Toddler Feeding: Ages 2-3

About Children's Nutrition

At ages two to three your toddler is learning to be independent. They may say “no” a lot. This is just their way of saying they want to do things themselves and are no longer babies. In order to provide structure and love for your child they need regular meal and snack times. It is best to have family meals. Talk with your child and have good conversations to help make meal time pleasant.

Let your child be independent and choose from the foods you have provided. Have a few different options on the table with one or two foods you know they will eat. If they choose not to eat the food at the dinner table do not give in and fix what they want to eat. Wait until the next meal or snack time. In between meals only give them water to drink, so they will not fill up on drinks. This helps them learn good eating patterns.

If you are breastfeeding, continue as long as both you and your child desire. It is recommended to breastfeed at least a year. The World Health Organization recommends to breastfeed for two years or more. Breast milk has many healthy benefits for your child.

Serving Sizes for Children: Ages 2-3

Growing children need a balanced diet. Always offer a wide variety of foods from each of the food groups.

Serving sizes for a 2-3 year old are about two-thirds or smaller of a normal adult sized portion. It is best to start out with one to two tablespoons of a food and then give them more if they want more.

The following table is a guideline for feeding toddlers, age 2-3. For a more personalized meal plan for your child go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx

Avoid Choking Foods

Because some foods may cause choking be sure all foods are:

• Chopped into small pieces
• Cooked (soft, raw foods are all right)
• Moist, not dry
• Not hard or sharp
• Not sticky
• Not too spicy or salty
• Soft

There are some things young children should not eat:

• Cold cuts, because of risk of Listeriosis
• Hard foods (like candy, peanuts, raisins, or chips)
• Hot dogs
• Peanut butter
• Whole grapes

Use a Regular Cup

Toddlers at the age of one to two years need to be encouraged to start using a regular cup instead of a sippy cup or bottle. Using a bottle for longer than the first birthday promotes tooth decay and can lead to dental cavities. It is recommended to wean baby from a bottle by age one.

If a sippy cup is used, it should have handles and not be a “non-spill” cup. The “non-spill” type makes a child suck, like a bottle. Do not allow children to carry bottles and sippy cups around with them. In between meals and snacks do not allow children to drink sugar water, fruit juices, milk or formula. The frequent exposure of the teeth to sugar in the drinks promotes dental cavities. If a child wants something to drink between meals and snacks, give them water.

Links for Feeding Your Child

Family Meals
Ellynsatter.com—http://www.ellynsatter.com/$spindb.query.memo.kelcyview.6.6
Feeding Toddlers
Ellynsatter.com—http://www.ellynsatter.com/$spindb.query.memo.kelcyview.2.2
Solving Feeding Problems
Ellynsatter.com—http://www.ellynsatter.com/$spindb.query.memo.kelcyview.7.7
Using a Regular Cup
American Dental Association—http://www.ada.org/public/topics/baby.asp