Toddlers, especially those between the ages of 12- and 24-months-old, are so busy growing and learning that breakfast can easily fall to the wayside. But a healthy breakfast can provide valuable nutrition to support all of that growth as well as setting your child up with a healthy habit for the rest of her life. Of course, parents should never force a toddler to eat at breakfast or any other meal, but offering healthy choices and setting a good example is always beneficial.
Benefits
A healthy breakfast can benefit a toddler's health not only by providing calories and nutrition, but also by improving concentration and giving him a longer attention span during the day. In addition, toddlers who regularly eat breakfast reduce their risk of becoming overweight in childhood and beyond. Breakfast can also improve a toddler's mood, making meltdowns later in the day less likely. Encouraging the habit of breakfast while young can also lead to a lifetime of health benefits associated with regular breakfast meals, including reduced rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Nutrition
Breakfast is a chance to get some valuable nutrients into your toddler early in the day. Two nutrients that parents are often concerned about are iron and calcium. Including foods with these important minerals in the breakfast meal can help ensure that your toddler gets his daily requirement. A glass of milk, some cheese or yogurt can provide calcium. Add a little meat, enriched grains or iron-fortified cereal to the breakfast menu to give your toddler some valuable iron. Other things to include in a toddler's breakfast are protein, healthy carbohydrates and a little fat.
Misconceptions
A common misconception regarding toddler breakfast is that its a requirement for healthy nutrition. Some toddlers, however, just aren't interested in eating early in the morning. Offering breakfast is more important than whether or not your toddler actually eats, so you should always present the option but not be too concerned if she chooses to go play instead.
Tips
It's a good idea to offer your toddler a few different breakfast options and let him choose which particular food he wants to eat. Picky toddlers may need to be coaxed into eating breakfast, so cutting foods into fun shapes, offering a dipping sauce made of yogurt or blending a drinkable smoothie for your child may help encourage breakfast consumption. Some toddlers don't like traditional breakfast foods, so offering some healthy dinner leftovers might be another option.
Warning
Never feed your toddler anything that she could choke on as part of her breakfast or any other meal. Small hard foods such as peanuts and raisins could get lodged in her throat. Sticky foods such as peanut butter or marshmallow can also be dangerous. Grapes, sausages or other slippery or spongy foods should be cut into small pieces before serving to a toddler.
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