A Guide to Healthy Diets for Toddlers

Introduction

Now they’re ‘all grown up’ your toddler can eat the same food as the rest of the family – just in mini portions and remember not to add additional salt to their food.

Variety is key. They’ll need nutrients from each food group. A mix of meat (or if they are vegetarian tofu, beans or legumes), dairy, fruit, vegetables, and carbohydrates every day. A balanced and healthy diet for kids ensures they get enough energy and nutrients for development. Offering a variety of foods also exposes their tastebuds to essential nutrients and flavours. This article takes you through all the food groups and how much they should eat each day so you can give your toddler a healthy balanced diet. A weekly meal planner can really help too.

What is the correct portion size for a toddler?

After tripling their birth weight in the first year a child’s growth slows down, so the amount they eat does not need to be huge – roughly speaking about a quarter of an adult’s portion size. It is recommended that a toddler has 3 meals a day and 2-3 snacks per day but bear in mind a child’s appetite will vary day-to-day and meal-to-meal. The British Nutrition Foundation recommends the 5-5-3-2 portion guide – 5 starchy foods a day, 5 fruit and veg a day, 3 dairy foods a day and 2 protein foods a day, see their handy guide.

Milk and dairy for toddlers

Three servings of whole milk and full fat dairy for toddlers is recommended each day. Cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais all count. They’re a good source of energy and protein, with plenty of vitamins and minerals:

• Calcium and vitamin D for those growing teeth and bones

• Vitamin A to help the body’s immune system fight off colds

• Riboflavin keeps your toddler’s eyes, skin and nervous system healthy

• Vitamin B12 helps the body make red blood cells and keeps the nervous system healthy.

• Magnesium for turning all that yummy food into energy

• Potassium which controls the balance of fluid in the body and the correct functioning of the heart

Little tip: If your little one doesn’t like drinking milk, try sneaking it into mashed potato, pureed vegetables or porridge. Read our clever tricks to get your fussy eater to eat dairy.

Fruit and vegetables for toddlers

Everyone knows that fruit and vegetables for toddlers are an essential part of a healthy diet and should be part of every mealtime. Toddlers are already beginning to work out their tastes for the future so the sooner you get them to enjoy their veggies the better. Five portions of fruit and vegetables are recommended each day.

• Fruit & veg provide vitamins A and C, fibre and some B vitamins

• An apple a day. Or could it be a pear? Different fruits and vegetables contain different vitamins and minerals, so variety is not just important but vital

• Make life easier. Sometimes you’re so busy you just need to grab something quick for baby. Frozen, juiced, canned (in juice, not syrup) or dried fruit and veg can be your life saver

• Vegetarian? Your baby could take vitamin C to help their iron absorption

Little tip: Some tots will make a yukky face at the sight of a vegetable, so try offering small amounts to get them used to it. You can also try hiding them in their favourite meals – pureed vegetables in a pasta sauce are a brilliant trick. Growing your own – with your toddler’s help – can also be a fun way to get them to try new things.

Protein for toddlers

Protein for toddlers is important, they need two portions of protein each day and vegetarians need an extra one, to ensure they have enough amino acids in their diet. Meat, fish, eggs and vegetarian alternatives, like pulses, are good sources of protein and other nutrients, for example:

• Iron, which helps with cognitive development

• Zinc, magnesium and B vitamins

Not keen on feeding baby too much red meat? You could mix it up with other proteins or iron-rich foods, like fortified breakfast cereal, dark green vegetables, dried apricots, figs and almonds.

Little tip: Your toddler might find chewy pieces of meat a little hard to swallow, so maybe add tiny pieces of chicken or meat to yummy favourites like macaroni cheese or pasta sauce.

Fish for toddlers

Fish is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Try putting oily fish such as salmon, sardines or tuna on the menu once to twice a week. Here’s why:

• Vitamins and minerals. Fish contains zinc, selenium, calcium and phosphorus which are essential for healthy development

• Heart food. Oily fish are particularly high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that support a healthy heart

Do remember that you can give boys up to 4 portions of oily fish a week, but girls no more than twice a week.

Not all fish is good for baby. Avoid shark, swordfish and marlin as these are high in mercury and can affect the development of their delicate nervous system.

Little tip: If your toddler isn’t much of a fish fan yet, try toning it down. A fish pie topped with mash potato, or maybe tinned tuna with tomato pasta?

Starch and carbohydrates for toddlers

Bread, cereal, potatoes and pasta: most kids love them and they’re a good source of energy. These starchy foods provide fibre and some B vitamins which are needed to convert food into energy. Offer at least one of these foods at every meal.

It’s good to serve toddler-sized portions of carbs at every meal and as a snack now and then. Wholegrain carbs, not so much. Brown rice for example, is good for them but can bulk up their little tums, leaving no room for other goodness. Best to give your under two’s a mix of both.

Porridge is a healthy breakfast for toddlers as most fortified porridge contains iron. Iron contributes to normal cognitive development in toddlers. You should look out for porridge which has 2.5 mg per serving of iron such as Cerelac® Honey and Wheat with Milk.

Some fat is good for toddlers

During toddlerhood, high fat foods are not only ok but encouraged. As growing little people, they need the concentrated energy and other nutrients provided by full fat whole milk, yoghurt, and cheese. Here’s why:

• Unique vitamins - Some vitamins such as A and D are only found in fats

• Absorbing goodness - Fat in the diet helps the body absorb certain nutrients found in vegetables like lycopene and beta-carotene

• Fatty acids - It also provides essential fatty acids that the body can't make itself

But not all fats are created equal. The unsaturated fats from vegetable sources, like cooking oil, are better than the saturated fats found in meat. Here’s a few easy ways to keep saturated fat low in your diet:

• Keep it lean - buy leaner cuts of meat

• Fewer ‘frydays’ - buy leaner cuts of meat

• A few drops - use as little cooking oil as possible

• Go easy on the crisps - limit fried foods, pastry and commercially prepared cakes and biscuits to special occasions

Little Tip: Low fat can often mean high sugar, not to mention other artificial flavourings. Low fat commercial foods may not have enough of the good calories your growing toddler needs, so it’s probably best to steer clear.

Healthy snacks for toddlers

Toddlers only have small tummies, so regular snacks between meals prevents them from getting overly hungry or going too long before eating. A recommended daily routine includes two to three healthy snacks for toddlers per day. Fit them in around meals and nap times.

Little mouths love sweet treats, but these are more likely to cause tooth decay and may lack important vitamins and minerals. So, limit sugar-containing foods and drinks between meals. And swap unhealthy snacks for more nutritious ones, like fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, natural yoghurts, fruit puree lollies, and cheese. Find some healthy snack ideas in our meal planner.

Drinks for toddlers

Growing up is thirsty work – literally. Toddlers should have six to eight drinks per day, each of about 100-120ml. Give them more if they’re being extra active or it’s a hot day. The best drinks are water and unflavoured milk, which are kinder to teeth than sugary drinks. Here’s a few of the wonders of water:

• Fluid balance - water keeps all the body’s fluids nicely balanced

• Packs a punch - water gives little muscles energy to explore their world

• Kind to kidneys - the kidneys balance the body’s fluids, which they can’t do without water

• Clear waste - water helps remove waste from your blood in the form of urine and helps with normal bowel function

Everyone knows natural, not-from-concentrate, fruit juices like orange juice, are a good source of vitamin C. But did you know they also contain high levels of natural sugars and acids which can cause tooth decay? Squash or cordial also contains added sugar and very few nutrients. Too many juice-based or flavoured drinks can be filling, leaving less room for healthy food choices.

Little Tip: Diluting juice and squash, or cordial – one part to 10 with water, will make them less sugary but should be limited to mealtimes to help protect teeth from dental erosion. Fortified drinks such as SMA® Toddler Milk are nutritionally tailored for young children and contains 100%* of vitamins C & D* and is enriched with Vitamin A and iron.

*400ml daily intake of SMA® Toddler milk delivers 100% of toddlers daily recommended amount of vitamins C & D

Does my toddler need supplements?

Growing children sometimes don’t get enough vitamins A, C and D, particularly if they’re fussy and don’t have a varied diet. It’s recommended that children from six months to five years take vitamin drops. Here’s why:

• Vitamin A helps strengthen your toddler’s immune system and helps maintain healthy skin

• Vitamin C helps your toddler’s body absorb iron and helps with the normal function of the immune system

• Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the foods we eat — which is great when your toddler’s bones are growing quickly in the early years.

Too much of some vitamins can be harmful, so try to keep to the recommended dose. If you live in the UK and qualify for Healthy Start on the NHS, you’re entitled to free vitamin drops.

Fortified foods like cereals and Toddler Milks can also help to provide the extra vitamins needed at this age.