Toddlers can be a mystery when it comes to food – one day they’ll demolish everything on their plate, the next they turn their little button noses up at everything. The joys!

It’s really common for toddlers to refuse foods they previously loved. They’re gaining their independence, they often won’t sit still long enough to finish a meal and, let’s face it, they can be incredibly picky!

We recently asked 90 mums to try Bellamy’s Organic Step 3 Toddler Milk Drink, and they gave some intriguing insights into toddler food fussiness.

When The Toddler Gets The Final Say

With toddlers you quickly learn that you can make all the plans you like, but ultimately your child gets the last word.

The mums who took part in the review described the trial and error involved in finding something to support their toddler’s nutritional needs, that their toddler would actually eat or drink.

Kaylie B from Queensland described her one-year-old as a particularly fussy eater who was very quick to make her feelings known when something wasn’t to her liking.

“It has been a real hit or miss situation when it comes to finding the right toddler milk drink,” she explained.

“I had great success with Bellamy’s Organic Step 3 Toddler Milk Drink, and no floor mess to mop up!”

For parents, that kind of acceptance can be a pretty big deal. Not because it suddenly makes a toddler less fussy, but because they’ve found another nutritious option their child is happy to have.

Megan D from NSW had a similar experience. She described having a fussy toddler, but said the formulation was pleasant smelling and, most importantly, “my toddler actually likes it.”

Sometimes, finding something your child will happily accept is what works.

If At First You Don’t Succeed …

The reviews also showed that what works isn’t always about getting an immediate yes.

Anna Z from the ACT said her son was very picky and didn’t like trying new things. His first reaction to Bellamy’s was a definite no.

“The first week my son categorically did not want to drink it,” she said in her review.

But she kept offering it, and eventually something changed. It became his favourite drink, with Anna saying he would take his favourite cup and ask for it.

It’s an interesting reminder that toddlers can take a little time to warm to something new. What they reject at first isn’t necessarily something they’ll reject forever, and parents seem to learn pretty quickly that sometimes it’s worth giving their child the opportunity to come back to something in their own time.

Taste Matters To Toddlers!

There are plenty of things parents consider when choosing what to give their toddler, but the reviews made it pretty clear that taste still matters. And why wouldn’t it?!

Christina W from Victoria put it simply after watching her little one try the toddler milk:

“My little one loved the taste. He said it was ‘yum’.”

Jil F from NSW had been pleasantly surprised by a similar reaction from her “quite a fussy drinker”, saying her child actually enjoyed the taste and was happy to drink it.

And that seems to be an important part of what works for parents. They may choose an option because they’re comfortable with the ingredients or nutritional profile, but if their toddler doesn’t like the taste, it’s unlikely to become part of the routine.

Finding What Works, And Making It Routine

Once parents find something their toddler is happy to have, it can naturally become part of the day.

Sophia N from Queensland said her 17-month-old had really enjoyed Bellamy’s and that having two servings a day had become “a great addition to her daily routine.”

Samreen K from South Australia said her two-year-old happily had the milk drink before bedtime and sometimes as a snack during the day, while Ivana B from Victoria said it had become “an easy part of our daily routine” for her two toddlers.

These aren’t dramatic changes to the way families eat, they’re small adjustments that fit around the routines parents already have. For some families, it’s another option in the morning. For others, it’s part of bedtime or a snack during the day.

So, What Actually Works For Fussy Toddlers?

Across the 90 reviews, there wasn’t one magic answer to toddler fussiness.

Instead, parents talked about finding something their child enjoyed, giving new things time, working accepted options into familiar routines and, perhaps most importantly, paying attention to the individual child sitting in front of them.

For some toddlers, that meant an instant yes. For others, it took a little longer. And for some, the answer was still no.

Parents can make the choices, offer the options and try different approaches, but their little one will always have an opinion.

And when they finally find something that gets a genuine toddler thumbs-up, they know they’ve found what works for them.

Bellamy’s Organic Step 3 Toddler Milk Drink is designed for toddlers from 12 months and is intended to be consumed as part of a healthy diet.

Read the full Bellamy’s Organic Step 3 Toddler Milk Drink reviews.

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