You’d think it would be easy to get babies to do something that comes naturally – eat! Yet, food for the 1-2 year old can be tricky when their appetites vary from day to day and when mealtimes can be used as a way to assert independence and challenge parents.

In the second year of life, growth slows down with a baby gaining on average 2 kg compared to 7kg in the first 12 months. Even though they are more active, they have small appetites and are erratic eaters, often eating little at one meal and making up for it at the next. Food fads are common - choosing to eat only one type of food and refusing everything else.

How do you cope without having food fights? Children know when they are hungry. Instead of offering milk or sweet snacks thinking they are going to “starve”, concentrate on the types and way food is offered, allowing the baby to choose how much to eat.

Suggestions

1.     Wherever possible, try to include babies in some family meals to see that eating can be enjoyable. Eating in a settled environment, sitting down also maximises digestion. Time meals so that they are hungry and not too tired.

2.    Babies have a small stomach capacity and like to “snack” but they can easily fill up on sweet biscuits, fruit juices and milk (600ml of milk per day is plenty). Offer fresh fruits, yoghurt, cheese, raw vegetable sticks instead and water during the day if they are thirsty. Offer water from a cup at the end of a meal.

3.     If food is rejected calmly clear it away and offer it at a later time. Offering rewards or coercion to eat can just reinforce a negative attitude to the food. “It must be bad if Mummy/Daddy is offering me this to eat it”.

4.     Serve small amounts of new food together with foods that the baby already eats. Present it in a neutral way, followed by praise if it is eaten . If the food is rejected leave it and try again later.

5.    Make food fun. Offer small portions of foods that look interesting and appealing, with different shapes and colours. Eat outside or on a balcony.

6.    Babies are eager to feed themselves. Encourage their efforts. It may be messy but it is all part of growing up.

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Giving your baby a variety of different foods ensures that he or she will get the nutrients needed for growth. Overall, focus on balancing meals over several days instead of just one and keep in mind that appropriate growth is the best measure of adequate food intake.

Food ideas

Children have an innate tendancy for sweeter foods and are naturally cautious about food they haven’t tried before. Research shows that children will ask for and accept fruit and vegetables if taste, texture and condition are acceptable.

Try:

q     Grating vegetables into pikelets, frittatas (Italian omelettes), meat loafs, vegie burgers, fish cakes, pasta sauces and as a topping for mini-pizzas or muffins.

q     Adding tinned salmon to pasta, rice sauces or mixed into fish cakes.

q     Using pureed pulses in baked felafels or chickpea fritters/lentil burgers and as a spread on pita bread like hommos.

q     Adding fruit to pancakes, muffins, fruit bread, yoghurt and frozen fruit or fruit juice ice blocks.

q     Offer protein snacks such as yoghurt with fresh or pureed fruit, cheese and rice crackers

Fat

Low-fat diets are not suitable for children under 5 years of age. Fat provides a concentrated source of energy, fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids and it makes food more tasty. Include fats primarily from vegetable sources such as avocado, tahini (sesame seed paste) organic smooth nut butters (watch for allergies) and olive oil and canola oil for food preparation. Choose full-fat dairy products until the age of 5.

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