Nutrition for toddlers
Remember
It is quite normal for toddlers to have a varying appetite from one day to the next.
The second year of life is when toddlers begin to explore the world around them. Life is full of excitement and new things to learn. Encourage them to enjoy eating with the family and to try a wide variety of foods.
Remember, children are more likely to try a food when they see others enjoying it.
What do toddlers need to eat?
Toddlers should be given the same foods as the rest of the family. Ideally your child will learn to eat a variety of nutritious foods, so offer them foods from each of the five food groups every day. Click here for serve sizes.
As a general guide:
- Breads, cereals, rice and pasta – three to four serves per day
- Vegetables, legumes – one serve per day
- Fruit – one to two serves per day
- Milk, yoghurt, cheese – two to three serves per day
- Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes – one serve per day
Do not worry if your child does not actually eat all of these every day. Remember their appetite varies from day to day.
Are there foods my child should not have?
Low fat or restricted diets are not recommended for toddlers as this may result in poor growth.
Reduced fat milk is not recommended for children under two years of age as they require some fat for growth and energy.
Honey contains bacteria and is therefore unsuitable for infants under 2 years of age. Whole nuts are not recommended because of the danger of choking.
Who is the boss at mealtimes?
Parents sometimes have an unrealistic idea about the amount and the kind of foods a child should have. As babies grow very rapidly, gaining one kilogram in about two months, they have large appetites. Toddlers grow much slower, gaining perhaps one kilogram over six months, therefore they do not need to eat as much.
Children are able to sense how much their bodies need and usually eat to match this when provided with healthy choices. If they eat little at one meal, it is more than likely that they will eat more at the next one. Trust your child to decide whether they are hungry and how much to eat. Children quickly learn that food is a really important issue for parents. To avoid battles occurring at every mealtime, adopt the following role division:
- As parent, you decide which foods to offer your child and when to offer them.
- Allow your child to decide whether they will eat and how much they will eat.
What if my child refuses to eat?
Refusing a food does not always mean that they do not like it. At this age, they could just be trying out their independence to see how you will react.
Try the following approach:
- Stay calm and do not force or bribe your child to eat. If children are pushed to eat more than they want or encouraged to finish everything on the plate, they may learn not to stop when they have had enough. This can lead to weight problems later.
- Resist offering an alternative. Simply remove the meal. Most foods can be stored in the fridge and offered again later.
- If your child is hungry soon after leaving the table, offer the left-over meal.
- If your child is hungry 1 – 2 hours after, offer a healthy snack such as plain cracker, a sandwich or a piece of fruit.
- Do not offer less healthy snacks such as chocolate, ice cream or sweet biscuits, as children soon learn to refuse foods if they know alternatives will be offered.
- It is important to be consistent in your approach.
Alternatives to try and avoid food refusal:
- Offer meals and snacks at regular times.
- Start with smaller serves, offering more if your child is still hungry.
- If it is a new food, remember it can take up to ten times before a child is ready to accept it.
- Serve your toddler the same food as the rest of the family.
- Allow your child some independence by offering two choices and asking which he/she would like to eat.
- Let children feed themselves, even if it becomes a little messy.
- Set a good example. If you eat well, children will copy.
And remember:
- Healthy children will eat when hungry.
- A healthy child who refuses to eat is not hungry and therefore does not need food right now. However, they may be thirsty so offer them a drink of water.
- A healthy child will not starve to death through stubborn food refusal.
(From Department of Health WA, 2005. Tucker without tantrums.)
My child will only eat bread. What should I do?
Toddlers may have times when their diets are very limited. They have strong likes and dislikes or will only eat food presented in a certain way. One week they will only like cheese and the next they will dislike everything except bread, preferably cut into triangles. These food fads are probably just another way of expressing their independence. The fads change so quickly that overall the toddler will still get a varied diet as long as you continue to offer a variety of foods.
What if my child refuses certain foods?
Don’t worry. There is always a substitute for a food that is refused.
Milk, as part of the dairy food group, is an excellent source of calcium. Yoghurt and cheeses also form part of the dairy food group and can be used as alternative to milk to ensure your child will receive enough calcium.
Similarly, if your child refuses to eat vegetables, the many vitamins and fibre found in vegetables are also found in fruit. In addition, children will often eat vegetables more readily if raw or in salads.
If eating meat is a problem, offer other foods that are high in iron and protein such as chicken, fish and egg. Alternatively mix foods that are high in iron with those that are high in protein; for instance peanut butter sandwiches, baked beans on toast, iron enriched cereal with milk. Including fruit or vegetables with these, will help absorb the iron.
My child won’t sit still. What do I do?
Toddlers are very active little people. It is important to share meals together so, help your child calm down before eating by having some quiet time together first. If your child is tired in the evening, consider having dinner earlier. Make mealtimes happy times by not being too concerned about spillage or eating with fingers. However, if food is thrown, calmly take the plate away.
How can I make eating a happy experience?
It is important for everyone concerned that mealtimes are relaxed. Here are a few suggestions as to how to go about ensuring happy mealtimes:
- Enjoy eating together as a family whenever possible.
- Turn off the television and minimise any other distractions.
- Allow your child to enjoy their food through touching and feeling, even if it is a little messy.
- Let children feed themselves by giving them their own spoon or fork.
- Let your toddler decide when he/she has had enough.
- Make sure they have a comfortable chair to sit in at the table.
- Encourage children to be involved with the preparation of the meal, even if it is that they help with the shopping or getting foods out of the fridge for you.
What should I offer my child to drink?
Toddlers are very active and therefore need plenty of fluid. Water is the best drink for thirst. Fruit juices, cordial and soft drinks are all high in sugar and energy. They can cause dental caries and lead to obesity. They can also fill a child up so that they are no longer hungry at mealtimes.
- Offer about three cups (600 mL) of milk per day and water at other times.
- Give drinks in a cup.
- Give food before drinks at mealtimes so as not to fill your child up and only offer water at mealtimes.
- Fruit juice and sweetened drinks are not needed.
When should I worry about eating?
Remember that it is quite normal for toddlers to have a varying appetite from one day to the next. However, sometimes it is appropriate to ask for professional help. Contact your Child Health Centre or your GP if:
- You are worried about your child’s growth
- Your child is unwell or tired and not eating
- Mealtimes are causing a lot of anxiety and stress
Handy tips for feeding toddlers:
- Keep meals small and offer more if your child is still hungry.
- Offer healthy snacks between meals.
- Allow toddlers to self-feed, using their own spoon, fork and fingers.
- Let children decide when they have had enough.
- If a new food is refused, it does not mean the food is disliked. It may take up to ten times before a child accepts a new food.
- Try not to fuss if your child refuses to eat. Remember their appetite varies from day to day.
- Relax and enjoy family meals together whenever possible.
Points to remember:
- It is the parent’s job to provide the food.
- It is the child’s job to decide what and how much to eat.
- Avoid small hard foods such as nuts as they may cause choking.
- Always sit your child down at mealtimes and supervise your child while eating.
Where to get help:
- Child Health Centre
- Dietitian
- Your Local GP
Further information:
The Department of Health - WA have brought out the brochure Tucker without tantrums, which is available by calling Health Info on 1300 135 030.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia, including the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers, 2003.
Nutrition Australia provides scientifically based nutrition information
For information in a language other than English, NSW Health provide translations of Making food fun for children and parents, a guide containing parents strategies for avoiding feeding problems with young children.
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