Healthy eating for Toddlers

Your two-year-old is prepared to participate actively in meals thanks to their developing language and social skills. They can eat the same meals as the rest of the family and should stop sipping from a bottle. Now, they should consume three balanced meals every day in addition to one or two snacks.

During the toddler years, growth slows down a little bit, but eating remains a major necessity. It's also a chance for parents to change course, do away with bottles, and usher in a new period in which children will eat and drink on their own more frequently. Especially between 12 and 24 months, when they are learning to consume table food and absorbing new tastes and textures, the toddler years are a period of transformation. Mumma’s Baby provides wide range of both breastfeeding and toddler’s feeding assistance products.

What constitutes a toddler's balanced diet?

While it makes sense to incorporate some healthy eating principles for your toddler, it's also crucial to make sure they receive all the nutrients they require in manageable packages. To do this, limit the amount of bulky, high-fiber foods you serve while increasing the amount of high-quality protein and healthy fats.

The only thing you as a parent need to worry about is making sure your child has access to the right foods at the right times. Toddlers should choose "how much" and "if" they eat at all because they have good cues for hunger and fullness. Trust your child's appetite and make an effort not to worry about how much food they consume. Your youngster will respond more strongly the more you fuss about how much food is consumed, making mealtimes unpleasant for everyone. The right techniques and tools are essential to make sure of this various Baby feeders are available in the market to make this easy.

Sugar and sugar-free options

Provide foods without sugar or sugar alternatives. Reduce your intake of honey, molasses, syrups, brown sugar, and refined sugars including sucrose, glucose-fructose, and white sugar. They all contain comparable amounts of calories and promote tooth decay.

While sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose are far sweeter than sugar and have no nutritional value, they do not add calories or promote tooth disease. They could cause your youngster to develop the habit of just enjoying sugary meals and make it challenging for them to accept fruits and vegetables. Limiting them in your child's diet is a wise suggestion.

Water and juice

• When your child gets thirsty, especially in the intervals between meals and snacks, offer water.

• One serving of 100% unsweetened juice per day is the maximum.

• Giving your child genuine fruit instead of fruit juice will increase their intake of good-for-them fiber.

• Children occasionally drink too much during meals or in between meals, which causes them to feel full.

Is fat a problem?

Essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, which must be obtained from food, are found in healthy fats. Use vegetable oils for cooking, such as canola, olive, or soybean. Salad dressings, non-hydrogenated margarines, nut butters (like peanut butter), and mayonnaise all include healthy fats.

There are more Trans and saturated fats in many fats that are solid at room temperature, which can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Reduce your intake of butter, hard margarines, lard, and shortening. Read labels and steer clear of Trans or saturated fats, which are included in many store-bought foods including crackers, pastries, and donuts.

An uneasy eater?

If your child rejects a food item or meal, try not to worry too much about it. Don't give them more food in between meals only to get them to eat. At the following meal, they'll eat better.

If your youngster doesn't seem to be eating enough, don't worry too much. They are likely receiving everything they need if their weight and size are normal. To ensure that your child is receiving the proper nutrients, feed them a variety of foods from all food groups. At routine checkups, your child's doctor will monitor their growth and let you know if there are any issues.

Vegetables.

Various fresh, canned, frozen, or dry veggies should be offered. Each week, try to offer a variety of veggies, such as dark green, red, and orange ones, beans, peas, starchy ones, and others. Choose canned or frozen vegetables with lower sodium content.

Grains

Choose whole grains like oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, and brown or wild rice. Reduce your intake of refined grains such white bread, pasta, and rice.

Dairy

Milk, yoghurt, cheese, and fortified soy drinks are examples of dairy products that you should encourage your child to eat and drink.