Nutrition Guide for Toddlers

This guide is helpful for toddlers between 12 and 24 months old. And it is very easy to follow, just remember to avoid fried, fatty and processed food but not forgetting to include the essential nutrients required. The signs of readiness for a child to start such a diet would be when your toddler is able to take control of a spoon, insists on self-feeding and the eagerness on making his/her own food choices.

Never skip feeding your child the recommended amount of daily calcium, which is his/her favourite milk! Other dairy products such as yoghurts, cheeses and butter are very good food choices for your child as well as wheat, oats, brown rice, wheat bread, pasta, barley and mixed cereals (except for the ones that contain high amounts of sugar). Throw in some fresh fruits, vegetables (preferably steamed until its texture is soft-mash) and depending on your child’s diet, lean meat preferably turkey or chicken or tofu with beans is another good option. You might even want to top it with peanut butter or honey (which is now alright to give toddlers at this stage plus its healthy, too) for an added taste.

But what amounts should you give your child? To refrain from being over or underweight, you have to be sensible with the food portions you give your toddler. For example, two standard sized bottles of milk a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. As for yoghurt, one cup (a standard sized small tub, not necessarily the baby-sized ones) would be suitable. Staple food such as bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, tofu, etc should normally be ¼-1/2 cup with a decent amount of vegetables (I would include around one cup at most) and a small portion of meat, fish or beans on the side. You should however, already know by now what your child is allergic to and are able to work around what type of food you would feed him/her.

But if you choose to raise your child to be a vegan or vegetarian, do consult your pediatrician who can help you have a well-planned diet. Just remember that as a growing child, it is important to get plenty nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, protein and fiber.

We all want to raise a happy and healthy toddler, don’t we?