Mom & Toddler Recipe Creator | Picky Eater Whisperer | Chaos Coordinator | Age 35 Austin, Texas-based mom of three who believes that nourishing our littlest ones doesn’t have to involve tears (theirs or ours).
My Story
Three kids in five years. That’s how I found myself drowning in goldfish crackers, negotiating with a two-year-old over broccoli, and wondering if mac and cheese counted as a balanced meal if I added frozen peas. I’m Sarah, and if you’re here, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.
My journey into toddler nutrition started the hard way – with Emma, my oldest, who decided at 18 months that she’d only eat beige foods. Then came Jake, who threw everything on the floor with the precision of a tiny food critic. And finally Lily, who seemed to survive solely on air and the occasional banana. I went from someone who meal prepped every Sunday to someone celebrating when my toddler ate three bites of anything green.
I realized I wasn’t alone when I started sharing my mealtime disasters and victories with other moms. We were all struggling with the same thing: how do you feed tiny humans who change their minds about food faster than Texas weather? That’s when I knew I had to figure this out – not just for my family, but for all the parents losing their minds at 5 PM every day.
The Turning Point
The moment everything changed was a Tuesday evening last spring. Jake was having a complete meltdown because his sandwich was cut into triangles instead of squares, Emma was refusing dinner because “it smells weird” (it was plain chicken), and Lily was systematically dropping each pea from her plate onto the floor. I found myself standing in my kitchen, surrounded by rejected meals, actually crying over spilled milk – literally.
My husband walked in from work to find me sitting on the kitchen floor, eating cold chicken nuggets while the kids ran around with empty stomachs and full attitudes. He asked, “What if you approached this like you did your marketing projects?” I’d spent years creating systematic solutions for complex business problems, but somehow I’d been winging it with the most important job of my life.
That night, after the kids were finally in bed, I started researching. Not just recipes, but child development, nutrition science, and feeding psychology. I realized I’d been fighting against my kids’ natural development instead of working with it. The problem wasn’t that my kids were difficult – the problem was that I was trying to force adult eating patterns onto tiny humans who were still figuring out how their taste buds even worked.
What I Learned the Hard Way
I made every mistake in the book. I bribed, I bargained, I made separate meals for each kid. I spent hours making elaborate bento boxes that went straight into the trash. I stressed about every rejected bite and turned mealtime into a battlefield that nobody wanted to be part of.
The hardest lesson was letting go of my expectations. I had Pinterest-worthy visions of my children happily munching on rainbow veggie platters, but the reality was much messier. I learned that exposure matters more than consumption, that kids’ appetites naturally fluctuate, and that my job was to provide nutritious options – not to force them down tiny throats.
I also learned to stop comparing my kids to others. Emma’s friend would eat sushi while Emma was still suspicious of cheese that wasn’t orange. Jake would devour broccoli one day and act like I’d served him poison the next. Each child has their own timeline, and pushing harder usually meant moving backward.
My Approach Now
These days, mealtime looks completely different in our house. I plan weekly menus with my kids’ preferences in mind, but I also include new foods regularly. I’ve learned that toddlers need to see a food up to 10 times before they’ll even consider trying it, so I serve tiny portions of new things alongside foods I know they’ll eat.
My philosophy centers around three key principles: keep it simple, make it familiar, and stay consistent. I focus on nutritious ingredients prepared in ways that feel safe to little palates. Instead of hiding vegetables, I serve them openly alongside preferred foods. I involve my kids in meal prep when possible, because they’re more likely to try something they helped make.
Most importantly, I’ve learned to take the pressure off. I provide balanced options throughout the day and trust that healthy kids will eat when they’re hungry. Some days Emma eats like a linebacker, other days she survives on yogurt and berries. Both are normal, and both are okay.
What I Believe
• Progress over perfection: A few bites of something new is a victory worth celebrating • Exposure builds acceptance: Keep offering foods without pressure – familiarity breeds willingness • Kids are natural intuitive eaters: They know when they’re hungry and when they’re full if we let them listen to their bodies • Mealtime should be pleasant: No bribes, no battles, no stress – just family time around food • Simple ingredients win: Fresh, whole foods prepared simply often work better than complicated recipes
How I Can Help You
I created MealsForToddlers.com because I know you’re out there at 4:30 PM, staring into your pantry and wondering what on earth you can make that your toddler might actually eat. I’ve been there, and I’ve figured out what works – not just nutritionally, but practically for busy families.
Through my website, I share tested recipes that have survived the brutal honesty of toddler taste buds. These aren’t just healthy meals; they’re meals that work in real life with real kids who have strong opinions about their food. I provide weekly meal plans, shopping lists, and prep strategies that make feeding your family less stressful and more enjoyable.
I also share honest stories about our meal wins and fails because I think we all need to know we’re not alone in this. Parenting is hard enough without pretending that everything’s perfect all the time.
A Little More About Me
When I’m not in the kitchen experimenting with new ways to make vegetables appealing to three-year-olds, you’ll find me at the playground with my crew or exploring Austin’s amazing food scene (yes, even with kids in tow – we’re working on their adventurous eating, remember?). I’m a former marketing professional turned full-time mom who drinks way too much coffee and believes that a sense of humor is essential for survival.
I love cooking shows, hate doing laundry, and have accepted that my house will never be as clean as it was before kids. My idea of a perfect evening is all three kids eating the same meal without complaints, but I’ll settle for minimal food throwing and no tears.
Let’s Connect
I’d love to hear about your own mealtime adventures and challenges. Whether you’re celebrating a victory (your toddler ate a vegetable!) or need encouragement after a particularly rough dinner, I’m here for it. We’re all figuring this out together, one meal at a time.
You can find daily tips, recipes, and real-life moments over at mealsfortoddlers.com, where I share everything I’ve learned about feeding tiny humans without losing your sanity.
Get In Touch
Visit me at mealsfortoddlers.com for recipes, meal plans, and honest conversations about feeding toddlers. Drop me a line at contact@mealsfortoddlers.com – I’d love to hear from you!
