Toddlers and eating fruit

Fruit kebabs are a lot more fun to eat than plain old fruit. Use flavored yogurt or low-fat chocolate pudding for dipping.

From itsamomsworld.com.

Mini-foods are a maxi-hit

Mini sized food is always a hit.

Look for mini-pitas that you can stuff – maybe one could be a chicken salad sandwich while the other is peanut butter and bananas.

A sandwich wrap cut into bite-size pieces can also make lean meat, cheese and some salsa look more appetizing.

From itsamomsworld.com.

Calories and toddlers

The average toddler needs about 1300 calories each day. Bigger kids will need a little more and smaller kids a little less.

A good rule of thumb is that your toddler will need 40 calories each day for each inch of his height.

From: keepkidshealthy.com

Serving sizes for toddlers

The typical serving size for a toddler is about 1/4 of what an adult size serving would be.

From: About.com: Pediatrics

Toddler requirement for calcium

Toddlers should have 500 milligrams of calcium a day. This requirement is easily met if your child gets the recommended two servings of dairy foods every day.

An important part of a toddler’s diet, milk provides calcium and vitamin D to help build strong bones.

From: kidshealth.org

Portion control

The idea that children should sit at the table until they ‘clean’ their plate is out of fashion. Instead, children should be taught to recognize when they are full and then stop eating.

If your toddler isn’t finishing what you offer, learn to offer smaller portions.

From: keepkidshealthy.com

Milk and iron deficiencies

Cow’s milk is low in iron. Drinking a lot of cow’s milk (more than 24-36 ounces/720 milliliters) also can put a child at risk of developing iron deficiency.

Toddlers who drink a lot of cow’s milk may be less hungry and less likely to eat iron-rich foods. Milk decreases the absorption of iron and can also irritate the lining of the intestine, causing small amounts of bleeding and the gradual loss of iron in the stool.

From: kidshealth.org

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

Replacing breast milk with whole milk

You may like to replace breast milk or formula milk with whole milk, when the child is one year old.

Low fat or skim milk is not good for children as they need fat for growth.

From: Fat Free Kitchen

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