Healthy Food Suggestions For Toddlers

Feeding your toddler may be an overwhelming and frustrating task. Your toddler may be picky and may eat only a few bites at a time. Making sure you offer healthy foods will ensure that he gets the vitamins and minerals he needs to be healthy.

Whole Milk

Your toddler should drink whole milk until she reaches her second birthday, recommends W. Allan Walker, author of "Eat, Play and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating for Kids." Growing toddlers need the fat in whole milk to foster healthy brain development. Whole milk is also a good source of protein, which is an essential nutrient for proper development of your baby's muscles and tissues. Calcium is also present in whole milk, and your toddler needs plenty of calcium to build strong bones that will last a lifetime. Offer your toddler two or three glasses of whole milk each day to ensure that she gets plenty of healthy fat, protein and calcium to help her continue growing. Cheese is an additional source of protein and calcium.

Breakfast Cereal

Many varieties of breakfast cereal are in small enough pieces that they are perfect for your toddler to pick up and feed himself. KidsHealth recommends low-sugar breakfast cereals as a healthy addition to your toddler's diet. Offer your toddler a small bowl of cereal with a small amount of milk to encourage eating with a utensil. Slicing a banana or adding a few strawberries to your toddler's bowl of cereal is one way to increase the nutrient value and can turn the cereal into a balanced meal. Dry cereal can be offered as a healthy snack as well. A 1/2 cup of dry cereal is considered one serving and is just the right amount of food for your toddler, reports KidsHealth.

Apple Slices

Apple slices are a good food for toddlers because they supply a healthy amount of fiber, which will help maintain the health of her digestive system. Fruit offers your child vitamins and minerals that are important to her health and growth. Apple slices can be cut thin enough that your toddler can pick them up herself, which helps teach independent eating. Encouraging your toddler to eat many different fruits will ensure that she eats plenty of nutrients. Sliced peaches, pears and bananas are additional kinds of fruit that are easy for your toddler to pick up and feed to herself.