Nutrition Of Toddlers

Feeding Children Ages 2 to 5

This NebGuide defines nutritional needs and healthy eating patterns for children ages 2 to 5.

H. Darlene Martin, Extension Nutrition Specialist

Good Nutrition Can Be Achieved By Eating A Wide Variety of Foods

Children's basic nutrition needs are very similar to those of other family members, although amounts of food needed differ because of age. Offer your child a variety of foods from the basic food groups:

Breads, cereals, rice and pasta

Vegetables

Fruits

Milk, yogurt and cheese

Meats, poultry, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, and nuts

It is important to offer a variety of foods within each food group. For example, in the fruit group, it is better to eat an orange, a half a grapefruit, and a kiwi over a three-day period rather than eating three oranges. Over time, young children will take in adequate nutrients when offered a wide variety of healthy foods.

Different nutrients are needed for different functions in the body. Protein is needed for growth. Most of the protein in the diet is supplied by milk, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese and dry beans and peas. Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth. Dietary calcium is primarily found in milk and milk products such as cheese and yogurt and to a lesser extent in leafy green vegetables. Iron is an important mineral that comes from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables and iron-fortified breads and cereals. Iron from cereal will be absorbed better when served with a food rich in vitamin C. Citrus fruits and their juices and dark green or yellow vegetables are good sources of vitamin C and vitamin A.

Water is needed to regulate body functions in young children. As a percentage of body weight, children have more water in their bodies than adults. Children can become dehydrated more quickly than adults. Offer water to your young child several times during the day.

Fat is a necessary nutrient in a child's diet. It helps to provide extra calories and needed nutrients for active and growing children. No fat restriction should be applied to children below the age of 2 because their fast growth requires a high percentage of calories from fat. The following pattern is recommended by the American Heart Association for children over the age of 2: Saturated fatty acids Ð'- less than 10 percent of total calories; total fat Ð'- an average of no more than 30 percent of total calories; dietary cholesterol Ð'- less than 300 milligrams per day. Each of these numbers refer to an average of nutrient intake over several days. You can help your child (2 and older) develop beneficial low-fat dietary habits by offering items such as reduced fat milk, non-fat yogurt and lean meats.

Sugary foods provide few nutrients and should be limited. Chewy, sticky, sugary foods may promote tooth decay if left on the teeth. Children should be taught to properly brush their teeth daily to help reduce tooth decay.

How Do I Know My Child is Growing Properly?

A growth chart is a reliable way to tell if your child's diet is meeting body needs. These charts are available from pediatricians, public health clinics and child health agencies. Since children grow in spurts, their needs will vary. Changes in appetite may reflect these needs. Allow children to eat until they are full, regardless of how much or how little. To examine what you offer your child to eat, keep track of everything your child eats for two or three days and compare it to the Food Guide. Check to see if you are offering at least the lowest numbers of servings in each food group as well as variety within each group. If you think your child is too heavy, remember that physical activity also is needed to maintain a healthy weight. Playing games that use physical exercise is important to a growing child.

A Final Word

To promote a positive attitude toward good food habits, it is important that parents and care givers help children understand they are "good kids." What children "do" may be unacceptable at times, but who and what they "are" inside are normal, healthy and OK kids.

Tips on how to make mealtimes pleasant experiences for your young child:

Involve your children in meal preparation. By allowing your preschooler to take part in meal preparation, you may help increase your child's interest in a new or unfamiliar food.

Include at least one of your child's preferred foods. Offer a choice of foods. The meal should have at least one food that you know the child will select and eat.

Offer foods with a variety of colors and textures. This will create interest and increase the number of foods your child will accept.

Use child-size food portions. One way to consider portion sizes is to have one tablespoon of each type of food for each year of the child's age.

Play it safe with foods that cause choking. Round cuts of hot dogs, cherries, grapes, carrot chunks, tortilla chips, peanut butter, or nuts may cause a child to choke. Simply cut hot dogs into four pieces lengthwise; cook and mash carrots; cut grapes and cherries into fourths. Don't serve peanut butter by the spoonfuls, combine it