Toddler Favorite Foods

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5 Toddler Favorites

At age 3, my daughter Alyssa was the pickiest eater imaginable. Each night I'd serve her, her brother, and her sister a balanced dinner of chicken or meat loaf, a green vegetable, and noodles, and each night she'd munch a few noodles and then flee to the playroom. In desperation, I began sneaking her cookies when her siblings weren't looking. I might not have been able to get her to eat well, but at least she wouldn't starve!

It turns out she would have been far better off had I forgone the cookies and tried some typical kid favorites instead. Contrary to popular belief, many of these foods pack a nutritional punch. Plus, by making a few modifications in what you buy or how you prepare them, you can make them even more healthy. Here, some smart choices even the most finicky child won't refuse.

1. American Cheese Yes, this very square, very orange kid-pleaser is a nutritional winner. Experts like it because it provides calcium, an essential nutrient for bone development. "One-fifth of children between ages 1 and 2 don't get enough calcium," says Keith Ayoob, MD, a children's nutrition specialist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The cheese is also loaded with protein, which repairs and makes new tissue, and is necessary for healthy skin and bones.

* Tasty tip: Serve cheese melted on enriched 100 percent whole-grain bread for a fiber and vitamin boost. Fiber helps move food efficiently through the colon, and B vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid allow the body to convert food to energy and help ensure proper functioning of muscles (including the heart) and nerves.

2. Chocolate Milk This rich, creamy treat is a nutritional powerhouse. "Children who drink flavored milk tend to drink more milk -- and less juice and soda -- than they otherwise would," says Dr. Ayoob, adding that milk's calcium, protein, and vitamin D (which helps the body absorb calcium), make the dollop of chocolate and sugar worth it. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sticking to full-fat dairy until your child is 2 because milk fat is vital for brain growth.

* Tasty tip: Chocolate milk isn't just for breakfast or snacks! Blend it with frozen yogurt to make a delicious calcium-rich shake.

3. Breakfast Cereal It's a major kid comfort food, and a meal that will please the pickiest of the picky. Cereal is also a great source of carbohydrates, which provide the body with needed energy. Many cereals are fortified with B vitamins, iron (which helps the blood transport oxygen throughout the body), and zinc, which boosts the body's ability to fight infections.

Though cartoon-charactered sugary cereals are often fortified too, it's best to reserve them for a weekend treat and steer your child toward fiber-rich whole-grain choices, such as toasted oat rings or puffed wheat. If your sweetened-cereal lover won't budge, try mixing a sugary favorite with a whole-grain choice.

* Tasty tip: Top your child's cereal with blueberries, pieces of fresh strawberries, or another sweet colorful fruit. You'll add a dose of phytochemicals, plant-derived nutrients that bolster the immune system, as well as fiber and vitamin C, which builds tissue.

4. Yogurt So many kids are fans of this smooth health food favorite, which is definitely good news for parents. Yogurt is packed with calcium, protein, and vitamin D. It's also an excellent source of potassium, which helps muscles and nerves function effectively. "Find one with active cultures, such as l. acidophilus," advises Susan Moores, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). "These cultures build up healthy bacteria in the digestive system, which helps fight off infections and may boost the immune system."

Technicolor yogurts marketed to the Blue's Clues set offer similar nutrients to those in regular adult varieties, but avoid types with mix-ins such as sprinkles. These ingredients pump up the sugar content. Choose full-fat yogurt for kids, as the milk fat is important for brain growth.

* Tasty tip: Try sprinkling some bits of cereal in your child's yogurt for added texture, flavor, and fiber.

5. Peanut Butter Peanut butter is a rich, satisfying spread for children and adults alike. Loaded with protein, it's a great food for preschoolers (but it poses a choking hazard for younger children) and is a good substitute for meat. Peanut butter also contains unsaturated fat. "That's the good type of fat. It seems to have properties that are beneficial to the heart and brain," says Moores.

As you may already know, peanuts can cause serious allergic reactions: If your family has a history of allergies, speak to your doctor before you introduce it into your child's diet.

* Tasty tip: Preparing peanut butter sandwiches with small pieces of banana delivers a dose of potassium, fiber, and sweetness. Preschoolers may also like a sprinkling of chewy raisins.



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6. Pizza There's a lot about this birthday-party staple to love, from the crisp bread to the tasty melted cheese to the flavorful sauce. The best part? Nutritionists say pizza is a balanced food. It combines carbohydrates and protein, the tomato sauce adds a dose of vitamin C, and olive oil a dose of heart-healthy fat. The cheese provides some bone-building calcium.

* Tasty tip: If you make pizza at home, tossing on tiny bits of broccoli or other good-for-you veggies delivers an extra shot of vitamins and minerals.

7. Applesauce Children like applesauce because it's cool, sweet, and smooth. "It's a good snack, because kids get some of the nutrients in apples," says Claudia Gonzalez, RD, a nutritionist in Miami and spokesperson for the ADA. Applesauce has potassium and is sometimes fortified with vitamin C.

Experts say varieties marketed to kids (these items are sold in individual-portion packs and come in vibrant colors) are nutritionally similar to no-frills versions but may have added sugar. For this reason, stick to the adult varieties.

* Tasty tip: Applesauce makes a great base for good-for-you fruit dips. Mix applesauce and vanilla yogurt with your child's favorite fruit pureed in a blender. Serve with fruit slices. Kids love to dip, and they'll never know such a tasty snack contains calcium, fiber, and vitamin C.

8. Orange Juice Children love the refreshing taste of orange juice, and experts love its nutrients, including vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and phytochemicals.

* Tasty tip: Zip up orange juice and add a vitamin boost by mixing it with 100 percent cranberry or pineapple juice. For a warm-weather treat, freeze juice to make vitamin-rich ice pops.

9. Hamburger We all associate hamburgers with calorie-laden fast food. But lean ground beef bought at the butcher's or your local market is actually nutritious for young children. (If you're worried about mad cow disease, organic or grass-fed beef are the safest choices.) "Beef is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and protein," says Moores.

To make ground beef as healthy as possible, grill or broil burgers to rid them of excess fat. When browning beef for spaghetti sauce or casseroles, cut fat by pouring the cooked meat into a colander and rinsing it off with water.

* Tasty tip: To add vitamins and fiber to ground-beef dishes, such as meatloaf or meatballs, mix in mashed vegetables or wheat germ. Because many ground-beef dishes are served with savory tomato sauce, your child may not notice these additions and ask for seconds instead!

10. Carrots Who says kids hate vegetables? Sweet carrots are definitely the exception to that rule. "The good news for parents," says Joanne Diamond, RD, a clinical nutritionist with Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, "is that they're packed with vitamins A and C, fiber, and beta-carotene, which promotes healthy skin and tissue growth." Because raw carrots can be a choking hazard, you'll need to soften and chop them before serving. Steam them or use your microwave to preserve nutrients.

* Tasty tip: To add more vitamin C, mash carrots into tomato sauce, or serve them with a low-fat sour-cream-based dip for a dose of calcium.

Barbara Solomon is a mother of three and a writer in Scarsdale, New York.