Your toddler might have just learned to speak a few words. Maybe now at least he knows what to say when he is hungry and when he is full. But at his growing age, are you relay sure that you are nourishing him rightly? If not then probably, here are a few things that you might take note of. It is very important that with his skills to communicate he may express what he likes and what he doesn’t. But it is always better that you encourage some good eating habits in the daily routine of your toddler. This way, so much of nourishing food that your baby will get which can help him have the best lifestyle in this sedentary living that we humans are living these days.
This article is going to cover following objects:
· Right Quantity of Nourishment:
· Meal plan
o Sample for Breakfast
o Sample for Lunch
o Sample for dinner
o Sample for Snacks
Also Read:- How To Start Solids For Babies?
Right Quantity Of Nourishment:
Talking about nourishment, there are some of the crucial things that you need to be careful about such as: The most important diet part, milk which is crucial for all. For a baby of 18 to 2 months old, milk has to be in the 16 to 20 ounces of quality every day. If you are still breastfeeding the baby you can continue doing the same or till the time your kid wants to. There are some of the crucial nutrients for the age at which your toddler is. It is important to keep in mind that all the minerals and vitamins at this tender age need to be consumed by the toddler. But again, don’t forget the fact that variation is the key.
Iron: It helps in protecting your toddler from getting the problem of anemia and other iron deficiency. It can hamper the development and growth of the baby if not treated on time. Iron has a strong impact on the red blood cells and is found in meat products the most. Even if spinach, oatmeal, and beans also have good iron content, you are advised to give your baby to eat the food which is iron-enriched along with Vitamin C like a leafy green vegetable that can help in iron absorption.
Calcium: For strong and healthy bones, calcium plays an important role. It helps in neuron messaging blood clotting, muscle contraction, and hormones too. There are so many great sources of calcium that green leafy like spinach and collard get you. Orange juice and bone-in fish such as almond butter and sardines are a healthy choice too.
Omega 3 fatty acid: It is found only in fish the most talking of which sardines and salmon is the ich one. The body can also produce the DHA from food like flax and walnut and also from eggs and milk.
Choline: Another important part of nourishment that your toddler needs is choline. It helps in the smooth functioning of the cells and ensures the brain health and growth gets the right support. You can give your kid the supply of choline is through egg yolk, shrimp, poultry and much other seafood.
Other than folic acid, protein and fiber-rich food with complex crab are important to be served for your kid. Make sure it is the only growing age when your kid would have no problem eating such a type of food. So give it the best for your kid to get the right type of nourishment as long as they don’t become prickly in eating.
Meal plan
Given below is the sample meal plan that you can think of giving your kid. It is all enriched with nourishment that surely would influence his taste and choices of food too
Sample For Breakfast
You can add the whole grain which shall then be topped with some nut buttering done. Other than this oatmeal with the option of frozen berries and milk is a good option too. You can also try out waffles with berries and ricotta cheese which taste mouth relishing too. Make a bunch of fluffy spinach with scrambled eggs which also is a great option.
Sample For Lunch
This can be an interesting thing to try out. You can make the Pasta of wheat beans and tomato sauce too. There is a turkey roll-up which is quite a healthy choke that can be mixed well with turkey hummus spread and sliced cucumber too. Either then this, you may try adding cheesy peasy pasta one day while on other days a toast with tuna and carrot is also yummy. There can be a whole grain pita topping with cheddar cheese and tomato sauce too which is a great eating option that you may want to try out.
Sample For Dinner
For dinner, you can try adding veggie lasagna, baked fish and green beans. Chicken strips are a healthy choice too. You can also plan for the steamed carrots and chicken rolling. It can be a good option to have stir fry peas, chicken and brown rice which are also a healthy option.
Sample For Snacks
Consider options like a sliced apple with some nut butter of thin layer to go along with it is a great choice. Other than this a fruit with cottage cheese and hummus with veggies and Fruit & Yogurt Pops can be a mouth relishing option too.
From the above sample, it must be pretty much clear to you what kind of food your toddler should be eating. Or the right digestion of the nourishment, your toddler needs to have at least three main meals with two small snacks a time. You can tune in the toddler as they may prefer the snack first and maybe breakfast in the morning. You can adjust as per what your baby needs but you need to make sure all things are served on time and in the right quantity.
It is always better than you keep the variation so that your toddler doesn’t get bored at all. You must look for some expert tips and speak with your doctor who can advise you better ways too for better growth of your kid.