What Should Your Toddler Eat to Be Healthy?

How do you know what to feed or how much to feed your toddler? You want them to grow up strong and healthy right? Kids don't usually want to cooperate and like to be independent when it comes to eating meals. It can be a difficult experience sitting down together trying to have a good meal where everything goes smoothly.

According to keepkidsshealty.com, a child needs about 1300 calories per day. If they drink 4 cups of milk and 3 cups of juice, that is about 1300 calories right there just in drinks. That is one of the reasons toddlers just eat tiny bits of their meals and many times they are not hungry at all. Letting your child drink too much will cause them to miss more meals than they should. You have to find a good balance. If they are really thirsty and it is hot out or they have been playing for awhile don't forget that water has zero sugar and zero calories. People forget that they can and should make water a part of every toddler's diet.

Some good choices of foods to include in every child's diet unless they have an allergy are: fresh fruit, canned fruit, sliced cheese, lunch meat, cereal, eggs, crackers, bread, jelly, pancakes, macaroni and cheese, vegetables, pudding, jello, yogurt, cereal bars, raisins, spaghettio's, rice, salad, chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, sherbet and freezy pops. These are low fat and low cholesterol. Keeping your child on a steady healthy diet will benefit them more in the future than now. You can feed them McDonald's and Pizza everyday and nothing will happen to them eating a high fat high cholesterol diet now. They will probably be a little more chubby than your child's friends or classmates. It is a long term investment.

Examples of breakfast would be feeding your child a half cup of cereal with a quarter cup of milk. Also four ounces of orange juice would give most kids enough. Giving a cereal bar and a half of a banana with 8 ounces of milk is another good combination without over doing it. One slice of toast with jelly and 8 ounces of orange juice is a healthy breakfast giving your toddler just the right amount of calories.

Some lunch ideas would include, half of a grilled cheese sandwich and 8 ounces of milk or juice. Slice of lunch meat rolled up and some raisins and jello. Half a can of spaghettio's and 8 ounces of milk. Half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some pudding and 8 ounces of milk.

Dinner combinations could include, one or two ounces of chicken or turkey and 2 tablespoons of vegetables. one or two ounces of beef and two tablespoons of vegetables. Two or three ounces of pasta and one slice of bread with half of a cup of milk. Half of a hot dog with two tablespoons of rice and veggies are some good healthy examples of what you can get your toddler started eating.

Don't forget two snack times throughout the day such as mid morning and early afternoon where you can serve cut up fruit, yogurt, cheese and crackers and jello or pudding.