Baby Feeding Magic

Thanks to Plum Organics for sponsoring my post about tips for baby feeding magic. What if you let baby choose what's for dinner? Check out their cute "Quest for Yum!" video and see what happens!

Happy Monday, guys! I'm pretty excited about today's post!

If you've been around my blog for very long, then you already know that feeding my baby has been one of my biggest struggles in motherhood.

It seems like it should have been fairly simple.....I mean, Elliott has no food allergies and is all around healthy and happy. But from the day we brought her home with us, it has been an issue.

Feeding Elliott is usually always on my mind (and causes me a decent amount of worry), even at almost two years old.

Now I'm no expert, but I'm here to share some of the tips and tricks that I've learned along the way. Whether your kiddo loves to chow down, or has a more dainty appetite, I hope you find these tips to be useful.

1. RELAX.

Yes you, the one trying to shove food down your baby's throat. Just chill for a second.

Feeding my baby is something that gets me all worked up, and it's been that way since day one.

And just like being tense and stressed is counterproductive while you're trying to breastfeed your infant, it can also hinder feeding your older baby or toddler.

So my advice to you is to just relax.

Stressing out probably isn't going to get your kid to eat more, and it might just make them clamp that jaw shut and eat even less! So, take it from me. Chill out when it comes to food. Your baby will eat. Eventually. And if you have serious concerns, by all means, talk to your doctor.

But in the meantime, make mealtime as relaxed as possible, and don't let your child see your frustrations.

2. Keep Trying.

I can't tell you how many times Elliott's tastes have changed in the past 21 months.

For the most part, she enjoys healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. But, there have been times where the girl won't touch her brocolli with a ten foot pole! I tend to get angry and frustrated (especially after I buy the 5-pound bag of sweet peas at Costco......because she liked them last week!) when E's tastes change suddenly, but then I take a look at Tip #1: RELAX!! And I take a deep breath.

It's really not a big deal. Sure, I'd love for Ellie to have a balanced diet and to love the healthier food options, but in the end, I'll take what I can get! I continuously offer Ellie the healthiest choices, along with food I know think she'll eat, and I don't make a big deal about it.

The less I emphasize a certain food and casually sneak it onto her plate (over and over and over again), the more likely she is to pick it up and like it again.

Now if only my kiddo loved veggies as much as this adorable baby:

This brings me to my third and final tip:

3. Make it Fun!

Because feeding has been a stressor for my entire career as a mother so far, I'm now trying to make things more fun. It's not healthy for Elliott or I to stress out so much over food! And, she's still alive and thriving, so her eating habits must not be that bad.

With a toddler on my hands, I feel like the feeding department has arrived upon a whole new set of obstacles. But, we're tackling these obstacles with FUN! And, I think it's working ;)

Some days I make lunch time fun by serving many little items, and dishing them up in an ice cube tray.

Other times I simply throw caution to the wind and let Elliott pick what she wants to eat (of course, the oreos and twix are taken out of the pantry before I let her see her choices.....)

When we are out and about, I make sure to pack some healthy and familiar foods for Ellie, and sometimes I will piece together some side dishes off of the menu at a restaurant.

I usually keep a Plum Organics pouch in my purse or diaper bag. Ellie thinks they're fun to eat, and I like knowing that she is getting her fruits and veggies, even while we're on the go!

So, those are my tips for Baby Feeding Magic!

Do you have any tricks when it comes to feeding your babies/toddlers?

I'd love to hear about them!

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Plum Organics, visit their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PlumOrganics.