BT August 2019

Baby & Toddler
Nutrition
Nutrition should always remain a top priority, even after
a baby weans off breast milk. This is the time baby
transitions into toddlerhood and when parents will
find themselves busy shifting gears to accommodate a
new era where their toddlers venture into independent
eating and drinking. It’s easy to give up at this point,
and just give your child whatever he asks for, even if
it’s not good for him, but remember, children develop
eating habits really easily at this age,
especially if there are sweet tasting food
involved! If you think your little one is
beginning to have a penchant
for sweet drinks and food, get a
hold of this situation and turn it
around before it gets out of hand!
Tip: Offer fruits instead of candy, cake
or sweet drinks.
The crucial first bites &
developing tastebuds
Between 12-24 months, toddlers will begin to learn
what it's like to eat solid food. They'll be introduced to
new tastes and textures. Variety is the key to ensuring a
toddler gets the nutrition needed to thrive and develop
well. For this to happen, parents have to be mindful
of the food offered to their little ones and strive to get
them introduced to as many new wholesome foods
as possible! Tip: Start off the first week or two with
pureed vegetables instead of fruits, for you don’t want
your baby to refuse new foods just because they’re not
sweet-tasting as what they had the first time. Getting
babies to like the taste of vegetables is harder than
getting them to like fruits, so, it will help immensely to
hold off the latter for as long as you can.
Encourage, don’t force
If your toddler isn't hungry, it just means that his or her
body does not need the extra energy! This is especially
so if the little one is happily playing, seems to be fine
and is not seriously ill. So, there is really no need to
bribe a bub to clean off that plate, and there is certainly
no need to lose your cool either! Remember too, that
you really do not want your little one to associate
mealtime with anxiety and frustration. Forcing toddlers
to eat when they’re not hungry also weakens their
sensitivity to their own hunger and fullness cues.
Keep portions small - if they
want more, you’ll know
Many parents are guilty of piling up their children's
plate with food, especially if they're serving a favourite,
in hopes of tricking them into eating more. The result?
Most of the time, the little ones are overwhelmed and
are also denied the opportunity to independently ask
for more.
Keep proper mealtimes
As far as possible and if their appetite allows it,
toddler's meals and snacks should ideally be served
at the same time every day. Milk or diluted fruit juice
may be offered with these meals or snacks, but in
between them, water will be the best thirst quencher
for growing bodies. Note: Watch that your toddler
does not overload on juice, milk or snacks throughout
the day, for that might decrease his or her appetite for
nutritious meals.
Be patient (with new foods)
It's highly unlikely that you would remember your own
experiences with new foods when you were a tiny tot,
but chances are high that you didn't take too easily
with certain foods. Your toddler is no different and has
the right to take his or her time to determine if they like
a certain food after trying it out. It's not uncommon
for toddlers to touch or smell new foods, taste them
and then take them back out again. Some
toddlers might also need repeated
exposure to a new food before they
even take the first bite!
You can offer encouragement to
your child by talking about a food's
color, shape, aroma and texture. If you
have to talk about the taste, always maintain positive
descriptions. Also, try serving new foods in the same
plate with your little one's favorite foods.
Why milk should stay
Milk should always remain an important part of a
toddler's diet for it provides calcium and vitamin D to
help build strong bones. Toddlers
should have 700 milligrams of
calcium daily, and to help absorb
this, 600 IU (International Units)
of vitamin D a day should
accompany it. This calcium
need is met if kids get at least
two servings of dairy foods
every day. As for the vitamin
D, doctors sometimes
recommend vitamin D
supplements, for the
daily requirement
is not easily met
through dairy foods.
Kids between the
age of 12 to 36
months old should be
offered a good quality milk formula
to help provide the dietary fats they need for better
growth and brain development.
BabyTalk | August 2019 77