How to Feed a Toddler What They Need with Tasty Choices!

Toddlers are picky creatures by nature. One day they may love something and the next day they may hate it. Getting a child to eat nutritious foods and enjoy them is something that should start early in life. There is a better chance that they will stick with their healthy way of eating if that is all that they know. There are major power struggles between toddlers and parents when it comes to food. All too often, parents use food to bribe their children or even punish them and that doesn't show a good example. Thankfully for those picky toddlers, they don't need too many calories to actually be healthy.

During the first year of life, babies usually triple their birth weight. They typically gain about one to two pounds a month. During their second year of life, they only gain approximately six pounds for the entire year. That is only about a half a pound a month on average. During their third year of life, they typically only gain about four to five pounds. It is during these important years that parents have to try to get these children to eat a variety of foods. The eating habits that the parents try to instill in their children now can stick with them for many years to come. This is the time to get these young children to try all different types of nutritious foods since we, as parents, are in charge of what they eat. We have the power to turn them on to a new food.

Many young toddlers are still nursing. Self weaning usually occurs during the second year of life for many. Weaning can be a difficult time so this is not the time to try to introduce new eating habits. Most babies start eating solid foods around five or six months of age. By the time they turn one, they have eaten a full array of different foods including finger foods. When introducing any new foods, you should wait at least three to five days before introducing another new food to make sure there isn't an allergy to the new food.

The best thing to do is to offer four to five smaller meals a day. A toddler's tummy is very small so it can only hold so much. Having finger foods available throughout the day as snacks helps too. With obesity on the rise, you should never force a child to eat if they aren't hungry, even if it is meal time in your house. That can also turn your child off to certain foods if it is forced upon him. There is an obsession among many with dieting now a days too. One third of all nine to ten year old girls claim that they are trying to lose weight. That is an astounding fact that was not quite such a problem many years ago.

There are some minimums that parents should keep in mind. If your toddler takes in these minimums each day, there is nothing to worry about. A toddler should have a minimum of 16 ounces of milk (or calcium enriched foods such as cheese or yogurt), two ounces of protein such as eggs or meats, 1 serving of fruit, one serving of vegetables per day. If the child absolutely refuses any one of these groups, they should take a multivitamin, but you should talk to your pediatrician before choosing one. Variety is very important in keeping a child interested in healthy foods. Always remember that fresh is better than processed foods. Organic, pesticide free foods are much healthier, especially for a child, than not. Fast food and high sugar foods should remain an every now and then type of thing. A sad revelation is that they typical toddler knows very well what McDonald's is and has frequented one at least three to four times a month.

A child caloric intake is dependent on their age. A typical one year old should be taking in about 1100 calories a day. A two year old should be taking in about 1200 calories a day and a three year old should be taking in about 1300 calories a day, on average. These totals can be adjusted to fit an individual child's situation. A larger toddler that is less active may need less calories as with a toddler that is extremely active may need a few more each day.

To define a serving size, here is a chart to help you.

One toddler serving is equal to:
protein:
one whole egg
3/4 cup of milk
3 slices of turkey or ham, deli meat
3/4 ounces of cheese
1/2 cup of yogurt

complex carbohydrates:
1/4 cup of cooked pasta or rice
1/2 slice of bread, whole grain preferably

fat:
2 chicken nuggets
10 french fries
1/2 cup of ice cream

vegetables:
1/2 cup of broccoli
1/2 cup of green beans
1 small sliced tomato

fruits:
1/2 cup of fruit juice
4 tablespoons of fruit

Always remember that toddlers need plenty of liquids per day as well. Try to get them to drink at least a few cups of water a day. If they tend to drink more fruit juice than they should be, dilute it with water. Serve half a cup of water with half a cup of fruit juice. They won't even realize that it is diluted. Toddlers need at least 6 cups a day of liquids but if it is very hot outside, they will need more.

The Recommended Daily Allowances, or RDA's for children ages one to three is as follows:

Protein - 16 g
Vit A - 400 mcg
Vit D - 10mcg
Vit E - 6 mg
Vit C- 40 mg
Folic acid - 50 mcg
Sodium - 225 mg
iron - 10 mg
zinc - 10 mg

Some examples of foods that are rich in Vitamin C are broccoli, kiwi, potatoes(with skin on), strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and oranges. It isn't too hard to get some of these foods into a toddler's diet. Many toddlers like broccoli and oranges and wouldn't fight over needing to eat these sometimes. Sometimes it is easy to get a toddler to eat raw vegetables if a healthy but tasty dip is offered. Toddlers love to dip things!!! Ranch dressing makes for a great and healthy dip for any raw veggie that you may offer.

Including your toddler in food preparation is sometimes a great way to introduce new and exciting things. If they are able to help preparing the meal, they may be more excited to try what they helped to create.

If you start off with a healthy attitude to eating, your child is sure to follow in your footsteps. Offering healthy foods to eat and trying new foods while offering less junk foods or high sugar options is a great way to get your child to eat healthy. You will be amazed when you see that your child follows in your direction when they get older and have the option to pick their own food choices.