Battling toddler ‘tummy tantrums’ – Sanchita Daswani, a Paediatric nutritionist's guide to making meal times better

As an infant, in the first year of life, the primary source of nutrition is milk since a quick high calorie force of fuel is needed for growth. It is only around 10 months when babies understand that food satiates their hunger, do they start replacing milk. Food takes over as the main source of nutrition only post a year and this is when the head-shaking, plate-pushing, toddler tantrums start.

Join us as we navigate the choppy and cranky waters of toddler nutrition with Certified Baby and Toddler Nutritionist and mother of twins - Sanchita Daswani who talks about balanced plates, picky eaters, allergens and everything in between.

Battling picky eating – 

“It is natural to feel overwhelmed when your kid shakes their head and pushes away the plate of food, but it is important to understand the root cause of it, before making any changes,” advices Sanchita.

Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself when your toddler refuses to eat:

• Are they too full from milk?
• Is it the timing not working for them?
• Do they have any sensory issues?
• Are they being forced at mealtimes/ is there too much pressure?
• Is it an unhappy environment?
• Is there too much food presented to them?
• Are they bored of the same food?
• Is there any nutrient deficiency?

Once you understand the reasons, then you can work on reversing it.

Sanchita offers a practical tip on how to distinguish between a baby being actually full and if they are throwing a tantrum,

“If after have a few bites and being done, they ask for something else within one hour, then they were just refusing to eat. If they are in a good mood or playing and not hungry after they refuse to eat, you know they were genuinely full”.

Combating the ‘food jags’

Food jags, or the phenomena when toddlers only want a few types of foods for every meal, can be difficult to break. It can often be tempting to give into food jags for the mental peace, but it does not benefit the baby. 
Sanchita offers a few tips to combat this - 

• Make sure to make small changes to that food. For instance, If they only want white rice, then add some ground nuts or ghee
• Avoid giving the same food at every meal, rotate the safe foods
• Continue offering the other foods next to it
• Make sure to not offer too much of the food they want as they will only finish that and be full. Offer a little at a time, trying to redirect them to the other food

Balancing the plate and the palate – 

Akin to adults, the key to getting the correct nutrients for toddlers in good amounts for every meal, is to have a balanced plate of food. So, what does a balanced meal look like for a toddler? Sanchita suggests ensuring the below nutrients in every meal - 

• A source of carbohydrates (e.g., rice, whole wheat bread)

• A source of good fat (e.g., ghee, avocado)

• A source of iron (e.g., dal, nuts)

• A fruit or veggie (e.g., spinach, banana)

Something to be mindful of while buying food off the shelf for your baby is added preservatives and sugar. “Hidden sources of sugar and salt can be lurking in many baby food products, such as puffs and puree pouches. Be sure to double-check the labels to ensure you're making informed choices,” warns Sanchita.

Photo Credit: Teaching Ideas | Link: https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/pshe/food-groups-poster/

Nutrients for vegetarian and vegan toddlers

“It is completely alright to be vegetarian and get all the nutrition needed. Protein is luckily quite easy for kids to meet as long as they are having dairy,” assures Sanchita.

Most toddlers can get all the necessary nutrients from a balanced diet. However, vegetarian toddlers may require supplementary Iron and Vitamin D. For those babies who don't consume milk often, it is imperative to ensure that their calcium needs are met via other sources. 

For vegans babies however, supplements like DHA, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D could be required to ensure that there are no deficiencies. 

Keeping up with the Allergens 

Studies suggest that it is best to safely introduce allergens into your toddler’s diet soon, as the sooner the body is introduced to them, the more likely it is to accept and acclimatize to them. If it is too late, the body will fear it is a foreign substance and react to it.

Sanchita, a certified nutrition consultant specializing in paediatric nutrition advices, “Allergens can be introduced around 6.5 months, once you get an approval from your paediatrician. They can be introduced with a tiny portion mixed with puree and next the quantity should be doubled to see if they react. Once you don’t see a reaction, include it at least once a week in their diet to keep up the tolerance.”

How to look out for allergens? 

Food allergies show up within minutes to up to two hours of eating the food. The look like rashes all over the body, swollen eyes and swollen lips. If any constipation, diarrhoea or gassiness persists after two hours, it means that the baby is having a tough time digesting the foods. Then the food needs to be avoided for a few weeks and can be introduced again to build tolerance.

Sanchita’s Myth buster

Owing to the amount of information available everywhere regarding the do’s and don’ts of toddler nutrition, there is a wide amount od misinformation that we have been believing in which is not true. Sanchita lists a few myths of the myths –

• Toddlers need protein powders 

Truth: Their protein needs can be met easily with a balanced diet; additional powders are not required.

• Start with rice cereal, dal ka paani, three days per food 

Truth: This is outdated information and untrue. More information about starting solids can be found here. 

• Meat should not be given to toddlers.

Truth: Babies can have meat from the time they start solids. It is easy to digest.

• Toddlers need to have the same quantiy of food and finish their meals every time.

Truth: Every child is different hence there does not need to be an exact quantity they have to finish in every meal, their appetite varies like ours.

• Reheating food is not okay

Truth: It is alright to reheat food on a pan or in microwave, just be make sure that all the areas are heated and the food is cooled down before serving. The loss of nutrients is very minor, hence there need not be any worry.

Healthy habits and a happy baby 

It is imperative to model correct eating habits and ensure that the toddler has a positive correlation with food. Sanchita suggest a few tips to encourage lifelong heathy eating habits, starting early.

• Eat with the child at the same table
• Do not force quantity
• Make meal times enjoyable and happy
• Trust them with their appetite
• Stick to a schedule
• Be flexible, let the kid lead you sometimes

Sanchita’s Secret recipe 

We asked Sanchita for a nutritious yet yummy recipe for toddlers that her twins have loved.

“Do not worry about the quantity of food focus on building skills, offering nutrient dense foods and creating a peaceful and positive mealtime environment. That will create the foundation for them to have a good relationship with food,” Suggests Sanchita. 

As we navigate the waters of toddler nutrition, it is comforting to know that we are not alone. We would love to hear from you! What are some nutritious recipes that your toddler has enjoyed? Share your favourite recipes, tips, and tricks with us in the below!