1)How can I incorporate more fruits in a toddler’s diet?
My 20 month old does not like anything sweet and that includes fresh fruits.Very rarely she eats some grapes but I think that is it.The everyday salad we have includes greens,cucumbers ,carrots and an apple.She picks cucumbers and carrots but does not even touch the apple.I tried making fruit pancakes and waffles…but she never ate any.I added shredded apples to some oatmeal,she ate it once.
I really want her to develop a habit of snacking on fruit,but it does not seem to be working.She does not even come close to me if I am eating an orange or something,but asks for anything else I am eating.
2)What kind of fat to use?
I use butter to make her scrambles egg or cheese omelet or her paratha (which she really likes).I do not use a lot ,maybe 1/2 to 3/4th of a tablespoon maximum.I sometimes use the spreads,like Olivia or I cannot believe it is butter kinda things.I have been wondering what is a healthy option at this age.Is using butter or butter spreads better or should I switch to olive oil,cooking sprays or what?We usually do not eat paratha ourselves and use cooking spray for our eggs,what should I preferably use for her??
Chips, I don't know about fruits but seeing Jr., I think every kid is different and also depends on when you start introducing fruits. Jr. was introduced to fruits very very early on, around 5 month mark and any and pretty much every fruit and veggie was given to him (that might not cause any issues like shakar qandi, grated apple, mashed bananas, oranges, shaljam, kaddu and tindey) so basically whatever my dad was having, Jr. was getting a spoonful or two. and that is what i give credit to in terms of him leaning to fruits (but then like I said every kid is different and their tastes are different)
About the butter thing, I give Jr. parathas with homemade ghee. I have done that since he started eating churi, and rotee and stuff. Reason for that is that at this age, they are running around so much and so much energy is being spent all that ghee is going to get digested. I do not give him chocolates (maybe a nibble or two if we are having them), crisps or fries and pretty much no white bread or oily stuff so I figure a little ghee won't do any harm. Rest of our salans are made in olive oil and that is what I give him. Milk, eggs, butter (ghee) I try to get organic as much as possible and give that to him.
My parents and parents in law mashAllah grew up in small cities/villages and had none of the stuff we eat these days (no processed foods) and mashAllah at that time their diet consisted of 3 meals a day and those meals had chakki ka pissa huwa aata, ghee, milk, gur (for sugar) and my parents maintained close to that lifestyle even after moving abroad and may Allah give them health they have no sickness whatsoever. So looking at them I am trying to do the same with my kid and also with ourselves.
Automne…She has been like this since she was a baby.I always though babies love bananas.She used to spit them out when she was first introduced to them at 6-7 months of age.Same with other fruits…
She eats veggies,some raw and others whatever we cook.Basically,the more spicy and chat patta the food,the more she likes it.
The other day she enjoyed haleem from the husband’s plate while I was worried it contained garam masala and green chillies,but she kept on going ‘mmmmmm’…
Hmm makes sense that since they are so active ,maybe butter wont do any harm.Just thought if there should be anything better.
Mashallah about your family.And I know what you mean.My own grandparents spent that kinda life and ate simple meals without any processed foods.They led such healthy long lives.
You know listening to what you are saying about your daughter maybe she doesn't like non chatpata food like fruits. Some ppl (adults ) have to develop a taste for salads and fruits. I never ate much fruits or drank milk or had any sort of pattas (salads) first time I had that stuff was when I came to the US because I couldn't have jhatka meat and halal wasn't available so all I could eat was ghaas phoos... lol.
You could try giving her baked shakar qandi with a squeeze of lemon and some chaat masala. It is highly nutritious food and ur daughter might like it that way. Same way for fruits like amrood with a lil bit of salt and black pepper and same with oranges.
Have you tried feeding her the fruit chaat we eat during ramadhan (maybe without any sugar, I hate that in fruit chaats). That is just an idea it might work.
One thing for sure I learnt from my own experience don't force ur kid. They do know what they like and what they don't and it is about texture, taste for kids. My parents really tried to force salads and veggies and I HATED those things but since they were eaten so much I did come around to it. and now I love veggies and salads....
***Jazakallah automne for ur ideas. My daughter likes only apples and oranges in fruits. In vegs she eats carrots, cucumber nd corn. The problem with my daughter is that she only likes fruits nd veges. She is not eating rice at all. Only 2-3 bites. For breakfast she eats half slice. Do u think that veg nd fruits are enough?*
*Some times i add 1 tsp butter to khicre. plz give some advice on fattening baby. We went to dr for shots, nd dr told us that she is underweight. *
Maybe try making fruit chaat with some chaat masala, black pepper, and salt if she likes tangy/savoury stuff? My daughter was the same in the beginning. She was all about veggies, but never touched fruit. With time, she developed a taste for fruit...and now like every other kid, she picks out veggies from her plate, and give her as much fruit as you want. :-\
I use butter for her paratha, grilled cheese, french toast, etc... and normal cooking oil to fry eggs. Since my daughter has always struggled with her weight, I've been told by her paed to give her a high calorie diet, including butters and oils.
Ladies just try to give your kids a healthy diet and watch their activity levels. Are they active, responsive and love to play or move around if they are why do you want to fatten them up. Some adults are also underweight. It is not always a worrisome thing, only problematic if and when the child's health is suffering.
When Jr. was a couple of months old A woman actually told me and my husband to get an appetite enhancer and give it to my kid. My husband was fuming. Jr. takes after his dad's family where some of them are really skinny before and during puberty and they are tall. My husband has always told me who cares if our son is not gol like other 'healthy' kids, the point is to see if he is doing the things kids his age are doing and if that is being done then we are good.
If your child doesn't mind the taste of ghee, butter then pls feed kids that, we can feed these things to them now, in a couple of years kids usually don't like these kind of things.
Also my parents made it a point not to give us parathas or anything heavy other than breakfast. It really gets digested that way.
So I guess a lil butter is nothing bad.I was interested in knowing what other parents use.I actually do not mind using butter.The only thing is when I eat a few leftover bites of anything made in butter.As if I need that…
I will try a fruit salad and see how it goes.I think it is just anything sweet she does not like.
@SeaBee …where have you been…?..So nice to see you around…
It is a general dislike for all fruits...bananas,strawberries,apples,peaches,oranges,melons,mango.And it has been like this since she was little.She favored vegetable purees over fruits.
This has also left me with limited snack options.She will snack on Cheerios all the time,but I feel she should have something else too.Yesterday she threw a tantrum as she wanted 'apple'...I gave her the whole thing and later cut it a few slices .But she actually wanted the red onion I was cutting.She never ate the actual apple...:(
I have never tried those.Maybe I should.I once added raisins to the oatmeal I cooked for her.She never ate that...:(,but I think that was mostly because she did not like being fed with a spoon those days.
^^I haven't given her any almonds yet.I think I can introduce them now.How do you them to your child..?I am afraid she might choke on them if I give her the whole thing.
Oh yeah she can chew fine,except for raw carrot pieces I haven't seen her having trouble with anything.I'll try slivered almonds tomorrow.I have some at home.
