Toddler Nutrition
Posted on Sunday, February 12th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Do you kids get the recommended servings of food?
My kids get plenty of dairy/protein/fruit and veg – but they probably don’t get half the recommended carbohydrates. That is a lot of food for a young child, is it not?
From 2 year of age, your child needs a variety of foods just as adults do but in smaller serving sizes. So the diet of a toddler over 2 year of age should include the following for adequate toddler nutrition:
•Protein – meat, eggs, fish, poultry, peanut butter – 2 servings per day
•Dairy (for calcium and fat) – milk (low fat after 2 years of age), cheese, yoghurt – 3 servings per day
•Vegetables – 3 servings per day
•Fruits – 2 to 3 servings per day
•Cereal grains, potatoes, rice, breads, pasta – 6 servings per day
Keep in mind that a toddler serving size is much smaller than an adult serving size. Serving sizes for toddlers are:
Protein- 1 serving = 1 oz (1 egg, 1 Tbsp of peanut butter, 1 slice of deli turkey or ham, 2 Tbsp of beans)
Dairy- 1 serving = 1/2 cup of milk, 1 slice of cheese, 1/2 cup of yogurt
Vegetables- 1 serving = 1/4 cup of cooked carrots, broccoli, peas, green beans, etc.
Fruits- 1 serving = 1/3 of a small banana, 1/4 cup of applesauce, 1/4 cup of diced peaches, etc.
Grains- 1 serving = 1/2 slice of bread, 1/4 cup of oatmeal, 1/4 cup of dry cereal, 2 saltine crackers, 1/4 of a bagel, 1/2 of a waffle, etc.
My 16 month old probably does not get all the recommended servings per day of each food group and one day she might get more than the recommended servings for one food group and less of another but it always evens out over the course of a week. For example today she ate:
BREAKFAST- 1/2 of a waffle, 1/4 cup of diced peaches, and 1 cup of milk
LUNCH- 2 oz of baked chicken, 1/2 cup of green beans, 1 cup of water
SNACK- 1 cup of dry Cheerios, cup of water
DINNER- 1 oz of a grilled pork chop cut up, 1/4 cup of corn, 1 cup of milk
So today she had:
Protein- 3 servings
Dairy- 4 servings
Vegetables- 3 servings
Fruits- 1 serving
Grains- 5 servings
So today she was short on fruits and grains but over on protein and dairy. Tomorrow she may want only fruits and veggies so like I said it will all even out and your child will get what they need.
Keep Your Body Healthy : Toddler Nutrition Tips