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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Nutritious Toddler Friendly Foods

Summarized by Elece Hollis

As a parent, you want to know which foods are toddler friendly foods. Consider the major food groups as you introduce new foods to your child. Children need dairy, fruits and vegetables, meats and grains.

Fruits and Vegetables

Try sweet potatoes, which provide vitamins galore and are naturally sweet and filling. Green beans are a good choice for toddler finger food. Children like applesauce and can eat thinly sliced raw apple. Chicken, beef and fish are three good meats to feed small children. Cut the meat in small slices rather than chunks to prevent choking. A child shouldn't be fed hotdogs, marshmallows or cheese puffs. Nuts are hard to chew and are a food that small children are often allergic to.

Feeding Toddlers - Nutritional Tips
Summarized By Christine Steendahl

The toddler should eat most table foods that closely resemble the same types of food that the other family members enjoy. Introduce a variety of foods to encourage good eating habits. Give the toddler manageable pieces of food. Food plan for a toddler should be selected based on the USDA guidelines. The food pyramid focuses on the five major food groups.

1) The Grain group - Servings include 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, and 1 ounce of ready to eat cereal.
*Your child should eat 6 servings from this group.
2) Vegetable group - Servings include 1/2 cup of chopped or raw vegetables, or 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables.
*Your child should eat 3 servings from this group.
3) Fruit group - Servings include 1 piece of fruit or melon wedge, 3/4 cup of 100% fruit juice, 1/2 cup of canned fruit, or 1/4 cup of dried fruit.
*Your child should eat 2 servings from this group.
4) Milk group - Servings include 1 cup of milk, yogurt or 2 ounces of cheese.
*Your child should eat 2 servings from this group.
5) Meat group servings include 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish, 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans. *Your child should eat 2 servings from this group.
As children grow older, their appetite may decrease.

1 comments:

Kids Nutrition said...

Great Menu!! I believe kids surely love variety each day and this is a complete pack of carbo, fats & proteins. Well to add a health drink with milk would complement the menu.