Toddler Health - Diet

Your toddler needs a balanced and varied diet to provide her with protein for growth, carbohydrates for energy and fruit and vegetables for vitamins, minerals and fibre.

  • Carbohydrates: Potatoes, pasta, rice, bread and cereals (not bran). These starchy foods also give you fibre and vitamins.
  • Dairy foods: Milk, yoghurt and cheese. Provides calcium, protein and vitamins.
  • Proteins: Meat, fish, eggs and pulses. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines should be limited to two servings a week, due to the risk of the mercury content.
  • Fruit and vegetables: You should try and give a wide range of different coloured fruit and vegetables. For example; root veg like carrots, sweet potatoes and swede, green leafy veg, citrus fruits, berries, peaches and apricots.

Toddler Dietary Guidelines

  • Avoid giving food that is too rich in fibre, like brown rice or brown pasta. These will fill up a toddlers little tummy too quickly, without giving enough calories and affecting the absorption of calcium and iron. Brown bread is fine though.
  • Do not add salt and sugar to foods. Salt intake should be kept under 2g a day. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure in adults. Sugar contributes towards tooth decay, so good habits need to be taught early.
  • Offer 3 small meals a day and 2 snacks. Toddlers need to eat little and often.
  • Toddlers need full fat foods. If your child is over 2 years old and a good eater, they can switch from whole milk to semi skimmed.
  • Eggs should be well cooked.
  • Avoid whole nuts, fizzy drinks, tea and coffee.
  • If you have a family history of allergies, asthma and eczema, then you should not give your toddler anything containing peanuts.

Encouraging your Toddler to Eat (when they don't want to!).

  • Let your tot choose their own bowl, plate and cutlery.
  • Try to sit down and eat with your toddler. Mealtimes should be a family affair where possible.
  • Your child will be more inclined to eat something, if you are having the same thing (just add seasoning to yours). Set a good example by eating the things you want your toddler to eat. You can't expect her to eat fruit and veg, if she never sees you eating them.
  • Let them get involved with preparing the food. When you are shopping encourage them to help you choose foods, e.g. give them a choice of which apples you buy.
  • Give them a small portion of food (they can always have seconds). A large plateful will over face them.
  • Don't make a fuss if your toddler won't eat, ignore this and calmly clear away their plate.
  • It may take a few attempts for your toddler to like or even try a new food. Re-introduce a small amount of the food another day.
  • If the meal is rejected don't offer anything else, she won't starve!
  • Limit snacks.
  • Make sure your toddler isn't filling up too much on drinks.
  • Ask another child for tea (who eats well). Your toddler may follow their lead.

Quick and Healthy Meals and Snacks

Serve one of the following on wholemeal toast:

  • Reduced salt and sugar baked beans and grated cheese
  • Sardines
  • Mashed banana
  • Scrambled or poached eggs
  • Mushrooms (fry in a little olive oil or butter, add a hint of garlic).

Good quality fish fingers and frozen veg. Serve with sweet potato wedges (peel, cut into wedges, drizzle with oil and bake). Or a fish finger sandwich with salad.

Home made pizza (top a ready made pizza base with tomato sauce, add grated cheese and the toppings of your choice). Or you could make your own base.

Stir tinned chopped tomatoes into pasta. Add a little sugar to the tomatoes (I know I said don't add sugar to food but this takes away the acidity from the tomatoes).

Stir fry veg and chicken or Quorn chicken style pieces with noodles in oil (just enough to coat wok), add a splash of soy sauce (reduced salt variety), a little chopped ginger and garlic to taste. I use tubes or jars of ginger or garlic for quickness.

Boiled eggs and soldiers.

Jacket potato with fillings such as; beans, cottage cheese, tuna or houmous.

Veggie sausage with mash and peas.

Toddler Snacks

  • Houmous with veg sticks and pitta bread
  • Fruit and veg slices
  • Raisins
  • Popcorn
  • Yoghurt
  • Cereal
  • Toast and Marmite
  • Bread sticks

Don't forget that you can use frozen or tinned fruit and veg, though avoid those with added salt or sugar. You can also use dried fruit.

For more inspiration read Jamie Oliver's Ministry of food and How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet with very little money...... by Gill Holcombe (my family adore her pizza recipe). Both are available from www.amazon.co.uk.

For further information www.nhs.uk/changeforlife where you can get a personalised action plan for your child and the Eat Well website >>