Balancing an Uneven Diet
Parents of toddlers often wonder if their kids are getting
enough to eat. It's an understandable concern, and offering
healthy snacks can help ensure that the answer is yes.
Some kids at this age may seem too busy exploring the world to
slow down and eat. Others may be fickle about food or refuse to eat
what's served at mealtime. Toddlers need about 1,000 to 1,200
calories a day, but often don't eat a lot at one sitting.
That's where snacks come in.
Healthy, well-timed snacks can help balance out an uneven diet,
tiding toddlers over between meals and keeping them from getting so
hungry that they become cranky. And you boost the intake of
nutrients your toddler needs to be healthy when you serve fruits,
veggies, whole grains, protein, and calcium-rich foods.
Most toddlers do well with three meals and two or three snacks a
day - perhaps mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and again after dinner,
if necessary.
Decide What's Appropriate
The influence you have on your child's eating patterns may
never be stronger than it is right now. Toddlers can't run out
to the store for candy and chips. They'll eat what's served
to them and ask for what they know is in the cabinet. Take this
opportunity to set the stage right.
Stock up on healthy treats. Choose fresh foods that are high in
nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber) and try to avoid
prepackaged, processed ones, which tend to be high in sugar, salt,
and fat. If your child goes to child care, ask what kinds of snacks
are served there. If you don't approve, consider suggesting a
healthier snack menu. If your suggestion isn't welcomed, send
in your own snacks for your child, even if it means a bit of extra
planning the night before.
Sometimes nutritious snacks are more work, but not always. There
are plenty of healthy, no-hassle snacks out there. Toddlers should
be feeding themselves, so think simple, finger-friendly, bite-size
foods like:
- low-sugar breakfast cereals
- fresh fruit thinly sliced or cut into small pieces
- whole-grain crackers and mini-muffins
- cheese cut into thin slices or shredded
Think small portions, too. Adults tend to overestimate the
amount of food kids need to eat, but the recommended serving size
for a toddler's snack is actually quite small: 1/2 cup (118 ml)
dry cereal and 1/2 cup (118 ml) milk (serve low-fat if your child
is over 2 years old) make a fine mid-morning snack, just as a
banana and 1/2 cup (118 ml) milk are great in the mid-afternoon.
Not only are small portions less overwhelming for a picky eater,
but they also help prevent an avid eater from overdoing it at snack
time.
Stick to a Snack Schedule
Kids do better with routine, so try to serve snacks and meals at
approximately the same time every day. That way your child will
always know what to expect.
Feeling the sensation of being full and then hungry again a few
hours later teaches kids to respond to internal hunger cues -
and knowing when to eat and, more important, when to stop is vital
to maintaining a healthy weight. If allowed to graze all day
without a schedule, kids may lose the ability to detect their own
hunger and fullness, which can make them more likely to
overeat.
Letting kids carry around a juice box all day can lead to
diarrhea in some and contribute to weight gain in others. Juice -
even 100% fruit juice - contains about the same amount of calories
as soda. And juice drinks have excessive amounts of added sugar.
Limit your toddler's juice intake to no more than 4 oz. (120
ml) a day. When your child is thirsty, water and milk are the best
choices. If your child is a juice fanatic, offer fruit rather than
juice, because whole fruits contain important vitamins and
fiber.
Let Your Toddler Choose
Your toddler may still be your baby, but he or she is
increasingly antsy to hold the reins once in a while. Snacks are a
great opportunity for kids to be in charge in a limited way. Offer
a few nutritious foods at each snack, then sit back and
let your toddler choose what and how much to eat.
Though it may be tempting, resist the urge to feed only foods
that your child likes. (This is especially hard for parents of
picky eaters who just want their kids to eat
something
!) Perhaps pair something your child likes with a new food at snack
time. Even if the new foods are rejected, continue offering
them. Remember that it may take several tries before a child is
receptive to eating something new.
Don't make a big deal of an uncleaned plate, even if means
your child skips a snack or meal. But also don't allow
kids to pick alternate foods or decide when meals and snacks
should be served. You want them to learn that meals and snacks are
available only at certain times and that they may choose from among
the foods you present.
Things to Avoid
Most parents have bribed their child by promising some tasty
treat, but this isn't a good strategy. Using sweets as a bribe
creates the impression that they're more valuable or better
than other, more healthy foods - plus kids quickly learn to use
them as a bargaining chip.
As for sweets, there's really no reason, nutritionally, for
young kids to have them. You don't have to deprive your child
of birthday cake, though, or other occasional treats. But don't
let these empty-calorie items become part of the regular snack
menu.
Make sweets the exception rather than the rule and your child
won't feel entitled to them or too surprised when you say no.
If you keep less-nutritious snacks at home, keep them out of view.
If they're out of sight - and reach - your toddler will be less
likely to beg you for them.
Reviewed by:
Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2009
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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