The children between the ages of 1-2 years are termed toddlers. They are moving from the eating habits of infants to the diet like the parents. They develop the habit of feeding on their own first with finger foods and then from plates around them from 15-18 months.
Toddler grows at a much slower rate- only 3-5 inches in the entire year. The toddler years are about a lot of transition, when they are learning table goods and getting associated with different foods and tastes.
Parents here plays a major responsibility in gearing their child away from bottle feed and introduce them to varieties which are essential for them to intake. Breast food provides them with enough nutrition, but the time is now to let them taste the real food.
Depending on their size, age, activity a daily food of a toddler must be somewhere between 1,000-1,400 calories per day. Parents need to strive to provide a wide variety of nutrients everyday.
If you miss for a day, do not get panic you have plenty of chances to compensate the same. A doctor consultation is quite essential and counts high as a doctor can portray the amount of food your toddler must consume.
Growth and development of every baby is dependent upon the nutrients supplied within their body. Just after the tenure when the babies consume breast milk, parents must make them feed the solid food.
But that food must be filled with adequate quantity of nutrients that is good for development of the muscle and bones of the baby. Parents often take wrong decision about making kids consume specific food.
The right quantity of food in right amount is really essential. Also it is important to know about the types of food that will work really well for kids aged between 1-2 years.
The food which must be feed to toddlers comprise of several aspects
Find toddler foods that multitask
If your Toddler eats one food at a time, you need to feed him up with multiple nutrients in the same diet. Put stress on the health department, for instance string cheese, peanut butter and whole grain bread. That way your toddler is getting the most if it.
Make drinks for toddler real
Fill them up with real things. Juices doesn’t hold well here. Milk is a nutritious drink, and 2 cups of it makes your child full for long. Go for water, plain or spiked, with a few drops of juices, which is better at quenching their thirst without filling them up.
Snack wisely
Snacks are great, and are useful for toddlers who need to regain their energy back after a lot of activities. But those sugary cookies and salty snacks won’t do, go for multigrain muffins or crackers, fruits, or cut up carrots on hand.
There are various choices, nuts, applesauce, peanut butter, whole-grain cereal, rice cakes and more.
Change things up
In order to prevent mealtime monotony, it’s great that food should be provided with different smells, texture, colors and tastes provides a variety of nutrients.
Switch the kinds of bread, add some more slices of banana, smear the mix on a couple of slices of apples. If your tot craves for yogurt mix it up with flavours.
Go for quality over quantity
When it comes to calories, nutrient-dense food are great. It’s better to serve moderate amount of nutrient rich food, higher-calorie food than to offer a steady diet of foods that do nothing extra for your tot’s health.
Look at the big picture
Don’t get stressed much about the meals, but you must see what your tot is eating the whole day.
Your goal is to provide your tot with effective proteins, calcium, minerals, vitamin C, a mixed bag of each color fruits and veggies, whole grains, fats, iron rich foods. Keep this thing in mind you do not have to do all of this at once.
Your tot may want to eat the same food for several days, do not worry about it as is a natural behaviour. Encourage your toddler in more of active games and play. It helps your child to grow healthy way.
Food choices are set at this early age so variety of foods with different flavors and textures of healthy foods must be introduced to the toddlers. They have small stomachs, hence food packed with nutrients required to grow healthy and strong must be served to them.
Sweets and empty calorie foods must be limited when it is concerned about the very young children who are between the age limit of 1 to 2 years.
Milk is an important part of a toddler’s diet because it provides calcium and vitamin D, which help build strong bones. Toddlers must be given whole milk because fats are needed for the normal growth of the body and development of the brain. 12-18 months is the good age for transition to taking milk in a cup.
Food and nutrition Every child is an individual and every child develops through the same milestones and in the same order, but at their own pace. Sometimes they learn several skills very fast and then they become quiet for long time. Children grow and learn continually, but not in a smooth flowing pattern
Eating habits The child from the age of one should be eating and enjoying healthy meals and meal times with the rest of the family. Most children do not need special foods by this age. Growth of the child slows down in the second year. Their appetite is not very big and the child is capable of displaying his likes and dislikes.Toddlers’ little tummy needs small amounts of food 5-6 times a day.
Planning meals from the first year
Amount of food to be eaten at this age varies from child to child and from day to day.It is normally influenced by the growth and activity levels. Here is a guide to feeding the toddler each day which can vary from time to time—
- Grains are an important source of energy from carbohydrates.This includes all kinds of wholegrain and white bread, cereal, rice, pasta, noodles, crackers, raisin bread, dry biscuits, and fruit buns.
- Vegetables and fruits Vegetables and fruit are a source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. The habit of eating a wide variety of both raw and cooked vegetables must be developed at this age.Fresh fruit is best, but frozen, canned and dried are also good alternatives. These include a small apple, banana, pear orange etc.Choose at least one dark green and one orange vegetable or fruit everyday.
- Milk, yogurt, cheese Full cream milk can now is used instead of formula or breast milk. Cheese is high in saturated fat, which is not good for adults but is a great energy food for children. Cheese is also a good source of vitamin B2, which is essential for converting proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into energy. Yogurt provides a good source of calcium, protein, and phosphorus, which are important for strong, healthy bones and teeth.
- Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, Meat and alternatives are an important source of iron and protein and so, must be added in the child’s diet. Nuts are not recommended for these toddlers as it may coke the child.
- Water is the drink, fruit juices can be added in limits. Breast milk is still beneficial the second year of life.
Help the child to eat a nutritious and healthy diet by
- Planning regular meal and snack times because toddlers need structure, routines and limits.
- Meals and snacks should look appealing. They must be in a range of colors and shapes…
- Encourage the child to eat with other members of the family. Children learn faster by imitating the people around them.
- The child’s choice of food must be respected. Let him choose from any two fruits or sandwich fillings. He should not be forced to eat.
- Unhealthy food must not be substituted for uneaten meals. Only healthier foods must be offered.
- Give the child enough time to eat meals and snacks like half an hour for meals and ten minutes for snacks.
Top foods for infants between 1-2 years
Raspberries
You must make your kid consume fruits along with other cooked foods. It is just due to the fact that their body requires adequate amount of vitamin C which is really good for healthy skin of your kids. These days’ people are continuously getting infection of cancer cells. If you want to prevent it in your baby’s body, the best way will be making them feed raspberry fruit.
White fish
Fishes are an important fruit which include good amount of phosphorus, protein and other nutrients. Even among them white fishes will be great diet for infants. They have low fat protein along with magnesium, selenium and calcium. Kids are not very strong from inside and their immune system is weak. These fishes will help increasing the immunity level in kids. Also it will fight with the free radicals that exist inside your body. You can now get white fishes in the market or the super malls.
Sweet potatoes
We use the sweet potatoes in making curries or any other food items. Now, you will be amazed to know that these sweet potatoes are also very useful for bringing health to your kids. It is loaded with high amount of vitamin C and vitamin A that will help your baby to stay protected against the diseases. It is really important for you to get enough sweet potatoes in your kid’s diet chart so that your kid stay away from all types of diseases.
