Approximately a month ago my 2 year old son, Jedidiah, changed food phases.  He went from eating anything that I put on his plate to expressing food cravings and desires.  The most recent craving is butter and I am reminded of fond memories of my sister craving butter as a child and then of all the parents that have questioned me why their child only wants butter or the dip on the food.  Jedidiah has officially entered the toddler fat fetish phase.

Did you know the toddler FAT FETISH is actually a developmental journey?  It happens for most children starting when they are about 18 months old and continuing until they are 2.5 to 3 years old.  Butter seems to be the fat of choice for many, but sometimes it is almond butter, hummus, olive oil, salad dressing, avocados, cheese or coconut.  Every toddler finds their favorite fat and clings to it closely.

Fat at this age is vitally important.  Brain growth and learning are happening faster now than at any other age and our brains are mostly fat.  It only makes sense toddlers want fats so frequently.  As a nutritionist and parent the quality of fat becomes critical, especially when I know it is creating the foundation of Jedidiah’s brain and cellular health for the rest of his life.  So when it comes to butter, make sure to it’s organic and preferably choose grassfed.  If you can’t find grassfed/pasture butter in your local health food store check out www.eatwild.com for a local source.

The moral is feed your toddler healthy high quality fats frequently.  And don’t be scared if they eat an entire stick of butter.  Just laugh and chant to yourself “butter is brain food for toddlers.”