Supplements for your picky toddler

One of the most common concerns raised by parents at their child’s pediatric appointments is the limited diet their child is willing to eat. Many kids don’t develop a taste for a wide range of foods until they’re older which may result in tantrums at meal time as kids and parents clash over food choices. While mom and dad have the best of intentions when placing green vegetables and other healthy foods in front of their picky toddlers, kids are prone to rejecting these items outright. Instead, they may demand simple carbohydrates, like bananas, toast, juice, and crackers.

Unfortunately, it seems that the foods kids crave are often high in sugar and fats, but low in nutritional value. And, it’s impossible to explain to them that their poor diet can very well lead to everything from an upset stomach to overeating and constipation.

Don’t forget about the food

The first step to raising a good eater is placing healthy meals in front of him at every opportunity, even if he pushes them away. Making a point to expose kids to a variety of beneficial foods, such as lean protein, whole grain bread and cereals, as well as fruits and vegetables, can help them to develop a taste for these foods over time. Although, truly choosy eaters may not begin to accept new flavors and textures until they’re well out of the toddler years. And, they may need more nutrition than what they’re willing to eat.

There’s a theory people often site that hypothesizes that the body will let you know what you’re lacking because you’ll crave certain foods. For example, those who are low in iron will crave red meat and other foods that are high in this mineral. To date, this theory has not been proven with adults, and certainly has no basis of fact with kids. Given free reign to eat what “sounds good”, many toddlers would live on ice cream and cookies.

Get more fiber

One of the biggest problems with the average diet chosen by picky eaters is lack of fiber which is abundant in fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, seeds, and whole grain products. If you’re finding yourself in this position, you may need to speak with your doctor about fiber supplements for toddlers.

It’s important that you choose a supplement that is made specifically for the age of your child as adult supplements are not produced with the nutritional needs of children in mind. Yummy Fiber is formulated to be safe for toddlers and has a taste and consistency that appeals to this choosy age group. One Tbsp of this mild-tasting liquid fiber can be easily added to their favorite drink or food and can help keep your toddler’s digestive system running more smoothly until he begins to accept more food choices into his diet.