List of Healthy Foods for Toddlers

Many toddlers have the appetite of picky little birds. They reject the new food that you put in front of them and they occasionally decide that they will only eat foods of a certain color. Before you get too concerned about how much your little ones are eating, however, recognize that toddlers are not growing as fast as they did in their first year, and know they need to eat much less than you do. However, do follow some basic principles to ensure that your children are getting all the nutrients they need to be vibrant and healthy.

Kids' Food Pyramid

Following the principles of the kids' food pyramid---set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and intended for kids ages two through six ---can give you a general idea of what toddlers should be eating. Toddlers should be eating the same healthy foods that adults eat, just in different serving sizes fewer calories. Keep Kids Healthy, an online resource run by pediatric health professionals, says that a toddler's serving size should be about one-quarter of an adult's, and that the average toddler needs only about 1,300 calories per day.

Grains

The pyramid recommends that the average toddler (ages two to three) should get three servings of grains throughout the day. A single serving of grains includes one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of pasta or cooked rice, and 1/2 cup of cereal. This recommendation can be achieved if you serve your child some oatmeal in the morning, one half of a peanut butter sandwich in the afternoon, and 1/2 cup of macaroni and cheese as part of his dinner.

Vegetables

The average toddler should be getting about 1 cup of vegetables per day in order to get plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Vegetables retain the most nutrients when they are raw, steamed, or heated in the microwave. Make sure that you cut them into toddler bite-sized pieces to avoid choking hazards. If your toddlers refuse to eat any vegetables, try sneaking some into a small fruit smoothie.

Fruits

Feed your toddlers 1 cup of fruit each day. While 1 cup of 100 percent fruit juice counts as 1 cup of fruit, toddlers should not get more than 4 to 6 oz. of fruit juice each day because it does not contain an adequate amount of fiber. Supplement fruit juice by slicing some bananas on top of oatmeal and letting them eat berries as a finger food snack.

Milk and Other Dairy

Toddlers should be getting at least 2 cups of milk in their daily diets in order to provide their growing bones with enough calcium and Vitamin D. A cup of yogurt, 1 1/2 oz. of natural cheese, and 2 oz. of processed cheese also count as 1 cup of milk. Even if your toddlers don't like to drink milk plain, you can add some cheese to their sandwiches and give them some low-sugar yogurt as a snack.

Meat and Other Protein

Your toddlers should be eating 2 oz. of meat or other protein each day. Mainly stick with foods that are low in saturated fat, such as fish, cooked dry beans, lean meat and poultry. One serving can be 1 oz. of meat, 1/4 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, 1 tbsp. of peanut butter and 1/2 oz. of seeds or nuts.