Author Topic: daily nutrition advice for toddlers  (Read 4684 times)

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Offline *happy*

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daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« on: October 02, 2013, 21:11:06 pm »
Ijust wondering if such a thing exists?
Im debating going to a nutritionist.we have awful eating
Habits and are both keen to do better with family meals.
Atm.it's grab-a-bite-when- you-can!
 +although DD is a good eater,in general,im not
sure im giving her what i should,kwim?she doesnt eat what
we eat 90% of the time.i've used AK's book for her.
Would love some rules!






Offline Buntybear

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2013, 21:16:43 pm »
There has got to be loads online. Not sure you need to go to a nutritionist yet chick. A few better food choices should do the trick  ;)

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/healthy-eating/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx

What is your fruit and veg intake like?

How much protein do you eat? Oily fish? Swap some white bread/rice/pasta for brown. Include more seeds, grains and pulses.

Avoid refined sugars - biscuits, cakes etc


Offline *happy*

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2013, 21:22:21 pm »
Thanks hun.it's for DD really,&we'll row in at dinnertime
,kwim?
Im curious about portion sizes & the food pyramid for her,
how much of what should she be getting etc.
Will have a look at that link now.

I should add...im the type of cook that burns boiling water.
Red-face!






Offline *Ali*

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2013, 21:27:20 pm »
There is specific advice here about how many portions of each food group your LO needs. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/understanding-food-groups.aspx#close
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline *happy*

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2013, 21:38:08 pm »
More great info,thanks!
On my phone now,but im gonna put that info
together tomorrow when im on the laptop&get my
head around it all!
Better late than never!






Offline creations

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2013, 22:54:46 pm »
Hello, although portion size and individual needs vary child to child I found this helpful when DS was younger, but don't panic over it, it is a guide and LOs often eat lots of one thing one day then lots of another thing the next. I'm sure you already know it is useful to look at balancing food groups over a week rather than in a day (and over a day rather than in a meal - so it doesn't matter if each meal doesn't cover all the food groups so long as they are offered daily and eaten weekly).
A 'toddler' also covers a wide age range and sizes of child from 8 months up to preschool so their portion sizes and appetite will vary, but like I said this is a guide...

milk/dairy 4 servings per day
1 serve =
- half cup milk or yoghurt
- 1.5 oz cheese or 1 inch cube

grains 6 servings per day
1 serve =
- half slice bread
- quarter cup cereal
- quarter cup rice
- quarter cup pasta
- 3 crackers

fruit 2 servings per day
1 serve =
- quarter fresh fruit
- child/s hand full of grapes or blueberries

veg 2 servings per day
1 serve =
- 1 to 2 tablespoons

protein 2 servings per day
1 serve =
- 1 egg
- 1 to 2 table spoons meat/fish/poultry/beans

Sorry I don't have a reference for where I got this info as I jotted it down in my recipe book but it was a valid source (I think the number of servings came form the NHS birth to five book which is also available on-line somewhere). hth


Offline *happy*

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2013, 11:10:06 am »
creations is there anything, and i mean *anything* at all in this huge earthly world, that you do not know?!?!?! :)
i'm off to print out this thread now.....

at a quick glance....we've been giving too much fruit & not enough veg....although hard to tell because the veg is often mixed as part of the meat/fish dish...






Offline amayzie

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2013, 11:52:59 am »
creations is there anything, and i mean *anything* at all in this huge earthly world, that you do not know?!?!?!

Not much!! :D I'm not sure of how she is in the rest of her life- but everything to do with children up to and including the age of her son she is pretty much the font of all knowledge!! ;D
Katy, Mummy to Hamish!


Offline *happy*

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2013, 11:56:23 am »
it baffles me the knowledge all you ladies have!!!!!how do ye remember all the useful information?!the past 20months have been a total blur for me!!!!






Offline cuckoochick

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2013, 12:21:43 pm »
Thanks for posting that creations. I know we're guilty of overloading C at times and it can be hard to monitor how much of each food group Charlotte is eating. This will make me more mindful now. Thanks




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Offline creations

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2013, 18:15:49 pm »
creations is there anything, and i mean *anything* at all in this huge earthly world, that you do not know?!?!?! :)
Yeah - I have absolutely no idea how my mother can sleep 12-16 hrs per day or how I manage to survive on 4 - 6 ;)

we've been giving too much fruit & not enough veg
A couple of times I've reduced DS's fruit intake, once or twice he wasn't particularly happy about it but I could see his diet was going too far out of balance to be ok.  Otherwise though he has ALWAYS had more than those servings sizes of fruit, and has almost NEVER achieved the guidance number of portions of protein per day but I am pretty sure his diet is fine.  I think one of the reasons these sort of portion sizes are not talked about often is that we could get hung up on them and forget that babies and toddlers are quite good at self regulating, or there would be parents trying to force food and others withholding food. Even places (for instance the NHS) that document guidance don't do it consistently. The birth to five book and other NHS pages say toddlers need 2 portions of fruit and 2 portions of veg whilst the video Ali linked to the woman said 5 portions of fruit and veg (and we all know about the five a day rule).  And if they never tell you how big a portion is then it doesn't really matter whether it's 2 or 3 of these random sized portions...I did find it handy to have a guide to just look at his weekly intake though.
I think the thing to remember really is that portion sizes for toddlers are very small, smaller than most of us would imagine and with adult portions getting (on the whole) bigger and bigger it so easy to distort how much we think they need to have.  A portion of chips for example is FOUR chips! FOUR!  I put about 15 on DS's plate and he will eat them all too.  Luckily we very rarely eat chips and usually I make baked/roasted vegi chips instead which makes me feel much better about the whole serving too many chips thing.


Offline Mama_Mia

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2013, 00:21:41 am »
at a quick glance....we've been giving too much fruit & not enough veg
I dont think that is possible. I have spoken to 2 different doctors about M's fruit intake, he eats tons of fruit and I do mean TONS. And both doctors told me simply, "let him have it" Fruit is very good for them and it is a great help on bowel movements. As long as they are eating other necessary foods then let them have all the fruit they want.

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2013, 01:00:50 am »
great to know,thanks!
she would eat fruit,raw or pureed til the cows
came home!






Offline TB9

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2013, 04:02:28 am »
If it helps I try to do three food groups at meal times, and 1-2 food groups for snacks.  It is easy that way to get the number of servings per food group that creations posted.

Portion sizes she was eating around 1/3rd of what an adult would eat.  Now she is devouring probably 1/2 of what I would eat because she is getting bigger.

She is a fruit and veggie addict too, I'm not too worried about it as she is growing just fine according to the ped at her last checkup :)

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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2013, 04:38:51 am »
that's a handy way of organising things tink,even for
us as adults!






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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #15 on: November 06, 2013, 07:31:43 am »
Fruit is very good for them and it is a great help on bowel movements. As long as they are eating other necessary foods then let them have all the fruit they want.
Although my DS eats lots of fruit I do have to watch it, too much leads to diarrhoea and left entirely to his own devices he would have eat too much fruit and not enough from the other food groups.  I believe in self regulating but I also believe we need to offer the right balance of foods too.

Tink sounds like your LO has a big appetite :)  Some times mine amazes me, I have to design his day to get protein into him as he is not a protein fan, then suddenly he eats almost an entire lamb shank in one sitting!!  Seriously there was about 2 bites and the bones left. We all watched in utter amazement.


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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #16 on: November 06, 2013, 07:35:37 am »
lol!must've been a tasty recipe!






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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #17 on: November 06, 2013, 07:44:52 am »
lol yeah. Ever seen those boil in the bag lamb shanks in sauce/gravy?  We don't often have pre-prepared food here but it's one of DP's go-to meals if he is cooking and wants it to be a special meal.  I think it's the combo of very soft slow cooked lamb, plus sweet/salty gravy plus it being 'ready food' - there is something about ready food that kids just love isn't there.

I'd love to be able to cook a lamb shank as well as that!


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Re: daily nutrition advice for toddlers
« Reply #18 on: November 06, 2013, 08:45:22 am »
sounds tasty...even to a veggie!