10 Mom-Recommended Products That Will Make Feeding A Toddler At Least *Slightly* Easier
Let’s have a round of applause for that gadget that slices grapes for you.
Toddlers are known for a lot of things: their boundless curiosity, an infectious sense of wonder, general adorableness. Something else they’re known for? Being frustratingly finicky when it comes to eating.
For many parents, introducing foods to a toddler can feel like a high-stakes cooking competition where hours of prep and presentation are up for judgement by someone who only likes all-beige meals. In other words, feeding a toddler is no easy feat.
There are, however, things you can do to make it less difficult. For one, you could opt for the classic happy-face pancakes and perfectly cut fruit stars that help get your kiddo excited about what’s on their plate. But more importantly, you could also stock up with the right gear that makes food prep, storage, and serving easier for you.
Enter: OXO Tot. The brand behind some of your favorite kitchen gadgets has an entire line of thoughtfully designed products dedicated to the wonderful world of feeding little kids. OXO products are always designed for your needs and made with high-quality materials, and the OXO Tot line is no different. Each product is extensively tested to stand up against drops, cleaning, and even slick high-chair trays (read: no slip-sliding plates here).
Ahead, we’ve rounded up ten of our favorite OXO Tot essentials for easier mealtimes, from toddler-friendly utensils that give them more control of their bites to brilliant inventions that make snack time easier and safer, which brings us to...
A Nifty Gadget For Cutting Grapes
Sometimes, getting a toddler to eat more fruits and veggies is all about presentation. This little tool quickly quarters most seedless grapes and grape tomatoes for toddler-sized snacking.
A Handy Food Mill That Purees Food In Seconds
Homemade toddler and baby food doesn’t have to mean pulling out the bulky food processor. Turn your grown-up food into purees with the turn of this hand-powered mill that gives you control over texture and consistency.
An Easy-Clean Bib To Catch Meal Messes
Kids are gonna get messy at mealtime — there’s no way around it. A bib like this one is specially made with a soft, food-safe silicone pocket to catch crumbs, while being easy to wipe clean and roll away for quick storage.
No-Slip Plates For Every Meal
Whether you’re serving up breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these toddler-ready plates make sure your kiddo’s meal stays where it belongs, with four sections for even portions (plus a spot for dips or treats!) and a suction bottom that keeps their plate in front of them until you move it away.
Easy-Hold Utensils That Support Self-Feeding
Giving your kid control at mealtime is one way to encourage them to eat more. That can look like a set of non-slip utensils that are curved and weighted to make it easy for little ones to hold so they can eat at their own pace.
Snack Bowls Your Kiddo Can’t Topple Over
If you’ve got a child that likes to throw their bowl to the ground in mealtime protest, it might be time to upgrade to a bowl that’s a little trickier for them to toss. This one has a secure suction base that sticks on surfaces till mealtime is over. Plus: it’s dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up.
Perfectly Portioned Storage For Meal Prep
Meal prep gives you a chance to stock up on foods your picky eater likes ahead of time and get them to the table faster. These glass Baby Blocks can go right from the freezer to the oven or microwave (aka no need to wait until your little one's favorite meal is fully defrosted before heating it up).
A Straw Cup To Help Them Sip
Your toddler’s first sippy cup can feel like a major transition. To help ease them into independent drinking, this leak-proof cup also features a genius spill-proof straw that conforms to your toddler’s mouth to help minimize mess and spills with their first sips.
A Clever Cup That Teaches Them How To Drink
Upgrading to a big-kid cup could take some time. The good news is you can start teaching your kiddo how to use one with a training cup that feels like drinking from a regular cup — but comes with a 360-degree lid that has a removable disk to adjust flow rates as your toddler gets better at drinking.
Easy-Fill Pouches For On-the-Go Snacks
Kids love snacks. Traveling with them, though, is another (usually messy) story. These flat-bottom silicone pouches store their favorite treats and seal tight to keep them fresh. Bonus: just flip ‘em inside out and toss ‘em in the dishwasher for fuss-free cleaning.
No matter how you encourage your toddler to be a more adventurous eater, feeding gear made for the way toddlers actually eat can help both you and your kiddo approach mealtime with a little more “yum” than “yuck.”
