Nutrition Guidelines for Toddlers
Nutrition Guidelines for Toddlers – You know a balanced diet is best for your toddler, but to get more detailed nutrition advice, watch this video on nutrition guidelines specifically written for your 2-3 year old.
Expert: Peter L. Richel, MD, FAAP Northern Westchester Hospital, Mt. Kisco, NY
Transcript
Toddlers need the same nutrients adults do-vitamins A, B, C, D, zinc, iron, …and the list goes on.
If your toddler eats a balanced, healthy diet, she’s probably getting enough of her necessary vitamins and minerals. But what does “balanced” really mean?
Two and three year olds need between 1000 and 1400 calories, depending on their age and physical activity level. The calories are divided between: protein, grains, dairy, vegetables and fruits.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, every day 2 to 3 year olds need: –
- 2 ounces of protein foods, like beans, lean meat, nuts and fish
- At least 1.5 to 3 ounces of grains, half of which should be WHOLE grains
- No more than 2 cups of dairy, preferably low-fat
- 1 cup of VEGETABLES, particularly dark green and dark yellow ones. Lastly, she should eat
- 1 cup of fruits daily
Make sure the 1 cup of fruit doesn’t consist of just fruit JUICE, which will fill her tummy up, and keep her from eating other food.
The same may happen if she drinks too much milk. I know it’s VERY hard to accomplish this balance every day, especially when toddlers resist your good intentions.
Try your best to offer healthy foods in creative and even sneaky ways. Puree zucchini into spaghetti sauce. Throw some fruit in her cereal. Eliminate foods that contain trans fats and limit foods with added sugar. They can cause health problems now-AND as your child grows up.
Keep offering the nutritious alternatives instead-soon enough, she’ll come around. Of course, your child’s diet does need some fat. About 30 percent of his caloric intake should come from healthy, unsaturated fats found in food such as peanut butter, avocado and olives.
All your efforts will go to waste if you dish up over-sized portions, however. As a general rule, a toddler’s portion size should be about ONE FOURTH of an adult’s. And adult servings aren’t as big as you think they are! To get details about healthy food choices for your little boy or girl, watch more videos on this site.
Last Modified: 2012-11-21
Category: Health and Nutrition, Videos
