Daily Nutrition Checklist for Toddlers

Toddler nutrition focuses on providing nutrient dense and varied foods to young children for healthy growth and development.  Optimum toddler nutrition is vital for the development of gross motor, sensory and feeding skills as well as the brain and immune system in toddlers. Toddlers have fluctuating appetites and food preferences.¹ Appetites vary because growth slows during the second year of life.

Planning a balanced toddler nutrition chart becomes essential in helping your child develop healthy dietary patterns early on. Alongside these, other aspects like understanding their nutritional requirements, checklist of foods and guidelines can help you make informed food choices for your toddler every day.

Nutritional Needs of Toddlers

During the first year of life, babies receive most of their nutrients from breast milk and complementary foods. But after 12 months, they need nourishing food providing a wide variety of nutrients in adequate quantities to support toddler nutrition.

A balanced diet for toddlers should include carbohydrates for energy, protein for strengthening of muscles and healthy fats (DHA) to aid brain development.² The ideal weight of a toddler (2-6 years) is about 15 kg. The daily nutritional needs include approximately 1200 kcal/day, 130g/day of carbohydrates, 1 g/day of protein, and 25g/day of fats.³

Growing toddlers require an adequate amount of minerals like calcium (500mg/day) for building strong bones and teeth. They need iron about 8-11mg/day, for the synthesis of red blood cells and tissues. Other nutrients like vitamin A, B-Complex, vitamin C, D and zinc are also needed to support eyesight, brain functioning and immunity.

Sample Toddler Nutrition Chart

Here is a sample toddler nutrition chart incorporating the daily checklist for a child aged (2-6 years). It provides an insight into the food groups with the different nutrients present, options in the categories and healthy suggestions.⁴

*Adding ½ tsp of homemade ghee to cooked meals improves palatability. It also provides energy and healthy fats.

Toddler Nutrition Guidelines

Incorporate three healthy meals and two snacks in your child’s diet routine. Adopt the following toddler nutrition guidelines to help shape their dietary practices⁵:

• Allow your toddler to choose from two to three healthy options and continue to serve new foods as their tastes change. Offer new foods in small amounts and not by forcing them on their palate.
• Give them exposure to foods of different textures and flavours. This will help your toddler gradually develop a liking for various foods.
• Adapt family foods in smaller quantities containing less salt, oil and spices to get them accustomed to foods eaten regularly at home.
• Healthy snacks can be offered twice a day to perk up their energy levels. These may include a small portion of fruit, roasted kurmura with milk, boiled egg slices, tikki or homemade fruit yoghurt.
• Restrict intake of unhealthy foods high in sugar, salt and fats to reduce the risk of long-term health consequences like tooth decay and obesity.
• Offer adequate water, (at least 4-5cups) daily to support steady hydration and avoid constipation.⁶
• Refrain from having toys around and avoid screen time (TV or mobile) while feeding, which can serve as major distractions. It helps your toddler focus better on chewing and swallowing.

Conclusion

Good eating habits started early can last a lifetime. By following toddler nutrition guidelines, you can help influence your child’s eating behaviour. Consuming a wide variety of foods in sufficient quantities contributes to toddler nutrition. However, in the process, using the approach of “the parent provides, the child decides” reduces mealtime stress.⁷ When you provide healthy food options and allow your children to choose which foods to eat and how much, it helps them develop self-regulated eating habits. It helps them establish a positive association with the foods they eat.

Alongside meeting daily balanced nutritional goals , including nutritional drinks such as Complan NutriGro can help fill the dietary gaps by providing 34 vital nutrients, including high quality protein, DHA, iron, calcium, selenium, etc., for toddlers’ overall well-being.

Buy Complan NutriGro from Flipkart Now!

*Growth and cognitive development are influenced by genetic, nutrition and environmental factors. Complan to be taken as a part of daily balanced diet.

*Refer Individual pack for mandatory regulatory & statutory information. Mnemonics are for creative visualization. ® Registered Trademark *Refers to outcome of a clinical study amongst 800 children over 12 months, published in Ind. J. Nutr. Dietet., (2008), 45, 449, 495 comparing kids who consume usual daily diet vs. kids who consume usual daily diet plus 2 recommended serves (2x33g) of complan. Protein in Complan is sourced from milk.

*DAIRY BASED BEVERAGE MIX (1.1.2) PROPRIETARY FOOD.