Nutrition In Toddlers

‘My son just won’t eat!’, ‘I’m so tired of running after her in the garden trying to feed her!’, ‘My child is underweight!’ - if you've uttered any or all of them in the recent past, then you're in the right place. Read on...

Most of us who have an active toddler have at one point or another been fed up with the whole feeding drama. And to add to the woe there is no dearth of people who comment with ‘Oh look, you’re putting on weight and your child is looking thin! Are you eating his food as well?!’.

Maintaining proper nutrition in a toddler is no doubt a challenging task.

Your aim should be to equip the child to eat on her own as much as she needs and to provide her with proper nutrition that aids in her overall growth. The challenges are huge, suggestions countless and restlessness ever-growing.

I am neither a doctor, nor a nutrition expert. What I am, is a mother. A mother of a 2 and something year old child who clearly considers eating a waste of his precious time which he would otherwise be using for productive activities like chasing our dog or jumping on every surface he can find.

I have just put together what I have learnt over time from the Internet, suggestions from nutritionists and other mothers and of course what has worked for me.

1. If your child is active, happy and playful, you should not worry about her weight. If your child is being crankier than usual (a few tantrums a day is totally acceptable), dull - maybe there is an underlying issue that may need a consultation with the paediatrician. Otherwise, relax and don’t worry about the weight. Unless there is a medical problem, it is better to avoid hospital visits. 

2. A child post one year mark should be on 3 meals + 2-3 snacks a day + 500 ml milk. This should be the routine more or less. But again, every child is unique and different and if she is fine as per point 1, then you have nothing to worry about. If you’re still breastfeeding your child, please continue to do so as long as you/your baby wants it.

3. Meals: Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner – is the standard universal formula. 

4. Breakfast: chapati, paratha, idli, dosa, omelet, boiled egg, poha, upma, pancakes - anything you eat.

5. Lunch/dinner: just give whatever you are having and make sure that every meal has a healthy combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

6. Snacks: fruits, steamed vegetables (always go for steaming instead of boiling as boiling removes most of the nutrients), makhana, boiled egg, omelet, paneer, ragi porridge, dates, nuts & raisins.

7. Make it mandatory that you give at least 1-2 vegetables and 1-2 fruits everyday - as a part of any of the meals/snacks.

8. Milk: If your child is not taking 500 ml of milk in the milk form, you can give curds, buttermilk, paneer etc.

9. Things that need to be avoided on a daily basis: chocolates, cakes, biscuits (Nope, not even the ones that claim to be healthy!), popular commercial aggressively advertised noodles, chips and juices (No, not even freshly prepared! Please feed them fresh fruits instead.) In general avoid all commercial preparations.

10. Your child is at a phase where she is highly distracted or cannot sit in one place throughout the meal. It is okay to resort to stories/songs etc, anything that does NOT involve a screen. A good discussion about the food that is being consumed is highly encouraged (what is prepared today, how was it prepared, what does it have, how does it help the child to grow etc. For example “carbohydrates will make you run faaaaast and proteins will make you grow taaaaall!” or a story about how curd is prepared from cow milk.) We always say “No! such things will not work with my child. I have tried them all.” But remember that our children are just our own reflections and they mimic us. There is no use blaming the children as often we are at fault for our misdeeds which they end up copying. 

11. Do not run behind a child to feed her. Make her sit at a comfortable place, preferably with you while you’re having your meal and eat. Encourage them to eat on their own. Mess is okay – just enjoy it. Their brain is not fully developed. Their hand to mouth coordination is still work-in-progress – so have patience but do not lose any opportunity to guide.

12. NEVER FORCE FEED YOUR CHILD!

13. If a child is refusing to eat - try to find out the problem. Maybe she is teething (very often), or suffering from acid reflux or stomach ache or ear pain. Remember if they are hungry, they will eat.

14. Feel free to make the meal more interesting by adding shapes and colours to the food. For example: I cut the chapati in the shape of a fish and call it a fish-chapati! (When I’m in no mood, I just give him the normal chapati and call it ‘moon-chapati’!) Make the meal time an enjoyable time rather than a tedious one.

15. Do not give iron rich food along with or immediately after a calcium rich food. Calcium rich food hinders the absorption of iron from iron rich food. For example: A combination of ragi and milk should be avoided. There should be a gap of at least 2-3 hours between those two food items.

16. Do not give sugar in any form. Use dates, raisins and fruits as sweeteners if necessary.

Just how every human is unique and different, every child is unique and different. There is no right weight to be attained and not every child will have chubby cheeks. The sooner we accept this the better it is for everyone. Turning a deaf ear to people’s comments on our child’s weight and build can be really helpful too.