As an infant, your child got most of the nutrition she needed through breast milk or formula and eventually some solids. But as she enters her toddler years, she needs to get the majority of her nutrients from food. Understanding her dietary needs will help you make sure she's getting the most out of her meals.
Calories
Children from ages 1 to 3 should be getting about 40 daily calories for each inch of height, which means a toddler who is 32 inches tall should have about 1,300 calories per day to sustain healthy development. Your toddler may need more or less per day depending on how active he is, how fast his metabolism is and how he is built. But based on averages, toddlers should be getting about 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day, according to MayoClinic.com.
Grains
Toddlers need about 3 oz. of grains each day and at least half of those grains should come from whole grains such as brown rice and wheat bread, according to the American Dietetic Association. Since you probably won't be weighing your toddler's grains, the best way gauge his intake is to make sure she gets about six servings of grains each day. For toddlers, one serving equals about one-fourth to one-half slice of bread, two to three crackers or one-fourth to one-third cup of cereal or cooked rice.
Fruits and Vegetables
Most toddlers need about 1 cup of vegetables and 1 cup of fruit per day. This amounts to at least five servings. One serving equals about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of canned or chopped fruits or vegetables or 1/4 to 1/3 cup of juice, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Vegetables can be cooked or raw, and fruit can be fresh or come frozen, canned, dried or as juice. Give your toddler variety with vegetables by mashing up some potatoes or adding some vegetable sauce to a serving of pasta. When it comes to fruit, limit sugar-drenched varieties and emphasize whole fruits over juice to make sure your toddler gets enough fiber in her diet.
Milk
Your tot needs about 2 cups of food or beverage from the milk group each day. This amounts to about three servings. A single serving from the milk group could equal about 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of yogurt or 1/2 oz. of cheese. Because toddlers need more fat than older children do, the American Dietetic Association recommends giving your toddler whole milk and whole-fat dairy products over skim or low-fat varieties.
Meat and Beans
Give your toddler about 2 oz. of protein rich foods each day. This means about two servings. A single protein serving for a toddler could be 1 or 2 tbsp. of lean meat or chicken, one egg or 1 to 3 tbsp. of dry beans or peas. Make sure all animal-based sources of protein are well cooked and cut into small pieces to help prevent your toddler from choking.
Considerations
Your toddler isn't growing as quickly as he did during infancy, which means his nutritional needs relative to his size have diminished by the time he reaches his second year, according to MedlinePlus. His stomach is also much smaller than yours; the total amount of food it can accommodate at one time is about the size of your toddler's fist. However, continue to offer him a colorful variety of foods to sustain his newfound ability to move around by foot. Offer finger foods and four to six small meals throughout the day.
