Since his/her very first feeding, you’ve probably paid plenty of attention to what your child eats. Remember, in making dietary decisions early in your youngster’s life, your primary focus should be on good nutrition rather than the number of calories he’s consuming. Instead of trying to limit the amount of dietary fat on your toddler’s plate, introduce him to healthy eating habits and well-balanced meals and snacks, rather than approaches aimed specifically at losing weight.
So what should your toddler be eating? At 1 year of age, he should be consuming a wide variety of foods. As he moves through the second year of life, he should be eating 3 meals daily, along with 1 to 2 snacks, prepared and served at regular times. You should also discourage grazing (this means your child has access to and grabs food all day long).
In planning and preparing food for your toddler, make sure he’s getting a balance of fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that can promote growth and include foods from the major food groups each day, including
- Meat, poultry, fish, eggs
- Dairy products such as milk and cheese
- Cereal grains, rice, potatoes, breads, pasta
- Vegetables and fruits
By choosing health-promoting foods, you can establish good nutritional habits in your child that will last for the rest of his life. However, one recent study found that about 65% to 70% of 1 to 2-year-olds ate dessert, ice cream, and/or candy once a day, and 30% to 50% drank sweetened beverages every day. By contrast, the same study indicated that less than 10% of these young children ate a dark green vegetable each day; more often, their vegetable intake consisted of potatoes and french fries. Make sure that you and the other adults in the family agree on a healthy nutritional lifestyle for your toddler and the entire family, including one that puts a limit on sweets.
Sample One-Day Menu for a Two-Year-Old
This menu is planned for a two-year-old child who weighs approximately 27 pounds (12.5 kg).
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1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons (15 ml)
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1 tablespoon = 1⁄2 ounce (15 ml)
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1 ounce = 30 ml
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1 cup = 8 ounces (240 ml)
Breakfast
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1⁄2 cup nonfat or low- fat milk
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1⁄2 cup iron- fortified cereal or 1 egg
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1⁄3 cup fruit (for example, banana, cantaloupe, or strawberries)
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1⁄2 slice whole wheat toast
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1⁄2 teaspoon margarine or butter or 1 teaspoon jelly
Snack
Lunch
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1⁄2 cup low- fat or nonfat milk
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1⁄2 sandwich—1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 ounce meat, slice of cheese, veggie (avocado, lettuce, or tomato)
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2–3 carrot sticks (cut up) or 2 tablespoons other dark- yellow or dark-green vegetable
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1⁄2 cup berries or 1 small (1⁄2 ounce) low-fat oatmeal cookie
Snack
- 1⁄2 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
- 1⁄2 apple (sliced), 3 prunes, 1⁄3 cup grapes (cut up), or 1⁄2 orange
Dinner
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1⁄2 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
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2 ounces meat
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1⁄3 cup pasta, rice, or potato
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2 tablespoons vegetable
Snacks to Avoid
Raw vegetables are mostly too difficult for toddlers to manage, and some—carrots, whole cherry tomatoes, whole green beans, celery—are a serious choking hazard for toddlers. But there’s no reason that a toddler shouldn’t enjoy well-cooked vegetables cut into manageable pieces. Big chunks of any food and glob-like spoonfuls of peanut butter are hazardous and should not be given to children younger than 4 years; the same advice is just as important for any types of nuts, peanuts, or popcorn because children aren’t able to grind food and reduce it to a consistency safe for swallowing. Chunks of peanut butter can stick to their palate and end up choking them.