The stage from her first birthday until she starts school, i.e., from 1 to 3 years is the stage of toddlerhood. These are crucial years for laying the foundation of your baby’s health. Most babies outgrow the stage of eating mashed and bland foods and will now begin to eat more elaborate meals.
They are now ready to eat everything that is being cooked for the other family members. Try recipes like Vegetable Idlis for babies and Toddlers and Jowar Golpapdi and practice self-eating. This makes them more independent.
Jowar Golpapdi for Kids
Do remember that the food habits formed at this age will hold them good for a lifetime. So you need to ensure that she eats healthy and nutritious toddler recipes. Encourage your toddler to eat whatever she likes and treat her palate to a variety of foods so that she cultivates a taste for new foods and flavours. For you, this stage can be a magical experience, as you will see your baby gaining independence and ability very rapidly.
Rajma Salad for Toddlers
Indian Healthy Toddler Recipes for 1 to 3 years
A wonderful healthy toddler soup which has protein from the dal and fiber from vegetables in puree is Dal and Vegetable Soup. Nothing like a Chila which is toddler friendly. Then you have the Mini Bajra Oats Uttapa for your kid. Yes we have made it mini for your little one and packed with nutritients.
Dal and Vegetable Soup
Chickoo is baby friendly as its naturally sweet and we have made this delicisous Chickoo Milkshake. Remember to remove the thich outer layer of the skin as suggested in the recipe as your toddler will not be able to digest it.
Chickoo Milkshake
For smaller toddlers who are use to Rice water then you can try this fab Rice Mash recipe which is lubricated with ghee to make it easier to swallow.
Rice Mash for Babies
For toddlers, parathas make terrific food since they can be enoyed without parental supervision and you can stuff healthy toddler food in like Paneer Vegetable Paratha. Also a great way to introduce your toddler to to cereals like jowar and bajra is to give them Multi Grain Palak Paneer Roti.
Paneer and Vegetable Paratha
When and how much to feed toddlers from 1 to 3 years
Between the ages of 1 and 3 years, your bundle of energy will grow very rapidly, learning to crawl, talk etc. During this period, she will need to be fed more frequently. Unfortunately, right now, her small stomach is not in a situation to cope up with large meals.
So, offer small and frequent meals to your child. When you have leftover rotis, do try these innovative and simple Roti Ladoos for Babies and Toddler.
Roti, Chapati Ladoo for Babies and Toddlers
Also remember not to set hard and fast rules in terms of a particular time or number of meals, because what is really important is not the number of times your child eats but what she eats. You need to emphasize on the quality and not quantity of food she eats. Be flexible as rigidity regarding meal times may lead only to stubbornness.
Sprouts Khichdi ( Baby and Toddler)
Toddler Recipes, Knowing when the toddler is hungry
Most babies show a decrease in appetite during this year, as they are busy concentrating on learning other skills. If your baby is one amongst them, do not worry, as they usually demand food when they are hungry and eat what they like.
On the other hand, some children might not be able to express that they are hungry. They may get tired, cry or nibble on anything that’s within their reach.
Carrot Beetroot Raita for Toddlers
Now you need to be more attentive than usual, as your little angel may not understand that she is hungry and will probably realize it only once food is in sight. If she is hungry, she can cry or throw a tantrum too, so you need to be alert and remind her to eat by offering her food at regular intervals. What you can try from your side is to make food in different shapes and / or serve in attractive way like we have done in the recipe of Spring Vegetable Risotto.
Spring Vegetable Risotto for Babies and Toddlers
It is possible that sometimes she may refuse to eat for no apparent reason. If you insist on force feeding, meal times will soon become a tug of war between you and your child making her extremely unpleasant and perhaps even lead her to develop an aversion of food.
If your little one is not particularly interested in all the foods that you offer and chooses to eat one or two things, do not force her to eat the foods she does not wish to eat. She will surely make up for this lack of eating in her next meal. Mothers are agonized if their baby has had no milk for one day, but it is okay to take a break from regular everyday foods, once in a while. Tempt her with cheese or paneer instead.
Mini Mixed Moong Dal Chila ( Baby and Toddler)
Toddler Food, Handling fussy toddlers
Some toddlers are also fussy about what they like and what they want to eat. By now, they have strong preferences, which might make you want to tear your hair out sometimes. This situation can be handled if you follow the basic principle of serving your baby the foods that she is already accustomed to and enjoys, while continuing to add new foods to her diet. Fussing over her may convey that eating is a means of getting family attention.
Potato Green Pea Tikki, Baby and Toddlers Tikki
Cook dishes that your toddler enjoys. Also, it is wiser to mask foods she doesn't like by mashing, or puréeing it. You can also mix those ingredients with your toddler’s favourite ones. Say, for example, veggies.
Try and mask veggies in the form of stuffing and spread it over the dosa. Check recipe of Moong Sprouts Dosa for Toddlers for this unique idea.
Moong Sprouts Dosa for Kids
Toddlers also like variety in terms of textures, shapes and flavours as their taste buds are now almost developed.
Enjoy our healthy toddler recipes for 1 to 3 years and other baby recipes articles below.
1. Recipes for 10 to 12 months Babies
2. Recipes for 8 to 9 months Babies
3. 7 months baby food
4. Recipes for weaning, 6 to 7 months
5. Teething Recipes for Babies
6. Babies Recipes