@lenasveganliving's Fruits & Veggies Monday #22 - "Toddler Stew!"
Sometimes it's quite tricky to get a wide variety of nutrients into your toddler's belly... that's why stew is such a great option. You can put ever so many ingredients into it, and it can be a lot easier than trying to get them eating veggies as they come.
You know what toddlers can be like... it could be the colour or shape or texture that's all wrong and they won't take it, and us poor exasperated parents have no idea what specificially is the cause of the tantrum! You want it mashed? You want it on a yellow plate? A blue plate? In a bowl? The carrots are touching the peas when they should be separate? WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?!!!! ARGHHH!!!!
So, stews, soups, smoothies, curries, all these good 'saucey' dishes are an excellent solution!
Just chop the veggies much smaller than you would for an adult stew... and if some of the veggies are sweet, such as squash, sweet potato, parsnip, then I find that usually a toddler will eat it no bother. I find a very 'earthy' stew is less likely to be gobbled down by these young 'uns!
You can even use things like apples and plums, or whatever you have. No laws saying fruits can't be put in stews!
I also try to get some spices and herbs in as well... If you introduce children to a wide variety of tastes in their early years, they are less inclined to fussiness later on in life. Plus they get all the benefits of these good things into their bodies, boosting immune system, and generally aiding development in all kinds of ways (circulation, organ function, eyesight, etc etc). Do not underestimate the power of medicinal plants!!! Here I put in some fresh ginger and chilli... yum yum yum. Perfect for these chilly Irish days, and my boy loves a good bit of spice!
Many thanks to @lenasveganliving for continuing to host this wonderful contest (see all the details here how to enter), and to @gringalicious and @progressivechef for their kind sponsorship.
And many thanks to everyone reading and supporting, otherwise we'd all be wasting our time posting these things!
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Thats a beautiful post and love your ideas how to get your toddler the nutrients! I believe small children actually knows what they need (of course we should not give them unhealthy alternatives with sugar and fat and gluten), so I really trust my toddler knows exactly what his bodys need. I offer him all kinds of foods (vegan, raw or cooked, no gluten , no sugar) and he choose whatever he likes from it. Sometimes he likes i and eat from it and sometimes he dont. I am still breastfeeding btw, so I know he gets a lot from my milk too. He started to show interest in food after one year and liked it acovado and sauerkraut the most. Other things he didnt like that much. He has always been the healthiest and happiest baby so I know it works well for him this way. We have never fed him, practicing the baby led weaning method;) Thanks for a great article again!
That makes me really happy to hear how nourished your child is! And still breastfeeding, that's wonderful! I too never force any food on my son, he lets me know what he likes or doesn't like, but generally he's not fussy. They say if you eat healthy and a wide variety during pregnancy and breastfeeding, children are more likely to adapt to a varied diet and all kinds of flavours. Great job Mama-vegan-ninja!!!
Thank you so much for your wise kind words darling! We women have so much power in our bodies that we can give our children when we are pregnant and breastfeed;) Take care and sending you lots of love!
You are a smart mum! Wonderfull stew for children and adults ;))
Thanks so much @monika-homa! What a lovely compliment :-)
Wow! The soup looks so yummy! It open my appetite to eat, I like the vegetables, and this chilli give it a good taste.
Nothing beats a good spicy dish with plenty of fresh veggies! Thank you @creativewoman!
Very good advice, that if you have to cut the very small things so they can eat them
Yes, we have to make sure these little people don't choke! But it's good to have some texture in their meals too!
Great suggestions for getting little ones to eat veggies. I used to grate carrots into just about everything I cooked when my kids were small. I should start doing it again, as my husband is not a great veggie eater. Lol! Thanks for such an informative post!
Ha ha! Yeah, disguise the veggies for hubby too, I like your style @dmcamera! Thanks very much for stopping by my post :-)
You are welcome! Disguise is a great idea for veggies! :-)
Toddler stew?!! Give it to me! 😄
Ok, I'll grab an envelope and pop some in the post for you...
Wonder what it'd look like by the time you opened it :-)
🤣 I would love to see the postman's face! 😅
Hee hee hee!
that looks soo good and perfect for a monday night!!!
Thanks Alla, I always enjoy a good hearty stew, especially on brrrrrrrrrr days like this one (I'm sitting here with a big bodywarmer and gloves on!)
Oh that looks so good for adults too! Stew and chili are their favorites in the winter!
Nothing beats stew (and dumplings) in winter. Though I'm getting bored of the cold I can never get bored of a tasty stew!
You are so right about the way toddlers are when comes to food and also about introducing them variety of different flavours. Our boys actually don't mind little bit spicy and they really like sour.
Your recipe Joanna sounds and looks delicious. I will pass it on to my daughter.
Thank you so much for sharing it with us and for the shout out! You are awesome 🍒 🍌🍑🌿🍍🍓🍇
Thanks very much Lena, as always you make me feel like a million dollars! :-)
Always a pleasure Jonna, you do the same for me XOXO