Crucial diet tips for toddlers | Fusion - WeRIndia

At the toddler age, children become exposed to many new foods, which their stomachs could not process before, and thus often have a very fussy attitude over what they accept and what they refuse to eat.

Given that a child at this age cannot yet communicate too well, parents often become frustrated as to what to feed their toddler, or even what to do to get their toddler to eat at all.

Certain parents give up and fall to bad policies for a toddler’s diet, such as letting the kid dictate the mealtime rules, and to simply feed the child only what the child likes and wants to eat.

Children must learn both to eat properly and to eat a variety of healthy foods, and these are some kinds of foods that are essential for children to learn to eat:

·     Starchy foods must be provided for children at each meal. They provide them with carbohydrates which helps generate energy. Starchy foods include sweet potatoes, wheat, and rice. These foods should not be too fibrous, as the fiber will fill the child up too quickly.

·     Fruits and vegetables provide children with various vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are essential to their growth. Certain fruits and vegetables such as mangoes, bananas, cucumbers and tomatoes do not need to be cooked in order to eat them. However, others do, such as broccoli and asparagus. Spices can also provide for these nutrients if the toddler will eat them.

·     Protein and iron-rich foods are essential to the child’s growing strength. Lentils and pulses are good for a vegetarian diet, while meat is the usual protein source for non-vegetarians. However, meat should be handled carefully, and processes meats should be avoided since they are usually filled with salt and oil.

·     Milk and other various dairy products are useful in strengthening the bone structure of the child, as well as the strength of hair and nails. Toddlers who are too weaned usually do not need other dairy sources, but ones who are weaned should have at least three dairy servings per day. Items such as milk itself, cheese, and cheese curds are all healthy sources of dairy.

·     Fats and sugars, while seen as bad in overdoes, are required for children in small amounts. It is best to feed children foods that have natural sources of fats and sugars, rather than those with them added in. Small amounts of oil, butter, and ghee will not hurt either, especially following the first year of birth.

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