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Tiny Bites, Big Nutritional Needs
Exploring a Toddler's Dietary Requirements
By Katherine Bontrager
"Toddlers need a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and protein just as adults do," says Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the National Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
"Toddlers, 2 to 3 years old, can get their nutrition needs met by following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," Sandon says. "Also, MyPyramid for this age group recommends 6 1-ounce servings of grains per day with most of those grains coming from whole grains; 1 cup of fruit; 1 1/2 cups vegetables; 2 cups milk/yogurt or 4 ounces cheese; and 6 ounces meat/poultry or other protein such as beans, peanut butter or eggs. Make sure you limit the use of concentrated sweets, sweetened beverages and extra fats."
Another necessity are nutrients that play key roles in a toddler's brain development, says Bridget Swinney, a registered dietician and author of Baby Bites: Everything You Need to Know About Feeding Your Baby and Toddler in One Handy Book (Meadowbrook Press, 2007).
"Brain growth continues at a fast pace during the toddler years and a few nutrients are important for that," Swinney says. "The type of fat in a child's diet is very important for many reasons. Omega-3 fats are one of the main building blocks of brain tissue. Toddlers need omega-3 fats like DHA that are found in salmon and DHA-fortified eggs. There are also vegetarian forms of omega-3, such as flax seed, canola oil and walnuts."
But trans-fats can negatively affect the use of omega-3s, Swinney says, so toddlers should have limited fried foods and processed bakery goods containing hydrogenated oils. "For the same reason, toddlers shouldn't have to much saturated fat – most get this from whole milk. At age 2, toddlers should switch to low-fat or skim milk and have additional vegetable fat (canola oil, olive oil, avocado) instead."