Should I be freaking out that my toddler is not eating? This was the question I asked myself daily for the last three weeks.
I’ve been joking about my kids’ hunger strike the few weeks they’ve been sick, but—truth be told — I was getting Britney-Spears-level weird about it after week one of their self-imposed liquid diet. When we went to her pulmonologist appointment last week, I was prepared to hear concerns about her weight loss. I texted Nicole (The Plant Milk Project’s resident dietitian) to ask if I should supplement with plant-based toddler formula. I debated throwing everything I’ve worked so hard for out the window and opening an all-you-can-eat bread and banana buffet.
But the pulmonologist told me the weight loss is normal when your kid is sick. Nicole said supplementing with a little formula wouldn’t hurt, but also probably wouldn’t make that much of a difference. And I decided one month of a respiratory virus was probably not worth undoing two years of teaching my kids the value of nourishing foods.
Now that the hunger strike is over, and the girls’ appetites are back and bigger than ever, I can say everyone was right; I had nothing to worry about, and I did the right thing by continuing to offer nutritious veggie-packed meals despite their persistent refusal.
If you have a toddler refusing to eat well right now because of illness or just because that’s what toddlers do, I stand with you. And—as hard as it is—you should let go of your eating expectations this week, try these three recipes, and remember that they will usually eat when they’re hungry.
Creamy curried kale + chickpeas
While the prep time on this recipe definitely does not include how long it takes to chop onions, garlic, and ginger, it is delicious and packed with good nutrition. So get yourself a chopper, a garlic press, and one of these little mini choppers for the ginger to make the job easier, and make this STAT.
How I altered this recipe:
To make your chickpeas from scratch:
Lentil smothered greens on fried toast
Normally I would run for my life at anything that says fried, but you can lightly brush your bread with some avocado oil and toast in a pan for that “fried” effect, and it’s so good that even a toddler will give in. ALSO, if you “finely chop” your fennel in a food processor, this recipe is 97% easier than transitioning a sleeping toddler from the carseat to her bed.
How I altered this recipe:
The kids will almost always eat pasta. Pesto is such an easy way to pack a meal with good fat and greens, so I always keep an ice tray full of pesto cubes in the freezer for emergencies. I love the Cybele’s superfood green penne from Thrive Market because I take every opportunity to get more greens into my kids.
Happy cooking, mama.
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