Getting tots to eat

Realize that your job is simply to buy the right food, prepare it nutritiously. How much they eat is mostly their responsibility more info

Family diet

As toddler gets off baby food, expect diet to look like rest of family’s. That means 3 meals/day & a couple of healthy snacks.

Too full to eat?

If toddler is drinking too much she may be too full to eat. Follow the recommendations of 16-24oz of milk & 4-6oz of juice.

Snacking through the day

Young children need to snack throughout the day. Keep the snacks small and provide water instead of juice or milk. http://bit.ly/NMYmgq

Worrying about picky eaters

Many parents would characterize the typical toddler as being a picky eater. Keep in mind that even if your toddler is a picky eater, if he is growing normally and is physically active, with a lot of energy, then his diet is probably okay.  

From: About.com: Pediatrics

Elaborate meals and toddlers

Try to avoid making elaborate meals for your toddler or offering foods with a lot of spices or sauces. Instead, keep things simple.

While you shouldn’t have to prepare a separate meal for your toddler every day, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t want to eat ‘adult’ foods.

From: keepkidshealthy.com

1000-calorie diet for toddlers

Your toddler needs about 1,000 calories a day to meet his needs for growth, energy, and good nutrition.

If you’ve ever been on a 1,000-calorie diet, you know it’s not a lot of food. But your child will do just fine with it, divided among three small meals and two snacks a day.

From: American Academy of Pediatrics

When children stop growing fast

Remember that children aren’t growing as fast as they were during their first year of life and so have lower energy needs.

From: keepkidshealthy.com

Low fat milk and todders

Avoid low fat milk until your toddler is at least two years old.

From: About.com: Pediatrics

Nursing vs drinking milk

The typical toddler will likely get 16-24 ounces of whole cow’s milk each day, although this isn’t necessary if your toddler is still nursing 2-3 times a day.

From: About.com: Pediatrics

finicky eater tip

One of the best ways to ensure that kids are enthusiastic about their meal is have them participate in making it. 

From: theattachedparent.com

tooth decay

Your toddlers diet is key to ensuring strong teeth that resist decay. Your child needs to get plenty of calcium, vitamin D and dairy products.
From: AskBaby.com

500 ml per day

One slice of this cheese has about 125 milligram of bone building calcium. Children between 1 to 3 yrs need 500 ml a day while 4 to 8 yrs old need 800 ml a day.

From: motherbabycenter.com Opens in new window

Diet and sleeping

If you are breastfeeding, then it is also worth considering whether something in your diet could be contributing to poor nighttime sleep.

From: phdinparenting.com Opens in new window

Keep food servings small

Wondering how much to offer? Here’s a rule of thumb – or, rather, of hand. A young child’s stomach is approximately the size of his fist.

From: askdrsears.com Opens in new window

Fluoride and tooth enamel

Developing teeth can benefit from a little fluoride. This mineral prevents tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel and making it more resistant to acids and harmful bacteria.

From: babycenter.com Opens in new window

Liquids and toddlers

If your toddler is drinking too much milk and/or juice, she may be too full to eat, so follow the typical recommendations of 16-24 ounces of milk and 4-6 ounces of juice.

From: pediatrics.about.com Opens in new window