4 eating tips for toddlers (& a healthy banana muffin recipe!) (2024)

FAQs

Is banana healthy for a toddler? ›

Nutrition in bananas

They are baby and toddler-friendly as they contain no salt or saturated fat. Like all fruit and veg, they are also packed with fibre, helping to keep little guts happy, healthy and regular.

Baby led weaning takes practice and patience. For 6-9 month olds, you can serve mini muffins whole so baby can pick it up with the palmer grasp. Once baby develops the pincer grasp around 9 months, you can break the muffin up into smaller pieces.

Banana milk contains calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and plenty of carbohydrates for energy. It's a nice drink option for kids and adults.

How many bananas a day should you eat? While there's no strict rule, it's best not to eat more than one or two bananas a day. Eating more could lead to weight gain, as they contain both carbohydrates and sugar. Ensure you're eating a balanced diet by including a range of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Signs of a healthy muffin recipe are whole-food ingredients like fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, eggs, and low-fat milk and yogurt (or a dairy-free alternative). Fats from plant-based oils or moderate amounts of butter can be incorporated into a muffin recipe — remember, you are making 12 servings.

Conclusion. Muffins are a quick and easy choice for breakfast on the go, but unfortunately, many bakery and coffee shop muffins are high in calories and added sugar, and they lack protein and fiber. If your goal is to lose weight, these kinds of muffins are not the best option.

They also contain manganese, which is necessary for your metabolism, brain function, and bone health ( 4 ). Many varieties of English muffins are also enriched with B vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, all of which your body depends on for energy and brain health ( 5 ).

Toddlers between 12 and 24 months should avoid: foods with added sugars and no-calorie sweeteners, including sugar-sweetened and diet drinks. high-sodium foods. unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese.

How to prepare muffins for a 9-month-old. Try cutting muffins into bite-sized pieces. The smaller morsels will encourage your older baby to work on her pincer grasp.

Muffins baked with fresh fruits or with dry fruits like raisins will last last about 1/2 a day on the counter and about 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Anything baked with eggs should be stored within a few hours or else you are running the risk of them developing mold.

Can a 1 year old eat pizza? ›

12 months old +:

If you feel confident in the child's biting and tearing skills, present a slice of pizza with the tip cut off (so it's not too floppy). Note that softer, thinner pieces of pizza can glom up in the mouth and cause some gagging.

But when and at what age is a baby/infant considered a toddler? Most experts suggest toddlerhood starts at 1 year of age. This is the time when many babies are ready to "toddle"—to take those first shaky steps. The toddler age range runs from around 1 year (12 months) to around 3 years of age.

Chicken nuggets (frozen or fast food) are best reserved for babies 12 months and older. Why 12 months? Because many brands of chicken nuggets (and fish sticks) have levels of sodium that far exceeds baby's needs as well as additives we'd ideally like to hold off on in infancy.

As babies and toddlers grow, you can continue to offer banana whole and partly peeled or start to experiment with offering banana cut into small bites. A small piece of banana offers a great way for toddlers to start mastering the skill of spearing foods with a little fork.

"Bananas are filling and contain plenty of carbohydrates and soluble fibre that might help little ones go to bed feeling satiated. Carbohydrates may also help tryptophan (an amino acid that is linked to sleep) get to the brain.

While fibre is present in fruit to help slow the digestion of fructose (the sugar in fruit), too much fibre and fructose can be upsetting to a child's stomach and inhibit their body from absorbing important vitamins and minerals like iron.