Seeing your child grow before your eyes can be one of the most rewarding experiences as a parent. And that is why we try our best to constantly look for ways to help support their healthy growth.  

Our toddlers’ first two years are the most crucial period for growth1. So, it is essential that we only give them what is best for their development. But sometimes, what’s best for them is not something our child may like--especially when it comes to eating healthy meals. 

For parents struggling to feed their children fruits and veggies, an effective trick to encourage them to eat healthy is by mixing healthy food into something they love to eat2! Besides that, eating together with the family can encourage your toddler to be more open in trying out new healthy food while having the opportunity to engage and have fun with the family. 

For their next meal, you can try to prepare these healthy and easy-to-cook toddler recipes: 

  1. Flavourful Chow Mien3  (As per the Healthy Meals in Pre-schools Programme (HMPP), this recipe serves 10 children) 

  • 250g whole wheat noodles 

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil 

  • 15g garlic, minced 

  • 60g onion, sliced 

  • 50g Chinese mushroom, sliced 

  • 100g carrot, julienned 

  • Seasoning, mixed together: 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 4 tablespoons lower sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 

  • 150g chye sim 

  • 8 eggs, beaten 

  • 20g lime 

 

  1. Appetizing Carrot and Potato Bake4 

  • 6 peeled and diced carrots 

  • 3 peeled and diced potatoes 

  • 1 tbsp milk 

  • 1 lightly beaten egg 

  • 1 tbsp of finely chopped parsley 

  • ½ cup breadcrumbs 

  • ½ cup grated cheese 

  • ¼ cup grated parmesan 

 

  1. Yummy Chicken Dinner5 

  • 200g chicken breast 

  • 1 potato 

  • 1 cup pumpkin 

  • 1 cup sweet potato 

  • 8 green beans 

  • 1 cup of cream of mushroom soup 

 

  1. Fluffy Mini Egg and Vegetable Muffin6 

  • 1 small carrot 

  • ½ zucchini 

  • 25g peas 

  • 6 eggs 

  • 25g feta cheese 

 

  1. Crunchy Salmon Fish Fingers with Chunky Chips7 

  • 2 potatoes 

  • 2 tbsp oil 

  • 1 egg 

  • 100g breadcrumbs 

  • ½ tsp smoked paprika 

  • 4 salmon fillets 

So parents, always remember that when dealing with a toddler who’s picky with their food, patience is the key! Keep learning and experimenting with healthy and delicious toddler food and make sure that you schedule regular family mealtimes, too2

Get your free sample of Enfagrow A+ Stage 3 with 360° DHA PLUS - a scientifically formulated milk supplement for children aged 1-3 years old with a blend of dietary fibers (PDX), prebiotics (GOS), and Beta-Glucan. 

References

1 Infant and Toddler Nutrition (n.d.) Retrieved August 13, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/index.html 

2 Picky Eaters and What to Do. (n.d.) Retrieved August 13, 2020 from  https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/foods-and-drinks/picky-eaters.html 

3 Chow Mien (n.d.). Health Promotion Board. Retrieved September 20, 2020 from https://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/PDFs/HPB/Recipe/28.%20Chow%20Mien.pdf 

4 Carrot and Potato Bake. (n.d.) Retrieved August 14, 2020 from  https://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/carrot-potato-bake/zjefegvy 

5 Delicious Chicken Dinner. (n.d.) Retrieved August 14, 2020 from  https://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/delicious-chicken-dinner-recipe/y7qbicfr 

6 Mini Egg and Vegetable Muffin. (n.d.) Retrieved August 14, 2020 from  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/toddler-recipe-mini-egg-veg-muffins 

7 Salmon Fish Fingers with Chunky Chips. (n.d.) Retrieved August 14, 2020 from  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/toddler-recipe-salmon-fish-fingers-chunky-chips