Meal Planning for Toddlers

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Meal Planning for Toddlers
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Feeding the Toddler

• Self-feedingfor one-year-old---finger-foods,
  variety, use of spoon, training cup
• Two-year old----fine motor skills are improving,
  eat with spoon and fork, eat with other family
  members, but can be allowed to get up from table
  when they are finished due to short attention
  span
• Three-year old----full set of primary teeth and
  can chew most foods, meat and tough foods should
  still be cut

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Feeding the Toddler

• Children from age one to two years eat about ? to
  ½ of an adult portion.
• Food preferences change from day to day
• Food should not be used as a reward or as a
  punishment.
• Food habits acquired during early years follow
  them into adulthood.
• Microwave food safety Expect temperature
  extremes of hot and cold, to prevent hot spots,
  stir prior to serving
• Foods that may cause choking should be avoided
  (grapes, hotdogs, peanuts, popcorn, round hard
  candy)
• Be aware of food allergies that may become
  evident during this time.

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• Children 2 to 3 years of age need the same
  variety of foods as 4- to 6-year-olds but may
  need fewer calories. Offer them smaller amounts.
• A good estimate of a serving for a 2- to
  3-year-old is about 1/2 of what counts as a
  regular serving.
• Younger children often eat small portions.
  Offering smaller servings and allowing them to
  ask for more, satisfies their hunger and does not
  waste food.

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BUILD A PYRAMID
WHAT COUNTS AS ONE My Pyramid SERVING?

• Each of the portions listed in the five major
  food groups below counts as one My Pyramid
  serving for anyone over 4 years of age.
• When counting servings, smaller portions count as
  part of a serving and larger portions count as
  more than one serving.
• Two- to 6-year-old children need a total of 2
  servings from the milk group each day.
• Offer whole or mixed grain products for at least
  three of the six grain group choices for the day

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GRAIN GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers (6 servings
each day)

• WHOLE GRAIN
• ¼ to ? cup cooked brown rice
• 1 to 2 graham cracker squares
• 2 to 4 whole grain crackers
• ¼-½ cup cooked oatmeal
• ¼-? cup ready-to-eat whole grain cereal
• ¼ -½ slice pumpernickel, rye, or whole wheat
  bread
• ½ 7-inch corn tortilla

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ENRICHED - GRAIN GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers

• ¼ to ½ 4-inch pita bread
• 1 4-inch pancake
• ¼ to ? cup cooked grits
• ¼ to ? cup cooked farina/other cereal
• ¼ to ? cup ready-to-eat, non-sugar-coated cereal
• ½ 7-inch flour tortilla

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ENRICHED - GRAIN GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers

• ¼ to ? cup cooked rice or pasta
• ¼ to ? cup cooked spaghetti
• ¼ to ½ English muffin or bagel
• ¼ to ½ slice white, wheat, French or Italian
  bread
• ¼ to ½ hamburger or hot dog bun
• 2 to 3 crackers (saltine size)

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Grain Products with More Fat and Sugars

• ½ small biscuit or muffin
• 1 small piece cornbread
• ? medium doughnut
• 6 animal crackers
• 2 small cookies

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VEGETABLE GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers (3 servings
each day)

• DARK-GREEN LEAFY
• ¼ - ½ cup cooked collard greens
• ½ - 1 cup leafy raw vegetables Romaine lettuce,
  spinach, or mixed green salad
• 1-2 cooked broccoli spears
• ¼ - ½ cup cooked turnip greens,
• kale, or mustard greens
• DEEP-YELLOW
• ¼ - ½ cups carrots, cooked
• ¼ - ½ cup winter squash

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VEGETABLE GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers (3
servings each day)
OTHER 1/3 small cucumber 6 raw snow or sugar
pea pods ¼ - ½ cup cooked green beans 2 medium
Brussels sprouts 4 slices raw summer squash ¼ -
½ cup coleslaw ¼ - ½ cup cooked cabbage 2-5
celery sticks (3 long) ¼ - ½ cup tomato or
spaghetti sauce ¼ - ½ cup vegetable juice ¼ - ½
cup vegetable soup 1 small tomato 3 cherry
tomatoes

• STARCHY
• 7 French fries, regular size
• 1 baked potato, small
• ¼ - ½ cup potato salad
• ¼ - ½ cup green peas
• ¼ - ½ cup lima beans
• 1 small plantain
• DRY BEANS PEAS
• ¼ - ½ cup cooked black, kidney, pinto, or
  garbanzo beans, or black-eyed peas
• ¼ - ½ cup cooked lentils
• ½ -2/3 cup bean soup
• ¼ - ½ cup cooked split peas

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FRUIT GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers (2 servings each
day)

• CITRUS, MELONS, BERRIES
• ¼ - ½ cup blueberries or raspberries
• 1/4 medium cantaloupe
• ¼ - ½ cup 100 citrus juice (orange)
• grapefruit half
• 1/8 small honeydew
• 1 small kiwifruit
• ½ medium orange
• 4 medium strawberries
• ½ medium tangerine
• ¼ - ½ cup watermelon pieces

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FRUIT GROUP CHOICES for Toddlers (2 servings each
day)

• OTHER
• ½ medium apple, banana,
• peach, or nectarine
• 1 medium apricots
• ¼ - ½ cup applesauce
• 1½ canned pineapple slices
• ½ medium mango
• ¼ medium papaya
• ½ small pear
• ¼ - ½ cup cut-up fresh, canned or cooked fruit

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• Many juice beverages are not 100 juice. Check
  the ingredient listing to make sure youre
  getting all juice without added sugars such as
  corn syrup.

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Whole Milk for Toddlers

• Milk is important in a toddler's diet because
  it provides calcium and vitamin D. Calcium and
  vitamin D help build strong bones.
• Whole milk is the preferred milk choice for
  children under two years of age because it
  provides dietary fats needed for normal growth
  and brain development.

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For this amount of food . . . Count this number of Milk Group servings
½ to ¾ cup whole milk 1
½ cup soy milk, calcium fortified 1
½ cup skim milk 1/2
½ cup 2 milk 1
1/2 cup yogurt (4 ounces) 1
1 ounce natural cheese 1
1 ounce of processed cheese 1
½ ounce string cheese 2/3
½ cup cottage cheese 1/4
½ cup ice cream 1/3
½ cup frozen yogurt 1/2
½ cup pudding 1/2
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MEAT GROUP CHOICES (2 servings each day)

• Two to three ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry,
  or fish equals one serving from this group.
• Amounts from this food group should total 5
  ounces a day for 4- to 6-year-olds and about 3 ½
  ounces a day for 2- to 3-year-olds.
• Count 1 egg or 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans as 1
  ounce of lean meat. Count 2 tablespoons peanut
  butter as 1 ounce of meat.

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For this amount of food . . . Count this amount of Meat Group servings
2 ounces cooked poultry or fish 2 ounces
2 ounces cooked lean meat 2 ounces
1 egg (yolk and white) 1 ounces
2 tablespoons peanut butter 1 ounces
1 ½ frankfurters (2 ounces) 1 ounces
2 slices bologna or luncheon meat (2 ounces) 1 ounces
¼ cup drained canned salmon or tuna 1 ounces
½ cup cooked kidney, pinto, or white beans 1 ounces
½ cup tofu 1 ounces
1 soy burger patty 1 ounces
May cause choking in 2- to 3-year-old children.
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Foods to Avoid

• Toddlers can have foods that have been withheld
  as an infant (whole milk, citrus fruits, whole
  eggs).
• Childcare providers should watch for allergic
  reactions when offering any new food. The child's
  doctor should be informed of close family members
  who suffer from food allergies.
• It is better to delay introducing foods commonly
  associated with food allergies, such as peanuts
  and seafood.
• Avoid foods that could present choking hazards,
  like popcorn, hard candies, hot dogs, raw
  vegetables and hard fruits, whole grapes,
  raisins, and nuts.

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Variety of textures in a meal

• Children need to experience a variety of textures
  in a meal such as soft, like bananas, and mushy,
  like applesauce.

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Variety of shapes

• Toddlers should be offered foods of different
  shapes.

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• Children should be supervised at all times when
  eating.