Article Summary:
- Parents should give their toddlers nutrient-rich foods that contain iron, calcium, fibre, fat, Vitamin D and DHA.
- Encourage healthy eating habits in your little one by staying on a set feeding schedule, eating as a family and serving small toddler-sized portions.
- Avoid giving your toddler foods that may be a choking hazard, like large or hard pieces of fruits or cylindrical cut-up foods like hot dogs.
What Nutrients Do Toddlers Need?
When you’ve made the switch from breast milk or formula to solids—or during the process of that switch—you may find yourself wondering which nutrients your toddler needs. By eating the types of foods discussed in Canada’s food guide, with some adjustments, children can get the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. Here’s a helpful guideline to ensure the most important nutrients make it into your toddler’s meals and new diet:1,2,3
- Calcium: Strong bones are just one of the things we can thank calcium for, so ensure your little one gets at least 700 mg of calcium a day.
- Iron: From brain development to helping to ward iron-deficiency, iron is critical. If animal proteins are off the menu, consider iron-fortified cereals.
- Fat: Fat helps growing brains develop properly, so don’t limit it in the menus of children under the age of three.
- Fibre: Fibre intake helps your little one have regular bowel movements.
- DHA: This omega-3 fatty acid is key to brain and eye development in toddlerhood.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D is needed to build strong bones and teeth.
Your child’s nutritional needs will change as they grow older. Check Canada’s dietary reference intake table to make sure your little one is getting the right nutrients based on their age.
How to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Toddlers
Many parents worry about when or how to start fostering healthy eating habits in their toddlers. The answer is simple—right away! And this task doesn’t need to be a daunting one.
Here are some tips to introduce your toddler to long-term healthy eating habits.4
- Stay on a set schedule with snacks and meals—three meals a day and one to three snacks.
- Offer a range of nutritious choices for snacks and, as appropriate, at mealtimes.
- Use creative play about food—and creative food presentation—to make healthy foods fun.
- Eat as a family and teach by example by making healthful choices for yourself at mealtimes.
- Serve small, toddler-sized portions and let your little one take their time to eat. And banish the clean plate club. Let your little one tell you when they’re full or just not hungry. Trust their ability to follow their hunger and fullness cues.
- Make healthy eating fun by including your toddler in meal and menu planning.
Foods to Avoid When Feeding Toddlers
There are some foods that are still tricky for toddlers to eat safely. Foods that should be avoided as they may be choking hazards for your one-to-two-year old include:5,6
- Whole round fruits and veggies like grapes and small tomatoes
- Large or hard pieces of fruit or veggies, like carrots and apples
- Round or cylindrical cut-up foods, like hot dogs
- Whole nuts and seeds
- Sticky foods like marshmallows or a spoonful of peanut butter.
- Small snacks and treats like hard candies, popcorn, chips and gum
Picky Toddlers and Eating Habits
Feeding your toddler can be a challenge as they get acquainted with the word “no.” If you find that your toddler is a picky eater, their eating habits might seem that much more complicated. Don’t fret: The key to feeding a picky toddler is consistency. Explore our overview for how to feed a picky toddler for helpful, tried-and-true tips and tricks for navigating this particular set of toddler eating habits.
CONSIDER ENFAGROW A+ NUTRITIONAL TODDLER DRINK
Enfagrow A+® is an everyday toddler nutritional drink with DHA, an important building block of the brain. Enfagrow A+ has 26 nutrients including: Brain-building DHA*, iron, protein and a fibre blend.+ DHA supports the normal physical development of the brain, eyes and nerves primarily in children under 2 years of age. You can easily add Enfagrow A+ to your toddler’s daily diet at meal or snack time.
+ galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) and polydextrose
* DHA supports the normal physical development of the brain, eyes, and nerves primarily in children under 2 years of age.
- https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/teaching-toddlers-good-food-habits
- https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/fiber.html
- https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/dietary-reference-intakes
- https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/toddler-meals.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/foods-and-drinks/choking-hazards.html
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/nutrition/Pages/Feeding-and-Nutrition-Your-Two-Year-Old.aspx
