“Diet chart for toddlers”

How much a child should eat and,.mm/ what to eat is a matter of concern for most parents. This problem gets magnified with a fussy eater. Parents tend to give calorie rich diet and some how they fail to meet macro and micro nutrient needed for anychild. Among all ages, toddler’s stage is the most fussy and challenging , because to feed a toddler, one needs patience and creativity in cooking.

Toddlers are very particular regarding their taste. They always want to eat what elders eat .Therefore , the recipe prepared for them can be altered as and when required whereas , what other family member generally have,it only requires light alteration in ingredients used in cooking , specially spices. Stomach of the toddlers are very sensitive to spicy food,as it may irritate their stomach…. At the same time, they like tasty food too, bland diet may not be interesting for them.

Regular change in the menu . and variety in the preparation makes toddler’s mother job easy .

Climatic change also affect the preference and quantity for a toddler. In summer,Since they tend to drink lots of water their stomach is always full .More liquids like, squashes , milk shakes , pick up snacks are easy to feed than main course. So , it is better to incorporate food groups in such recipes to effectively feed your toddler. Winters are best for patties ,sandwiches ,nuggets ,cutlets and they make the platter (which word is this) empty.

When the toddlers are feeling low ,soups, rasam , yummy sambar , idli can be the best food to feed ,as they get easily digested.

Different type of crokery can also help you to create interest in preparing variety of dishes.

Toddler’s tummy is too small ,so they cannot consume large quantities at a time. At the same time consumption of food In small amount can have an adverse effect on their weight and height. The ideal quantity any toddler generally consumes varies from other toddlers.So we cannot generalise the quantity. But at this age the child needs about 1000 to 1400kcal of energy.

Parents usually panic if they fail to feed what they have in their plates. They become frustrated and lose their temper .The challenge is that parents are not sure about the quantity they are feeding .Sometimes the quantity of food offered is more and sometimes it is less . This may tend to develop eversion for food by toddlers . How much food a toddler can take or should take can only be quantified by00 a nutritionist , and this will help you to check nutrients you are feeding your toddler.

My diet chart will clear all your doubts and myths about how much rice or chapathi, dal ,veggies, fruits , can a toddler take in a meal and throughout a day without affecting his or her growth and development.