Food and eating for my child
Your child's daily calorie requirements will continue to increase as he grows, and during the third year he'll need roughly 50 calories a day for every 500g (1lb) that he weighs. His nutritional requirements will remain the same and he'll need a variety of well prepared foods with sufficient vitamins and minerals. Because he is growing, he still needs more protein and calories for his body weight than an adult.
What foods to give?
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Between the ages of two and three years, children tend to like dairy products like milk, yogurt, ice cream and cottage cheese as well as breads and cereals. They dislike, and may even reject, meat, fruit and vegetables. Don't get worked up about this; try, instead, to find a couple of meats and some fruits and vegetables that he does like and stick to them until your child seems to want a change.
Give your child two or three servings of protein, and five or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Provide four or more servings of wholemeal bread and cereal - a serving of bread being ½ a slice, and one to two tablespoons of cereal. Avoid high-calorie, starchy foods.
Tips for feeding two year olds
- Always make sure that a meal contains at least one food you know your child likes.
- Always serve small amounts and allow second helpings. A large piled-up plate is intimidating for a child.
- Keep foods simple. Children like to see what they are eating: they don't like messy foods.
- Always offer a variety of foods to guarantee a balanced diet.
- Try livening up your toddler's meal by using more colourful food.
- Until your child is going to school, include a finger food in a meal where possible.
- Include foods that are fun to eat like jelly, potato wedges, or ice cream from a cone.
Eating patterns
Your child may continue to have food fads throughout this year, and may also demand rituals at mealtimes. A ritual is something that your child has to have repeated. For instance, it may become a ritual to have a sandwich cut on the diagonal: your child will refuse a sandwich that is cut in any other way. Some children want their plate set in a certain way and will throw a tantrum if it is not. The best way to approach both of these rituals is with patience. After all, adults have food rituals too: we sit in certain positions at the table, and may prefer our tables set in a certain way. As long as it is reasonable, you should indulge your child's ritual. On the other hand, if a ritual interferes seriously with the intake of food or disrupts the family, try to reason with your child and explain that such behaviour is not fair on others. Be firm, but be prepared for it to take several attempts to break an undesirable ritual.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 03.11.2010
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