Many mothers worry that their children are not eating enough. While this is a concern for many moms throughout the growing years, it is particularly true during the toddler and preschool years—sometimes referred to as the ‘picky eating’ years. It is important to remember that what may seem like a little bit of food to an adult is often quite a lot of food for a toddler.
When placing meals or snacks on your toddler’s plate, try serving a smaller portion than you would typically have, then if they would like more to eat they can always ask for seconds. Some appropriate serving sizes for young children include:
- ¼ of a cup of diced fruit or sliced veggies
- ½ cup of soup or chili or other entrée
- ½ cup of milk to drink is appropriate
- If serving fresh fruit, a half a banana or apple or orange is often plenty for a snack
Keep in mind that toddlers like to graze, and what may seem like a very small amount of food actually adds up over the course of the day. In Better Food for Kids we give examples of a ‘picky eating’ day and you can see the calories really add up.
Sample Menu for a Picky 3 Year-Old
Breakfast
- ¼ cup O-shaped oat cereal
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ banana
Snack
- Unsalted soda cracker
- ½ banana
Lunch
- ½ slice bread with 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- ¼ raw carrot
- 1 cup whole milk
Snack
- Unsalted soda cracker
- 1 oz cheddar cheese
Dinner
- Fish sticks
- ¼ baked potato
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
Snack
- ½ cup whole milk
- Oatmeal cookie
This provides approximately 1000 calories and 44 grams of protein and meets more than 50% of iron requirements.
Source: Better Food for Kids, page 25
Always remember that growth is the best indicator for whether or not your child is getting enough. Ask to see your child’s growth chart at your next visit to the family doctor to see the pattern of your child’s weight gain.
Joanne Saab is a registered dietitian who trained and worked at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and now works at McMaster Hospital in Hamilton. She is the mother of twins.
Daina Kalnins, MSc, is an academic/clinical specialist and registered dietitian at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She has 20 years' experience in pediatric nutrition research and is the mother of two young children.
Together, they are the authors of the books
Better Baby Food,
Better Food for Kids and
Better Food for Pregnancy.
Regardless of whether your child is a picky eater or an over-eater, there are key nutrients that your child needs on a daily basis. These include Protein, Carbohydrates and Good Fats.
In an ideal world, each meal and snack should consist of the following:
- Protein: Meat, chicken, fish, nuts and seeds (or peanut butter), milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese (or dairy alternatives), eggs, tofu, soy beans, and legumes (kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils). Protein should be ¼ of the meal or snack.
- Carbohydrates: Try to make ½ of the meal/snack a fruit or vegetable (yes, these are carbohydrates) and ¼ of it whole grain choices of starchy carbohydrates (breads, cereals, rice, pasta, crackers, potatoes, quinoa, couscous). Aim to be as colourful as possible in your fruit and vegetable selections—every colour reflects different physical molecules and different nutrients. A colourful diet can be fun and is an easy way to make sure your kids are getting all of their vitamins and minerals. In addition to Vitamins C, B (particularly foliate) and A, fruit and vegetables are important sources of potassium, iron (particularly in vegetables) and fibre. The bright colours in your fruits and vegetables are shown through phytochemicals (including beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, and many more). These phytochemicals act as antixoidants which help with disease prevention and general well-being.
- Fat: Don’t be afraid of good fats in all your meals and snacks with nuts and seeds, ground flaxseed, canola, olive oil and fish (particularly salmon).
By following these nutritional guidelines right from the start, you can create healthy eating habits for your child that last their lifetime.
Cassandra Reid, a dietitian in private practice, with her own online and tele-counselling nutrition company
www.cassandrareid.com is also a mother of three. She works with clients and patients through doctor and self-referrals in a variety of areas. She has been a dietitian for eight years and works closely with The Cleveland Clinic and Shepell-fgi.
Comments
Thanks for nice conception particular in Kids Eating Enough! I think that kids Need to be eating soft food.
Good post and I think your provided tips will able to add more calories on kids food item. Thanks and hope will come back soon.