Your growing toddler is more active than ever. Find out which nutrients help meet their demands for energy and what you should give them to eat.
We all need a balanced diet with a good variety of foods. But
because they are growing so fast and becoming increasingly active,
children under five need more fat and less fibre than older
children and adults. In fact, your toddler needs more calories and
nutrients in each mouthful of food than an adult!
They still have a little tummy though, and cannot manage large
portions. So your toddler's diet should consist of three small,
nutrient-packed meals a day, plus two or three healthy snacks.
What should I be feeding my toddler?
- Each day your toddler needs a combination of foods from the
following five food groups.
- Milk and dairy foods. Although they need less
milk now, about 350ml per day, milk or dairy products
such as cheese, fromage frais and yogurt are still important for
your toddler's bones and teeth. Give three servings a day and use
full-fat milk until your baby is at least two.
- Starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and
breakfast cereals. Serve one of these at each meal and also at some
snack times. You can give some wholegrain varieties like brown rice
and bread, but not too often. They are high in fibre, so can fill
your toddler up too quickly without providing enough calories.
- Fruit and vegetables. Fresh, frozen, tinned and dried
fruit and fruit juice all count. Serve at each meal and aim for
five toddler-sized servings per day. A serving is about 40g or
about a toddler-sized handful.
- Meat, fish and alternatives, including poultry, hard boiled
eggs, nuts or pulses like beans and lentils. These are all
good sources of protein and iron, which are
essential for healthy growth. Give one or two servings a day for
non-vegetarians or two or three servings a day, with a high vitamin C food,
for vegetarians. Take care not to give whole nuts to children under
five as they can cause choking.
- Foods high in fat and sugar. This food group includes oils,
butter, margarine, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, sweets and sweetened
drinks. These high calorie and sugary foods should be given with,
but not instead of, foods from the other four food groups. Too much
of them increases the risk of tooth decay and obesity, so offer
them sparingly.
Your toddler's need for more energy may coincide with a phase of
refusing
new foods. If this is the case, then focus on trying to
provide your toddler with as much variety as possible, which will
help ensure their nutrient needs are met.
If you are breast feeding a baby of six months and over, you
should also give them baby vitamin drops. Speak to your health
visitor for more information..
What size portions should I give my toddler?
Toddlers should eat according to their appetites rather than to set
portion sizes. Your toddler may eat more on some days than others.
So it is best to look at what your toddler eats over a week than
over the course of a day.