What are healthy foods to give my 3 yr old child for main meals trhoughout the day and as snacks.?

Question

It would be really helpful to know what is a sensible and healthy meal plan for a typical day for my 3yr old son.

Thanks

Answer 1

Healthy Eating for Your 1-3 Year Old
For the first six months of life, breast and/or formula milk can provide all the energy and nutrients required by a growing infant. Weaning - the introduction of solid food, is recommended at around six months of age and this is an exciting time for your baby to experiment with lots of different foods. As they get older they can start to handle finger foods and enjoy the independence of feeding themselves.

Children can be fussy eaters but introducing a variety of different tastes and textures during weaning will encourage your child to enjoy eating a wide range of foods.

Between the age of one-to-three years, children's energy requirements increase as they start to walk and become more active.

Daily energy and nutrient requirements for 1 to 3 year olds Energy
(EAR)* Protein
(RNI)** Calcium
(RNI)** Iron
(RNI)**
Boys 1230 calories 14.5 g 350 mg 6.9 mg
Girls 1165 calories 14.5 g 350 mg 6.9 mg

* EAR - Estimated Average Requirement
** RNI - Reference Nutrient Intake
Taken from the Government’s Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) Report 41.

A toddlers diet should be as varied as possible. Many toddlers struggle to eat large amounts of food at one mealtime so as a general rule three small meals and three small snacks spaced equally throughout the day seems to work best. Both meals and snacks need to provide a concentrated source of calories and nutrients such as full fat milk and dairy products, meat and eggs. This will mean that their diet won't be too bulky and they will still get plenty of protein, vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc.

Energy
Fat
Protein
Calcium
Iron
Fruit and Vegetables
Salt
Sugars
Top Tips - happy mealtimes with a toddler
Energy
Energy requirements, provided by the calories in food, are high for an active toddler. Starchy carbohydrate foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes and plantains all form an important part of a toddlers diet. These starchy carbohydrates not only provide energy but also fibre and important vitamins and minerals.

Energy is also provided in your toddler's diet by fat and protein.

Fat
Fat contains over twice the amount of calories as carbohydrate and is necessary to provide the energy needed for growth and nerve function. For this reason low fat foods are not recommended for children of this age. Foods such as full fat milk, cheese, and yogurts; and meat and oil-rich fish should be the source of fat rather than cakes, biscuits and pastries.

Protein
Protein foods are necessary for growth and development. Dairy foods, lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, pulses, lentils and soya products are all good protein sources as well as providing vitamins and minerals.

Try to serve two portions of fish per week - one should be oily such as mackerel, sardines or salmon as they are a good source of protein and provide Essential Fatty Acids.

A vegetarian diet, eliminating meat and fish, will provide enough protein if full fat milk, cheese, and yogurts; and eggs, beans, pulses, bread and lentils are included regularly. More careful consideration is needed with a vegan diet and should include beans, lentils, bread and seeds.

Back to top

Calcium
Calcium-rich foods are needed for healthy bones and teeth. The main sources are dairy foods such as milk, cheese, yogurts and fromage frais. The Dairy Council recommends that children eat three portions of dairy foods a day. A portion is a glass of milk, a small piece of cheese or a small pot of yogurt.

Milk is an essential part of a toddler's diet, providing calcium, fat, energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Full fat or whole milk should be given to all children younger than two because it contains more fat and calories for growth. Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced after the age of two provided the rest of the diet is mixed and varied. Skimmed milk is not suitable as a main drink until five years of age as it doesn't contain enough calories for a growing child.

Calcium levels are similar between full fat and semi-skimmed milk with a 200ml glass of whole milk provides 298mg calcium (85 per cent) of the daily requirement for a child of this age group.

Calcium requirements are much more difficult to meet on a vegan diet as dairy foods are avoided. Useful sources from non-animal foods include soya products e.g. tofu, sesame seeds, white bread, pulses, dried fruit and green leafy vegetables – okra and curly kale are especially good vegetable sources. Some products are also fortified with extra calcium such as soya milk.

Vitamin D helps with the absorption and metabolism of calcium and therefore makes bones stronger. Most of the vitamin D our bodies need is made from the action of sunlight on our skin: dietary sources include fat spreads, oily fish and eggs.

Back to top

Iron
Iron is needed for healthy blood. A poor iron intake can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia, which is associated with frequent infections, poor weight gain and delay in development. Red meat is the best source of easily absorbable iron and can be offered to children from 6 months of age.

For children following a vegetarian diet iron can be found in green vegetables, beans, lentils and chickpeas; dried fruit such as apricots, figs, raisins and sultanas; and bread and breakfast cereals.

Iron from vegetable sources is not easy for the body to absorb. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron so try to give foods high in vitamin C, such as fruit and vegetables or diluted fruit juice at mealtimes to boost absorption.

Don't give young children tea or coffee, especially at mealtimes, because this reduces the amount of iron they can absorb. It is always best to give the drink towards the end of the meal as small stomachs can easily fill up on liquid leaving little appetite for more nutritious food.

Back to top

Fruit and Vegetables
The fruit and vegetable Five-a-Day message applies to young children too. Portions will be smaller than those recommended for grown-ups (80g) and a rough guide is the amount that will fit in their hand.

Fruit and vegetables provide fibre, energy and vital vitamins and minerals, and can be fresh, frozen, dried or canned. Potatoes do not count towards the target and fruit juice counts as only one portion, regardless of how many glasses are drunk.

Try and be creative with meals and include vegetables imaginatively to savoury dishes and add fruit (fresh, canned or dried) to breakfast cereals or yogurt. When out shopping offer grapes, segments of tangerine, dried fruit or a banana to your young one in the buggy rather than chocolate or sweets. Introduce a wide variety of fruits and vegetables including different types and colours to ensure the vitamins and minerals needed for health.

Back to top

Salt
Salt should not be added to your toddler's food. Children aged one-to-three should have no more than 2g per day. Processed foods can contain high amounts so pay close attention to the nutrition panel and limit salty foods such as crisps. If the salt value does not appear on the product you can calculate it from the sodium values on the label - to calculate the amount of salt you have to multiply the sodium content by 2.5.

Back to top

Sugars
Sugary foods and drinks should be limited in a toddler's diet. Sugars are naturally present in fruit, vegetables and milk. However, although added sugars present in sweets, confectionery, biscuits, cakes and sweet fizzy drinks do supply energy, their consumption can mean there is less room for more nutritious foods.

To avoid teeth decay, if your child uses a feeding cup try and give water, flavoured water or diluted fruit juice, and ensure that the cup is not available all day. Limit sugary foods to occasional treats. Encourage good habits of dental care by brushing your child's teeth at least twice a day.

Back to top

Top Tips
happy mealtimes with a toddler
Getting a toddler to concentrate for long enough to eat a meal is not an easy task, as many mothers know. The following tips may help mealtimes be fun and not frustrating!

Make meals interesting by presenting food in lots of different shapes and themes.
Offer small, attractive portions and let them feed themselves as much as possible.
Your toddler learns from you so sit with them at mealtimes and make it a sociable, happy occasion.
If your child refuses a particular food, take it away and avoid fuss. Wait until the next regular snack or mealtime before offering anything else.
Children need snacks in between meals for energy and growth. Keep snacks small and try not to give them to close to mealtimes as this may reduce their appetite.
Offer healthy snacks such as fresh fruit, raw vegetables, dried fruit, breadsticks, chunks of cheese, small pots of yogurt, toast and rice cakes.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

The most natural and healthy diet for humans is an omnivorous diet, and not a plant based diet, or a meat-based diet per se. The Paleo Diet can be very widely varied and omnivorous for the most part, but the most important thing is that it’s unprocessed, and avoids the worst foods that agriculture brought mankind… refined inflammatory vegetable oils, refined grains (some are worse than others), and sugar! Learn here https://tr.im/hBiZd

As you can see, the benefits of adopting a Paleo way of eating can be incredible! I’ve been eating 95% Paleo for the last 5-6 years and I’ve never felt better. I have dozens of friends that have adopted a more Paleo way of eating too, and have seen all sorts of health problems disappear, including eliminating acne and other skin problems, digestion problems, improving brain clarity, and of course, losing a lot of body fat!

Answer 4

Depends when he goes to sleep .My son has breakfast and then a main meal at about12:00 and then another big meal at about 5.00 o clock then at about 7.00 a light snack usually warm milk and a biccy..then bed at 8.00.In between he usually snacks on fruit,pitta bread or the odd biscuit.KIds are pretty active and you'll be amazed how much they eat and quickly they can burn it off.On the other hand some days he can live on his breakfast only for most of the day and just have a meal at the end of the day b4 bed..If he's hungry feed him ..

Answer 5

My two year old can be picky. Typically I give him a little banana, cheerios, small waffles, or apples, sometimes yogurt, or oatmeal for breakfast, always small portions neatly arranged hopefully to appeal to him.
He snacks on carrot sticks, popcorn(would eat oreos all day if I let him) which I don't allow often.
Lunch usually is noodles small amount of sauce or chicken breast(no season) fruit (apple or banana) banana chips are a favorite, broccoli, peas or corn.
Milk or water to drink
Dinner same as lunch items noodles and sauce or small portions of what we maybe having, I try to always offer new foods, so he does have options, but he always returns to his favorites.
My older son ate nothing but pretzels for 2 years it seemed the pedi told me he would eat when he waas hungry I offered food, so 10 yrs old now with a good appetite.

Answer 6

Children need snacks to keep them going as they use so much energy bouncing off the walls. I give my 3yr old apples, bananas, grapes, olives, cucumber, cheese, yogurt and yogurt drinks, ham (although high in salt so in moderation) and her favourite - good old bread and butter. Biscuits, crisps and sweets are ok too, as long as they are in moderation.

For meals, just go easy on processed and salt. Lots of spuds, meat (not too lean) and veg. Mince pie is a favourite, with roast spuds and peas.

Answer 7

The same foods that are healthy for you will be healthy for a 3 yr old (unless you have a medical condition). Ask your pediatrition if youre still confused.

Answer 8

I prefer both fruits and fresh vegetables better, however they look and taste. You desire a little of both.

Answer 9

In the event it's a fruit they have seeds, otherwise it's a vegetable. And vegetables are usually grown in the ground while fruits are grown in trees.

Answer 10

These specific nutritional needs translate into the following guidelines for feeding a toddler: Every day serve:

* 2 to 3 cups of milk (milk can take many forms like yogurt, cheese, pudding) Some children are not good milk drinkers and must rely on other foods for their protein. Conversely, other toddlers drink milk to the exclusion of other foods, resulting in deficiencies of iron or other nutrients.
* 4 servings of fruits and vegetables (one tablespoon per year of age is the rule for serving size) One serving should be high in Vitamin C and one should be high in vitamin A.
* 4 servings of bread and cereal, although toddlers are apt to eat more in this department. This is okay so long as it doesn't lead to the exclusion of some other food group. One serving should be of an iron fortified baby cereal. A serving size is about 1/4 to 1/3 an adult portion. e.g 1/4 slice toast, 1/4 cup pasta
* 2 servings of meat, beans, eggs, tofu. A good serving of protein should be fed at every meal. One serving equals 1 /2 ounce.

A meal should provide protein, bread or cereal, fruit or vegetable or both, and milk.

1. Protein: A minimum of 16 grams a day. 6 ounces of milk plus one ounce of meat is ample protein for a toddler.
2. Fat: At least 30 percent of a toddler's calories should come from fat. Too little can result in "failure to thrive" where children do not get enough food to supply their energy and growth needs.
3. Calories: 40 calories/day/inch of height = 1000 to 1300 calories/day.

Calorie distribution is apt to look like this:

16 g Protein = 64 calories
44 g Fat = 396 calories
210 g Carbohydrate = 840 calories
Total = 1300 calories

Sodium: 325 to 1000 mg.
Vitamin C: 40 mg.
Vitamin A: 400 ug RE
Calcium: 800 mg. If a child drinks the recommended 2 cups of milk a day he still needs 200 more milligrams of calcium. Offer yogurt, cheese. tofu, and leafy greens.
Iron: 10 mg.
Zinc: 10 mg. A mild zinc deficiency is more common than realized in toddlers. Symptoms are poor appetite, suboptimal growth and reduced sense of taste and smell The best sources are meat, eggs and seafood.
Folate: 50 ug

The last four are nutrients showing up as the most frequent nutritional inadequacies of toddlers.



Initial rejection of a new food by your child shouldn't be interpreted as reflecting a fixed and persistent dislike of the food. He needs many more chances to give the food a try. Only after several exposures will he learn the food is safe to eat. When after several occasions of tasting the food in which it is not followed by something negative ... like nausea or vomiting, he learns the food is okay. However, even one experience of lousy gastrointestinal consequences can cause a long-term rejection of a food.

Knowing this, your most successful tactic for offering new foods would be a schedule that includes a couple of opportunities a week to sample the new food. Do not coerce your child to eat it, but set up the expectation you expect him to at least taste it. Always allow him to spit it out if he wants. The policy of at least tasting the new food is important to establish in late infancy before the strong sense of autonomy and independence of the toddler age takes hold. Although just being around the food does help, only tasting it leads to ultimate acceptance. Never force him to eat it though. That approach, although maybe successful in the present, will backfire in the long run.

Try making dessert a food you feel good about your toddler eating, irregardless of what he has or has not eaten ahead of time. The dessert should make a positive nutritional contribution to the meal. Instead of icecream, serve a pudding made with skim milk, like rice pudding. Serve fruit salad or a fruit and yogurt 'sundae' instead of pie If it's cookies, make them whole grain oatmeal. Allow them to eat dessert first if they want.
Other little things you can do to help encourage your toddler to eat are:

* present new foods at least twice a week
* offer new foods along with old favorites
* serve small, toddler size portions, too much on the plate can make him feel overwhelmed
* foods should be easy to chew, toddlers can't chew tough things
* food should be bite size
* toddlers like colorful foods
* try changing the venue of his meals- serve lunch in the playhouse, snack as an afternoon tea party
* toddlers enjoy playing with their food, it is a part of learning about it, within reason allow this to happen
* let them help in food preparation
* grow a vegetable garden
* make food attractive, arrange food in the shape of an animal, a face, etc.
* offer limited choices. e.g ask "Do you want orange juice or apple juice?" instead of "What do you want to drink?"
* eat as a family as much as possible. Kids learn by imitating what they see.
* help ensure that they come to the table hungry, don't use food to cure boredom or as a pacifier.

Waitrose do a great little healthy meal planner for toddlers:
www.waitrose.com/food_drink/nutrition/healthyeatingforchildren/1to3menuplanners.asp

Answer 11

many different kinds or fruit. Don't even get started with the sugar and white flour thing! It is too hard to get away from it once the body has a taste or craving for it.