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Gerber Graduates Go-Go-Go #Tots2Toddlers

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Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

Avid readers of my blog will know that I am *slightly* paranoid about my toddlers getting proper nutrition. Remember my recent post about their breakfast #fail? Just one of the 124 things that keep me up at night – wondering what I can do to ensure they’re eating well – and eating right.

Lately, in addition to derailing all breakfast efforts, Reid has reached “picky eater status” for lunch and dinner too – following in the footsteps of his meal-hatin’ older brother. Now, meal refusal I can deal with (that’s what multi vitamins are for, right?) and food selectivity I can work around (4 slices of salami for dinner? Cool, that’s a lot of protein)… but this cyclical, maddening, “I love this food today but will hate it tomorrow”, “My toast tastes yucky because it’s cut the wrong shape”, “I want chocolate milk, oh wait now I want water, why does he get juice?”… I just cannot deal with.

Thank goodness I’m not alone: according to a new survey, moms are just as worried about their toddlers’ eating habits, with a whopping 41 per cent saying they are concerned about whether their toddler is getting the correct nutrients every day. And this concern isn’t surprising, given that one in three moms admit they struggle to get their toddlers to eat enough nutritious foods on a daily basis.

(I admit to just deciding on homemade chicken fingers and popcorn for the boys’ lunch today. Don’t judge.)

Looking for some insight into toddler nutrition? I love these secrets to success from the Kitchens of Real Life Canadian Moms:


Raise your hand if you totally disagree that only 30% of moms have served their kids French fries. There are a lot of closet DTMs (drive thru moms) in this survey! But I suppose the results do underscore one common theme: in an attempt to get our kids to eat a more balanced diet, we sometimes compromise and dole out the less healthier (and in the case of fries, more delicious) option.

Good news: Gerber wants to help. They’ve recently introduced a NEW Gerber Graduates Toddler Drink –

“A great complement to a healthy diet, Gerber Graduates Toddler Drink comes in powdered format, and is easy-to-mix without any clumping. One daily serving can give your toddler a wholesome boost, so you can feel good about their nutrition every day!”

Featuring:

28 nutrients – including 25 vitamins and minerals to help support normal growth and development
Calcium and Vitamin D – for strong bones and teeth
Iron – to help build red blood cells
Probiotic B. lactis – the only toddler drink with Probiotic B. lactis to contribute to your toddler’s healthy digestive tract flora
Delicious, kid-approved taste – with a yummy vanilla flavour they will love

I admit to trying a toddler drink or two with Ryder, but he never really took to the taste or texture. To tell the truth, it kind of broke my heart that he wasn’t willing to give it a chance, preferring plain white or chocolate milk instead. A couple of years later, while chatting with another playground mom, she shared a tip: placing a scoop in their regular milk, sort of as a “booster”. Quite certain I’ll employ this technique with Reid, who is in the 1-3 year suggested age range for the Graduates Toddler Drink!

Speaking of Gerber Graduates, it’s no secret that my boys go through Lil’ Crunchies like they’re going out of style. Seriously. We’re up to about 348 tins to date… and counting. Made with 100% whole grain corn and low in fat and sodium, I admit to lending a hand in polishing off a tin (or twelve… but not at the same time, of course).

Click here to visit Gerber Graduates online.

WIN IT!!!

One lucky reader will win a Gerber Graduates “Go-Go-Go” Nutrition Prize Pack, valued at $150! The package provides a selection of options that can help fill nutritional gaps or give your toddler a wholesome boost. It contains Gerber Graduates Toddler Drink, a selection of Gerber Graduates Puffs, Yogurt Melts, Fruit & Veggie Melts, Cereal Twists, Crunchies and assorted coupons for Gerber Graduates products.

To enter, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries. Good luck every one!


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hot dogs – in the bun. He loves them and stands in front of the fridge yelling when he wants one!! He is 14 months now :)

  2. I’m going through this exact issue with my 3 year old at the moment. It’s stresses me to the core! But I know she’ll eat when she’s hungry… the question is: What?

    I’d love to try these Toddler Drinks!
    I know my daughter is obsessed with the graduates puffs — one of the few things she will eat with no complaints.

    Thanks for hosting!

  3. Realized I didn’t mention what food she gives me grief over… hmm.. what doesn’t she?
    She will only eat strawberries, hot dogs, and chicken willingly. I have to fib every time I give her other meats and say it’s “chicken”. She wants nothing to do with anything colourful, especially veggies.
    Very bland diet.

  4. My 2 yr old son won’t eat anything green . . . Unless they’re gummy bears. If only gummy bears had as much nutrition as broccoli!

  7. My 1.5 yr old gives me grief over anything not meat really and my 2.5 yr old gives me grief over meat.

  8. My son is a pretty good eater most days, but could use a little help in the days he doesn’t!

  11. My son hates any food that requires chewing. He mostly sticks to Gerber Toddler drink and breakfast shakes. We’re a liquid household apparently.

  14. My girl does not like meat, I have tried a lot of different ways but not able to get her to eat meat

  15. I don’t have children, but my best friend comments how it is impossible to get her 4 yr old to consume a vegetable.. or anything beyond bread and ketchup.

  17. My daughter will eat peppers and a lot of fresh veggies but often refuses to eat what I’ve made for supper. So weird :D.

  18. My daughter is weird.

    She LOVES roasts, chicken, broccoli, carrots, pork, salmon, halibut … BUT

    refuses to eat spaghetti. And lasagna … you know, the cheaper meals! LOL

  19. My son gives me grief over eating fruit and broccoli!
    ksceviour at hotmail dot com

  20. My son loves to eat chocolate eggs. He drives me nuts asking for them. I don’t know what will happen after Easter when they are all gone.

  21. My son is pretty good with most foods but the one lately that he really did not like was beef paella.

  24. My son seems to be getting better with foods but there is lot of space of improvement when it comes to vegetables!

  25. My son doesn’t like to eat meat. He will eat his veggies thank goodness. But chicken, beef, fish he won’t touch. I guess I’m pretty lucky that that is the only thing he really doesn’t enjoy since he loves his veggies so much!

  26. My daughter loved any vegetable that was green. Any other colour was off limits. There were times I wanted to break out the food colouring.

  29. Arg! My kids give me grief about veggies! The will both eat peas and cucumber. One will eat corn too. Thats it.

  31. My grandkids refuse to eat beef. Life would be a breeze if they could only live on fruits and chocolate milk!

  32. What *doesn’t* he give me grief over!! He’s totally in the “today I love it. tomorrow I’ll hate it.” phase, which drives me around the bend.

  33. My daughter gives us grief over every food that isn’t broccoli or pasta or rice krispies. She’ll rarely eat anything else.

  35. My little tot suddenly started refusing meats a few weeks ago and tends to go for pasta lately. He loves the graduates yogurt melts… and we usually have to put them high on the pantry shelf or he’d want to eat the whole bag at once. :)

  37. I’d like to say all food, but they do have their good moments. :-) right now potatoes are the tough one for us since neither want them. For one son pasta is icky unless it’s mac and cheese, for the other he won’t eat fruit.

  39. meat! My 4 year old is such a picky eater… there is not one single meal I can cook that she would eat- NOTHING… she just eats raw veggies, fruit, cheese, bread!

    I am hoping my baby will be willing to try all sorts of food!

  40. Mine dislikes anything she can’t pick up with her hands and eat. Spoons are not our friend at this stage.

  41. Oddly enough – my son doesn’t like Hamburgers Ketchup or even Spaghetti !
    My favorite food groups Gulp.

    eva urban

  42. My 3.5 year old will eat most breakfast foods, and that’s about it. My 1.5 year old loves meat and not so much the veggies.

  44. He loves most foods. He is a texture guy so beef, rice and potatoes aren’t much of a hit. But anything else he loves!!!

  46. I have trouble getting them to eat anything green (veggies).
    janicebudgellpollard at hotmail dot com

  47. My oldest daughter hates potatoes (except fries). She actually makes herself gag and throw them up. It’s awful…

  48. Actually my son has been pretty good with his fruits, veggies and healthy foods. He got introduced to sweets at daycare in November so he does ask for candy or chocolate sometimes. I’ve left all of his Easter egg candies with him, which he hid in his Cars ride-on toy, and he hasn’t touched them at all unless he asks me if it’s okay first! Only then will I let him have one tiny Mini Egg – a day.

    And did I mention this kid isn’t even 3 yet?

    Aside from bragging, I’m worried that my son isn’t getting enough variety in his diet. Sure he likes his grapes, strawberries and oranges, but we always disagree with what he should eat for dinner or he won’t eat his dinner. Guess that’s what happens when kids discover their voices ;)

  49. My son likes something one night and won’t like it another night, which can be somewhat frustrating when I think I am making something that he likes and he decides that he doesn’t anymore!

  52. Ground beef…they won’t touch it even hamburgers. They will eat steak or roast beef but when I try and make meat loaf, hamburgers, meatballs or anything that calls for ground beef they don’t even want it on their plate. Drives me up the wall considering most easy meals consist of ground beef.

  56. I have twins and one doesn’t like green beans and the other doesn’t like peas. Must be the green thing! :)

  57. I always have trouble with any kind of meat! She loves veggies and fruit only!

  58. They always give me grief over veggies!! Broccoli and cauliflower to be specific.

  59. Lately he just gives us grief over what he doesn’t want … he eats everything, but lately it’s only certain things on certain days. Gahh. OH the joys!