A parent’s guide to nutrition requirements for toddlers

The basics of healthy nutrition and eating requirements for toddlers.

Do you have a picky eater in your family? There is a great deal of controversy surrounding this subject. Are picky eaters born that way or is it something the parents did or didn’t do for the child early in life? You can argue both sides, but one of the most important factors in making sure your toddler gets the proper nutrition is to know what kinds of foods their bodies need. Educate yourself as a parent so you can in turn teach your children how to eat healthy and start good habits early.

Let’s count calories. How many calories does your toddler need per day?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), toddlers need at least 1000 calories a day in order to meet their nutritional needs for growth and energy. You can provide your toddler with this minimum requirement by feeding them three meals and two snacks a day. Remember to give them small portions according to their appetite and size.

Now what everyone is dying to know: What should a toddler eat?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture toddlers need foods from the four basic food groups just like adults do, but the serving size should be two-thirds smaller than what an adult would eat. For example if you measure your portions according to the size of your fist then take a look at your child’s hand, is it about two-thirds the size of your hand? You can use this common measuring method to determine how much food to give your toddler. You be the judge, use common sense, if they are still hungry they can eat more. As your toddler grows so do their appetite and the serving size of food. Everyone wants mealtime to be enjoyable for both parties so don’t try to feed your child too much. Your toddler should eat proportionate servings of each of following food group’s everyday:

• Meat, fish, poultry, eggs (two servings)
• Dairy products (three servings equivalent to two cups of milk each day).
• Fruits and vegetables (three servings each)
• Cereal grains, potatoes, rice, breads, pasta (six servings)

You can help prevent obesity, tooth decay and over activity by simply limiting your child’s intake of refined sugars. However the AAP says not to restrict cholesterol and fat in children this age as both are needed for normal development.

Do you have an active toddler who can’t sit still? Lets cover some common eating problems among toddlers.

Here it comes again the picky eater syndrome. Toddlers are famous for being labeled as “picky eaters.” This may or may not be the case, but before you put this label on your child for life, explore some other avenues. You may think they don’t like the food but maybe they are just too busy to sit still and eat. Toddlers are hard to predict one day they might eat everything in sight and the next they refuse to eat anything. As parents all we can do is be patient and continue to try to help our children develop good eating habits. Don’t give up just because they reject something one day doesn’t mean they will continue to reject it. Keep trying and your efforts may comeback three-fold.

How can you help your toddler develop good eating habits?

There is no right answer to this question. You know what works for your child when it comes to teaching proper principles. Here are some suggestions for you to make your job a little easier.

• Encourage your child to try new foods. If you offer a variety you can prevent boredom and repetition.
• Model a balanced diet by consuming healthy foods and limiting sweets, salty snacks, and soft drinks yourself. You know the old saying “practice what you preach”.
• Schedule regular mealtimes to prevent your child from relying on erratic snacks to curb hunger. Keeping you child on a schedule helps to train his system and keep him on track.
• Make dinnertime family time. Sit and eat together as a family, focusing on each other instead of on television shows and other distractions. This not only helps with family unity it also aids in helping you child be aware of the importance of meal time and paying attention to the foods he/she is eating.
• Don’t allow your child to bring toys to the table. Distractions can take away from the importance of healthy eating and scheduled meals.
• Don’t serve heavily spiced foods. Most children don’t like very spicy food. Your child may reject a particular food entirely in the future if he has a bad taste experience because he tasted it heavily spiced. Let you child taste the natural flavor of the food instead of covering it up.
• Don’t add fat and grease to the food. Avoid serving foods that are heavily salted, buttered, or sugared so that your child doesn’t develop an unhealthy taste for such food. Again allow the natural flavors to come out.

You can ensure healthy eating habits for your toddler by following the simply guidelines covered in this article. Parents today have busy schedules and don’t have time to fight with their children when it comes to something as simple as eating a meal. If you start early you have a better chance of beating the odds and helping your child to be a healthy human being. Break the cycle of “picky eaters”. Teach your child about healthy eating so they will continue to eat healthy foods well into adulthood.