Getting your toddler’s diet right from morning to night
Your active toddler is growing rapidly. To get the right balance of energy and nutrients, they’ll tend to need 3 small balanced meals a day with regular nutritious snacks in-between.
A regular routine of meals and snacks will not only provide extra energy – it’ll keep hunger in check. Just as you might have trouble sleeping if you’re over-tired, if your toddler is over-hungry they might find mealtimes difficult. Snacks keep your toddler’s energy levels topped up between meals and prevents your toddler becoming too hungry.
Toddlers also need fun and variety to keep them interested – they're ready to chew on more grown up shapes and textures now and offering a variety of foods will keep them entertained while encouraging them to feed themselves. So they’ll be growing in independence and getting a step closer to family mealtimes.
So what kind of small, balanced meals can you give your toddler?
Breakfast
It’s important that your toddler eats breakfast so they get an energy and nutrient-packed start to their day. Why not offer them a small glass of fruit juice and a bowl of iron-fortified cereal? The Vitamin C in the fruit juice will help the absorption of the iron in the cereal, which your child needs to support their rapid mental development. If they are still a little hungry, a slice of wholemeal toast with a little butter or margarine should do the trick.
Lunch
For lunchtime, give them a balanced meal consisting of something high in carbohydrates such as potato, rice, or pasta, protein rich foods such as meat, fish, poultry or pulses and at least two different vegetables. As a drink, cooled, boiled water or fruit juice in a beaker are best. You could finish off lunch with a nutritious fruit or dairy dessert like fruit pots or pouches, yummy rice pudding or fruit yogurts.
Tea
If your toddler has eaten everything up until now, including their in-between snacks (lucky you!), don't be surprised if they’re not up to eating much at teatime.
Try some beans on toast, a brown cheese sandwich cut into fun shapes, or a little pasta dish. Put a little cooled boiled water or fruit juice into their beaker and if they still seem hungry, finish up with a little fruit or yogurt.
Nutritious snacks
Your toddler's tummy is at least 5 times smaller than yours, so they’ll need to eat small amounts of energy and nutrient-rich foods frequently throughout the day. It's not surprising then that mid-morning and afternoon snacks play such an important role in their diet!
Try and have some of the following healthy snacks in hand, so you can avoid reaching for the sweets:
• Unsugared biscuits
• Fruit pots
• Rice cakes
• Fresh and dried fruits e.g. apples, bananas, raisins etc.
• Fruit loaf
• Peanut butter or cream cheese on toast fingers
• Unsalted crackers
• Scones
• Bread sticks, or vegetable sticks with yummy, healthy dips like guacamole.
Encourage your toddler to drink their Growing Up Milk
As a rule of thumb, try to accompany your toddler’s mid and afternoon snacks with a cup of milk.
Bear in mind though that semi-skimmed milk is not recommended for children under two years of age (and skimmed milk should not be given under five years of age) because it’s lower in energy and vitamins than full-fat milk. It’s best to avoid these milks until your toddler is much older.
A specially designed toddler milk makes a lot of sense at this stage too, as these often contain added iron and vitamins to support your toddler’s development. DANONE DUMEX Growing Up Milk, is nutritionally superior to cows’ milk. It’s suitable from 12 months to and above complement your toddler’s diet.