during bath time helped control the mess. I also took them outside to use their cups a few times to make clean up easy. 2. Try a Variety of Cups My twins had no idea what to do with the first set of sippy cups I bought them. They had to tilt the cups to get anything to come out. The spout was nothing like their bottle nipples. I was also frustrated that the cups were not spill-proof. On to another option. The second set of cups had a straw lid that was difficult for them to drink out of. They dropped them, tried to pull the straw out, threw them… the one thing they did not do was drink from them. Finally, I found a set of spill-proof Dr. Brown’s cups with soft spouts. Thankfully, they both love Dr. Brown’s cups. My son’s cup reminds him of his “baba”. 3. Help Them Recognize Their Cup by Personalizing It There are so many fun ways to personalize sippy cups. Let each of your multiples choose a different character, color, or vinyl decal for their cup. Try adding patterned washi tape to the handles to make each cup unique. Although they are not old enough yet to recognize their names, it’s a good idea to go ahead and begin writing their names on their things. I chose to buy different colored cups for my son and daughter. It hasn’t stopped them from constantly trying to trade cups, but at least they know which cup is theirs. 4. Transition to Whole Milk First, if Your Multiples Are Old Enough With the go-ahead from our pediatrician, we began substituting a small amount of formula in our twin’s bottles with whole milk. Around their first birthday, they were fully transitioned to whole milk. My husband and I decided to help our twins make the transition to whole milk before introducing cups. We wanted them to get used to drinking whole milk before offering it in a cup. 5. Have a Cup Celebration After realizing my son was not going to give up his bottle until all the bottles were hidden from sight, I decided to have a simple cup celebration. One of my friends with multiples did a small celebration with each of her children when they gave up their bottle. It helped them understand and accept the transition. It had to be worth a try. One night I filled my son’s sippy cup with milk and made sure all… Continue Reading 10 Tips to Transition from Bottles to Cups

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Twin Mom Confession: I Hate Feeding My Toddler Twins

Twiniversity — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 05:00:52 +0000

I love my twins. They are my pride and joy. I stay up at night looking at Instastories of them and send way too many photos of them to my family and friends. But four times a day they turn into gremlins and it literally drives me crazy. My twin mom confession? I hate feeding my toddler twins. 1. The Mess Perhaps your children are angels and you lovingly spoon feed them homemade organic yogurt you cultivated from your farm. Perhaps your children are insane and paint themselves in store-bought generic yogurt like mine. Maybe I just gave them too much independence from day one and thought that letting them explore food, taste, and texture was the way to go. Maybe I was tired and just didn’t want to sit through an hour-long meal. But whatever it is, my children cannot stay clean during mealtimes. I can literally give them a graham cracker and they will end up with a mess of cracker caked on their face, hands, hair and all over my floor. Their teachers at school, grandparents and the like all comment on how messy they eat. Is this normal? I have no idea, but it is maddening. What’s worse, one of my girls is in Occupational Therapy and her therapist insists that I need to let them explore textures even more to help with sensory processing. So on one hand grandparents think my children are a hot mess, and a professional thinks they are too clean. Me? I’m just over here with a glass of wine praying I make it through dinner. 2. Are You Really Eating Anything? But really. Why is it that they are ALWAYS hungry yet all their food ends up on my floor, walls, and ceiling? True story, I recently found applesauce splattered on my ceiling. Don’t ask because I have no clue how that happened. I’m fortunate that I don’t have picky eaters, except during designated meal times. Meal time is a chaotic symphony of splatters, crumbs, and World Series pitching of food. Any time outside of meal time, they will eat ANYTHING I put in front of them – even broccoli. However, the second they are buckled in the high chair, throwing food becomes an Olympic sport. 3. Why Is Gravity Such a Hard Concept to Learn? I’m constantly amazed at what sponges little ones are. They understand everything, even if they can’t communicate it yet. My girls are learning a second language and they can understand anything you say in Spanish or English. Yet the concept of gravity must be extremely difficult because they still don’t get it. Day after day, meal after meal, food is dropped from the table. How long did it take Newton to understand gravity? Because I’m pretty sure even he figured it out faster than my girls. 4. My Dog Is Getting Ill Our dog is 13 and he’s not able to eat like he once did. The first few months after our girls started eating solid foods, he became really sick. We ran blood work, constantly took him to the vet and then, after all those expenses piled up, discovered that all the table scraps from our gremlins was the root cause of his mysterious illness. Not a problem, we just keep him away from the kitchen during mealtime, right? Not so easy. Any parent of toddlers will tell you just how important it is to throw snacks at your children when they get a 4 pm sass attack. Except that now my girls LOVE their fur brother and are constantly sneaking him their snacks. And thus the cycle of dog throw up continues. 5. The Ants Go Marching… I knew it was inevitable. One cannot have a toddler, much less two, in the home, without finding crumbs everywhere. And I consider myself a relatively clean person. I swear by my dust buster, sweep after every meal, wipe down the highchairs, etc. Yet one day, those darn little ants came marching in by the dozens. How is it that no matter how hard I try, I find Cheerios everywhere? I even invested in those little snack cups they stick their hands in but those have failed me too. Thank goodness for exterminators. 6. Al Fresco Dining The weather is finally tolerable where we live, so my husband and I have taken to al fresco dining. We encourage the twins to eat as many meals as possible outside. Why? I can literally take the hose and spray down the picnic table and patio. Problem solved, sanity restored. I know this season won’t last forever, and I know I will look back on photos and videos of their messy faces, hands and applesauce finger paintings with a chuckle one day. But for now, I’m just trying to get through mealtime without losing my mind. And on days when I just can’t handle cleaning up one more time and we go out to eat, I apologize in advance if it’s your restaurant. Believe me when I say we cleaned up our table and it’s still a hazmat zone. Related Articles

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Eating Healthy Tips That Actually Work For Toddlers

Twiniversity — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 05:00:37 +0000

Parents know that it can be difficult to encourage healthy eating in toddlers. Different textures and flavors outside of their comfort zone will make many kiddos run for the hills. As parents, it’s our job to keep trying to get our kids to eat healthy even if they are resistant, and sometimes using a little bit of savvy and misdirection can go a long way to get your kids eating veggies, fruits, and lean protein — even when they don’t know it. A healthy diet can benefit everyone in so many ways. Kids eat better, have more energy, have a better mood, and can be a good example to their friends and classmates. So let’s get them eating healthy! Buy Fun Dishware to Encourage Healthy Eating It’s easy to make mealtime fun with plates and bowls with fun designs. While they are not the most economical investment, it’s a great way to encourage kids to eat nutritious food. A toddler presented with a new plate or bowl with their favorite character, superhero, sports team, etc. will often be more likely to eat what is served in that dishware! The Fred DINNER WINNER Kids’ Dinner Tray is a tray that’s also a board game. Just fill up the empty spots and the goal is for your kids to empty them all until the end, where you can put a special dessert or prize! Another fun plate is the Mr. Food Face plate. Your kids will have so much fun creating a beard out of mashed potatoes or eyebrows out of steak. Make up Silly Names for Healthy Meals Who says you have to use common food names? Whether you use classic names like “ants on a log” or you create some of your own silly names for foods, kids are more likely to try something new if it’s fun! “Super Duper Pasta Surprise” sounds a lot more appealing than plain old spaghetti and meatballs. Check Pinterest for some great ideas for unique food names, or to find inspiration and create your own ways to encourage healthy eating habits. Seek Alternative Healthy Food Choices A great way to get your kids to eat fruits and veggies without a fight is to hide them inside other foods that they like. A great book called Deceptively Delicious is filled with awesome recipes, from chicken nuggets that are cooked with broccoli in them to brownies with carrots and spinach! Or if they ask for candy or cookies, offer them a sweet piece of fruit instead. You want to offer them plenty of choices to get them to enjoy eating healthy. Don’t just say no to chips and hand them a carrot. Say no to the chips and ask them if they would like a carrot or nuts. Kids love to feel like they are making the choice on their own but can easily become overwhelmed at the thought of no chips and so many other choices. Narrowing it down, while still giving a choice is the best way to go. Make Eating Healthy Fun Cutting fruit into fun shapes is a great idea to get kids to eat healthy snacks. Use cookie and sandwich cutters to make everything from sandwiches to waffles to cantaloupe more appealing. Another good idea is to make fruit and yogurt parfaits. Use fun glasses to layer your favorite fruits, berries, yogurt, and granola. This is a great way to eat healthy when you’re in a rush or on the go! Labeling healthy foods with fun stickers is also a great way to encourage your toddler to eat healthy. If my kid knows that these grapes in this bag are washed and just for him, he is definitely more likely to eat them. And if I add a Spiderman to his name sticker, well, let’s just say we might need to hit the market for more grapes again sooner than I thought. Keep Healthy Food Available for Snacks When kids are hungry they will most likely eat what is available. If you only keep junk food available for them to snack on, that is what they will want to eat. By keeping healthy options for snacks such as fruit, granola bars, cheese, or vegetables available they will learn to love them. Fill a large, colorful bowl with nutritious foods and place it in a central location to encourage them to grab a healthy choice when hunger strikes. Keep your little ones’ size in mind. You probably want to keep the cookies on a higher shelf than the nuts and raisins. Out of sight out of mind works well here. Keep Healthy Food Available for Snacks If your children see you eat healthy foods they will learn to do the same. Eating healthy is not only good for your kids, but it is also good for you too. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, eating a balanced diet, along with physical activity, will help you fight obesity, reduce your risk of chronic disease, and improve your overall health. Many parents wrongly associate healthy eating with a healthy weight. That is true but not the most important reason to eat healthy and encourage your children to follow suit. Maintaining a healthy weight will reduce your overall risk of many long-term health problems. If you notice a weight gain in your child that is concerning to you, bring it up to their pediatrician. Often it’s just right around a growth spurt and nothing to worry about but a quick glance at their diet with an outside observer can’t hurt. Everything in Moderation Of course, there will always be room for a treat here and there, but modeling a balanced, healthy diet will normalize this behavior for your kids. They will grow up opting for healthier choices and reasonable portion sizes because it’s routine for everyone in the family. You should also praise your children when they make healthy eating choices. This will help to promote their continued healthy choices. Allow your little ones a… Continue Reading Eating Healthy Tips That Actually Work For Toddlers

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Mealtime with Twins: From Purees to Finger Foods

Twiniversity — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:12:29 +0000

Nat hosted a Facebook Live chat on the topic of Mealtime with Twins: From Purees to Finger Foods, where she shared all her best tips for starting solids and getting your twinnies on a great mealtime routine. Check out the video below, thanks to our friends at Sage Spoonfuls. Hey guys! It’s me! Welcome to our live feed. Today, we’re going to talk about introducing solids, we’re going to talk about purees, rice cereal, we’re going to talk about a ton of different things today. I’m very excited because we’ve partnered with our friends over at Sage Spoonfuls, and we have a bunch of their products to talk about. We’re going to do a lot today. We’re going to actually make some baby food too, which sounds kind of fun. I love the products from Sage Spoonfuls, so it’s requiring me to play with everything because I just love it so much. I love a good immersion blender. Thanks for joining us today! Not only do I know a thing or two about introducing solids to twinnies, but I was able to go through Liza’s book. Liza Huber is the founder of Sage Spoonfuls, and she is really just a very dynamic and extraordinary person. Her story of her experience with her family is just fantastic. As a reminder, we do have information in What To Do When You’re Having Two on starting solids, so don’t get nervous. You can always reference the book. We also have a great amount of resources on Twiniversity.com. I also want to say that I found a really fantastic article about introducing solids to your kids on Lucie’s List. So if you haven’t, visit Meg over on Lucie’s List. She’s a fantastic writer, and she has such a great team. Her website is kind of like Twiniversity for singletons. She has a great article over there, so I stole some funny jokes from her, which I’m going to use here. Then, of course, we have Liza and everything that’s in her book. So, let’s get started. Let’s talk about how do we know when our baby is ready to start solids. How do you really know? What are the cues that I can look for? Now, you guys heard you really shouldn’t start introducing solids until six months, unless, of course, your pediatrician says something sooner. If you feel like maybe they’re ready a little bit before six months, don’t hesitate to speak to your doctor and say “Hey, do you think now is a good time?” If he or she gives you the thumbs up, maybe you can start a little bit sooner. In general, I would not plan on starting solids until six months old. Before you start, you have to look for a few clues and warning signs. Number one: Can they sit up on their own? Once the twinnies can sit up on their own, we start talking about introducing solids. The next really big clue is do they watch you when you eat? If you’re sitting at the dining room table, and the kids are maybe in their bouncy seats in the floor next to you, when you put food in your mouth, do their eyes go with the food into your mouth? Do they look at you like, “Mama, I would like some of that”? If they start kind of watching you eat, then I would really think that they’re going to be pretty ready. Once they are sitting up on their own, and clearly showing interest in food, even before you start introducing the solids, get them used to where they are going to be eating. If you have high chairs, bust out the high chairs if you haven’t been using them already. Put them in the high chair, and get them used to sitting in it. You can do it a little bit at a time, a lotta bit at a time, whatever you choose, and whatever your babies are comfortable with. But, get them used to sitting in the high chair. If you haven’t been using bibs, get them used to wearing their bibs. They just have to get used to sitting in a more inclined position. If they’re in a bouncy seat or whatnot, it’s kind of like a recline, or more like a La-Z-Boy. You want to get them used to sitting at the table. There are a lot of high chair choices out there. The space-saver high chair from Fisher-Price is really good choice, Summer Infant has a really good one, and if you’re really limited on space, check out the BabyBjorn high chair. Those are all solid options. If you’re really limited on space though, look at the space-savings ones. If you have quite a bit of real estate, there are a ton. Peg Perego has a great high chair. It’s kind of funny because I’m trying to think of who has a bad high chair. Every high chair kind of has its perks. To me, I always like the space-saver ones because I have dining room seats anyway, and I always enjoyed when the twinnies would sit at the table with me. I would put them in their little space-saver high chairs, and they would be part of the family. So once you’ve gotten them used to it, once you’ve spoken to your doctor, you can start discussing introducing solids. So what do we need? How do we prepare? What do we do to get our kitchen ready? What are the first foods? The easy ones to start off with are bananas. All you have to have is some super ripe bananas, peel them, mash them, and call it a day. Avocado is another super easy great one. Just wait for it to be super ripe, peel it, smash it, good to go. Those are the two easiest that are always available, always ready to go. If you’re starting solids, those are the things you should have in your… Continue Reading Mealtime with Twins: From Purees to Finger Foods

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Tips to Deal With a Picky Eater

Twiniversity — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 05:00:43 +0000

I have four children. I have been blessed with two healthy eaters. They will try anything I put in front of them. They will seek out vegetables. They sit and eat whatever I put on their plate with little to no hesitation. I also have two children that could live on the same three foods with no other options. The foods that they will eat are not always healthy and do not have the essential nutrients to help children grow strong. My younger child who is also one of my twins will have an absolute toddler meltdown if he does not like the food that is presented to him. I am talking meltdown of epic proportions full on blood curdling scream and flying food as he protests. After many frustrating evenings of fighting with a picky toddler, sleepless nights because of hunger from refusing to eat, and feelings of failure with worry of failing at providing a wholesome meal for my child I started changing the ways we approached mealtime and food choices in general. Let Them Have Options If you find that your child is fighting you on the choices that you provide to them, let them have options. Let them help you pick out the menu if old enough. My twins are 21 months but can identify food that they like. I will get out two options and let them choose between the two. If there is an option that they are opposed to they make it very well known that it isn’t something they desire to eat at that snack or mealtime. Have them help you plan the week’s menu. Offer suggestions for them to choose from. Take them to the store and let them choose a snack that they will eat and help to make healthy choices – apples, tangerines, grapes, carrots, etc. Offer Small Portions Children often become overwhelmed at mealtime when presented with a food that they do not like or have never tried it served in one large portion. They feel pressured to eat it. This can cause much distress, tantrums, and in turn stress on the parents. Start by offering small portions of a few different options to help introduce foods that you think they will like and encourage them to at least try it. Many families have a “no thank you” bite. You must try one bite before determining if you like something or not. Sneak In Healthy Options When you have a child with a limited variety of options that they will eat for you, have exhausted your options and yourself working to get them to eat something, you learn to get sneaky. There are ways to hide vegetables in foods to provide extra nutrients without your children even noticing. Some simple tricks are adding peppers or broccoli to spaghetti sauce, adding peppers and diced tomatoes to sloppy joes, or throw in a few carrots to a strawberry banana smoothie. Set A Good Example Growing up my mom hated tomatoes and mushrooms. She didn’t cook with them and we never ate them so I too hate them. My daughters love tomatoes. I never ate a cucumber or peppers until I was in college and I love them! Now as a mother I follow the rule of monkey see monkey do. I make sure that most of my snack and meal choices are healthy and I always offer vegetables and fruits to my family even if they are not my favorite. Stay On Schedule Routine, routine, routine. Our daily routine is set in stone. We do almost the same thing day in and day out and this includes meals and snacking. If you have a child that is a picky eater, do not offer snacks that will fill them up before a meal. Do not give a second snack immediately after a meal that they picked at or didn’t eat. By allowing them to fill up on foods that they choose you will encourage them to continue to be picky eaters. But, we also try not to go beyond our set and meal times and have them become over hungry either. Maybe Your Child Is Just a Grazer I don’t like to sit and eat large meals. I like to snack throughout the day. I eat several small meals spread out at specific. This got me thinking about my son and meal times. He is constantly snacking, but at mealtime he is not interested in eating. Meanwhile his twin sister will eat her food and try to steal his. After much thought I realized that he eats like me. With this in mine we make sure that he is given healthy snack options throughout the day. The biggest piece of advice I have had to give myself with my picky eater is to pick your battles just like your day with twins in general. There are many nights that after I have exhausted all other options I will give my twins a good old fashioned peanut butter sandwich, a tangerine, and a cup of yogurt and call it a night and try again the next day. Related Articles

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Planning Awesome Preschool Lunches

Twiniversity — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 05:00:39 +0000

Hey gang, listen up! We’ve got a great article on planning lunch for your preschoolers, plus a fantastic giveaway of a Back to School Prize Package from our friends at Happy Family! THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED This Back to School Prize Package includes… – 2 boxes of Fiber & Protein Toddler Bars – 2 boxes of Happy Tot SuperSmart pouches with DHA and choline for brain development and eye health – 2 Happy Tot SuperSmart Dinos puffed snacks with 5g of ancient whole grains and 25 mg of choline – 2 Happy Tot Alphabet multi-grain snacks with Omega-3 Help your tot grow leaps and bounds from the inside out! The Happy Tot line of organic snacks from Happy Family will ensure that your little ones are getting the nutrition they need that they will actually want to eat! Planning Preschool Lunches Preschoolers. Such wonderful and challenging little creatures they are! This is especially true at meal time. If your little ones loved bananas yesterday, they might decide today that they make better projectiles. Sometimes, they’ll eat you out of house and home like high school linebackers. Other times, they’ll make you wonder how they stay alive off of thin air. So, what is a busy parent of multiples to do about lunchtime? Fear not! Here are some helpful tips. Buy in bulk Buy non-perishable finger foods in bulk. Divide up into individual portions using zip locking sandwich bags. This makes for a quick grab and go. This works well with things like raisins, popcorn, dehydrated fruit, pretzels, crackers, etc. This is often much cheaper than buying the same snacks pre-portioned. Divide proportioned baggies into boxes, according to food group. Your children can select one from each. Nutritional bases covered, and a sense of control for the ones! Everybody wins! Double the recipe There’s no denying it, you’re super busy! So why work harder than you have to? Making dinner for the family is something you were going to do anyway. Double the recipe, divide leftovers into Tupperware containers and freeze. Toss in lunch bag and go! Even better? It’ll be defrosted by lunchtime, and doubles as an ice pack to keep other things cool! Pass the dip! Picky little ones won’t eat? Try giving them something to dip! They LOVE to dip anything. Prepackaged hummus, guacamole, or ranch dressing are excellent choices. Yogurt and peanut butter (if in an allergy free classroom) are also great. Who knows? They might even eat their fruits and veggies! Make it fun! Nobody (least of all a busy parent of multiples) has time for Pinterest-worthy masterpieces. But that try this one simple trick: cookie cutters! Sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and so much more can be made visually appealing when cut into a cute shape. Plus, what says “I love you” better than a heart shaped sandwich? Fast, easy, and healthy! Good job, super mom or dad! You make this look easy! Bon appetit! Stephanie Turner is a first time mommy to twin baby boys. Prior to this, she worked for many years in the mental health field. In the spare time that she likes to pretend she has, Stephanie enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and starting projects that she’ll never finish. Her current hobbies include breaking up baby fights, wandering aimlessly around Target, and attempting to write while a baby (or two) uses her as a sofa. She lives in New England with her overworked husband, adorable sons, and attention seeking cat. She aspires to one day take a nap. Follow her on Facebook at Behind the Binkies. THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED Contest Terms and Conditions

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6 No-Fuss Ways to Encourage New Foods for Picky Eaters

Twiniversity — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 05:00:13 +0000

Do you have picky eaters? What usually happens in your house when it’s dinnertime? If you have picky twin toddlers, it might go something like this: Mom: Look! (super high-pitched voice with a big smile) Cucumbers!Twin 1: No mommy! No mommy!Twin 2: No mommy!Mom: Just try one bite. That’s all. Just a tiny bite.Twin 1 & Twin 2: no, no, no, no, no! You would think I never fed them vegetables in their lives! And what eventually ends up happening? Mom: If you try one bite, you’ll get a treat after supper! The BRIBE. For many parents, dinnertime is negotiation time – which undoubtedly ends in a bribe. Instead, all the hard work you put into providing a healthy and delicious meal ends up straight on the floor, or smeared on the table. Suppertime is also a time of frustration. What was a favorite food last week, is complete vile this week. It’s driving you crazy! What’s Happening? Before you think all your twins are ever going to eat is bread, fruit and crackers for the rest of their little lives, relax; there are reasons why your twin toddlers are picky eaters. If You’re a Toddler, Then You’re Probably a Picky Eater Let me ask you this: Have you met a toddler or two who liked trying new foods and had a well-rounded diet? If you have, they were few and far between. Any mom I spoke to had their arsenal of food negotiation tactics at hand for any meal of the day. Sometimes, just being a toddler means they’re going to be naturally picky. Children between 1-3 years of age are growing fast. According to experts, this is the time they are running around, mastering new skills, and learning new and novel things. This can cause fatigue in many toddlers and by dinnertime, all they want are the foods they enjoy eating – which don’t necessarily comprise a complete meal. And, because they can’t sit still and are always on the go, snacking is the only way they eat – whether you like it or not! Toddlers Gain Weight Slowly According to Dr. Sears, for the first year of a baby’s life, the mother’s primary goal is to make sure their baby is putting on weight. This rapid growth means that by the end of the first year, most babies will have tripled their body weight. Naturally, by the time your twins are two weight gain slows down. This means they need less food and aren’t hungry for a six-course meal. Toddlers Like to Binge Have you noticed that your twins can eat the same food day after day after day? My son could eat yogurt for all his meals. I feed him plain yogurt with some fruit topping and he thinks this is the greatest meal on earth. Which is fine by me! But, my son would also eat bread and nothing else. Actually, if it were up to him, a diet of bread and yogurt would be perfect. Toddlers generally need between 1,000 and 1,400 calories a day. But, they may not eat the same amount of calories every day – and that’s okay. It’s our job to provide a healthy meal and encourage good eating habits. What Has Worked For My Twin Toddlers My twins aren’t the best eaters. My daughter – at least – tries new foods, while my son doesn’t want to try anything new and says to me, “I don’t like it mommy.” Lately, we’ve been giving them a snack before bed – peanut butter and toast, or fruit, with milk. We encourage them to eat their dinner and to try new foods, but want to make sure they get some nutrition in a day. Here Are 6 Ways I Encourage My Twins to Eat Healthy Foods 1. Use a “Toss-It” Bowl Give your toddlers a bowl next to their food and tell them that after they try their food, if they don’t want any more of it, to put it in the bowl. Now, at first, most of the food you put on their plate will end up in the bowl – and they won’t try any of it. Let it be. It’s a novel experience and your children will probably enjoy it. But, after a few days or a week, you’ll notice less food on the floor and more in their bowls – and maybe some of it in their mouths. You’ll also see what foods they don’t like very much, so that next time, you’ll still give them the same food, but maybe less of it (as you probably don’t want to waste food). 2. Always Offer Something New For me, I pick one meal and offer a new food. This is typically lunchtime in our family.I’m able to spend a bit more time tailoring the twins’ meals. The majority of the time my son doesn’t try anything new, but my daughter will. You would think that if one twin tried a new food, it would spur the other to. Well, not in my house. I don’t offer the same new food too many times. I find that if I take a break, my son will actually try it. He needs exposure to the new food numerous times, to see others eat it and then he needs to feel it before he’s comfortable to try it. 3. Present Food Differently The day my twins turned 16 months old, they forever stopped eating cheese. Mamas, this was my go-to food when they were young. I would cut up cubes of cheese, shred cheese over their veggies, melt cheese on pasta and do anything else with cheese to get them to try new foods. Maybe I over did it because at around 16 months of age, they both pooh-poohed it. I tried several times to re-introduce cheese, but it never took. It was not until recently (they are three years old now) that I surprised them with a grilled-cheese sandwich one… Continue Reading 6 No-Fuss Ways to Encourage New Foods for Picky Eaters

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Kids in the Kitchen: Baking!

Twiniversity — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 05:00:47 +0000

I have great memories growing up being in the kitchen with my mom. I love to share that time with my kids as well. Being a former Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, I know the importance of teaching your kids to know their way around the kitchen. There are many skills that can be learned from cooking, such as reading, math skills, science principles, and so much more. Spending time with your kids is the best part, but there are also educational opportunities if you look for them. Have fun and help them learn with this segment, “Kids in the Kitchen: Baking!” Here is my Country Kitchen Approved motto, “Simple recipes with real ingredients that you will actually make”. Russian Tea Cookies S’mores Cookie Bars Sugar Cookie Pizza I hope you will try these recipes with your little ones. To see more videos and recipes check out my blog www.countrykitchenapproved.blogspot.com. Related Articles

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