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Does your toddler complain of weakness? Does he appear dull? Does he fall sick often? If you nodded along to these questions, your toddler might be suffering from a nutritional deficiency or improper and unhealthy eating habits. Read our post to find out what is a balanced diet for toddlers.
What Is A Balanced Diet For A Toddler?
A balanced diet is highly beneficial for health and well-being of your toddlers. A balanced diet consists of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates and it meets the daily caloric needs of your toddler. Your toddler needs around 50% of calorie requirements from carbohydrates, 30% from the fats, and 20% from the proteins. As a parent, you need to ensure that your little one eats food from all the food groups here.
[ Read: High Calorie Foods For Toddlers ]
Nutrients To Include In The Balanced Diet:
Here, we list the major nutrients to include in the toddler balanced diet.
1. Carbohydrates:
Toddlers need the right amounts of carbohydrates for enough energy. Including whole grain foods like bread, cereals, and pasta, in your toddler’s so that they get their daily dose of carbohydrates (1).
2. Proteins:
Proteins are the quintessential nutrient for growth, muscle building and repair, and building antibodies. Include foods like fatty fish, dairy products and eggs in your toddler’s diet (2),
[ Read: Healthy Foods For Toddlers ]
3. Calcium:
Calcium is extremely necessary for strong bones. Include calcium-rich foods, such as cheese, yogurt, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and collard green, in your toddler’s regular diet. Adding these calcium rich foods will prevent the development of calcium deficiency in your toddlers (3).
4. Vitamins:
Vitamins are quite necessary for normal functioning of the body. Vitamins help boost your toddler’s immune system, promotes growth and development, aid the functioning of the cells and various organs. Vitamin A is necessary for good vision. Vitamin C acts as an immune booster and supports brain functioning. Vitamin D is necessary for effective calcium absorption. So include various vitamin rich foods in your toddler’s diet to help him have good health (4).
[ Read: Nutritious Snacks For Toddlers ]
5. Other nutrients:
Besides carbohydrates, calcium, proteins, and vitamins, your toddler needs the appropriate amounts of iron, amino acids, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to be healthy. Include iron-rich foods, amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids in your toddler’s diet to reduce the risk of nutritional deficiencies (5).
[ Read: Iron Rich Foods For Toddlers ]
Balanced Diet Chart For Toddlers:
Here is a diet chart that displays essential foods for toddlers with the right serving size and amount of daily serving. Parents need to choose one or two foods from each food group for their toddlers.
| Food Group | Foods Example | Serving Size | Daily Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grains | Rice PastaBreadCerealRollsWheat BiscuitNoodles | 1 cup ½ – 1 cup1 or 2 slices½ – 1 cup½ – 1 roll1½ cup | Four servings for toddlers |
| Fruits | Berries ApricotsDatesOrangesPeachesGrapesMangoesPineapplesBananasMelons | A quarter cup of dried fruits, 6-ounce fruit juice, ½ a cup of frozen raw fruits | Two servings for toddlers |
| Vegetables | Cooked veggies CauliflowerMedium potatoCarrot (sliced)SpinachBroccoliTomatoSalad | Half a cup cooked vegetables and one cup raw, leafy vegetables | Two servings for toddlers |
| Lean Proteins | Fish EggsDried beansLentilsPeasPeanut butter | 1 medium filet Cooked beans ¾ cupCooked lentils ¾ cupCooked peas ¾ cup1 tablespoon | Half serving for toddlers |
| Dairy Products | Milk CheeseYogurtCustard | 250 ml 40 gms200 gms250 ml | One serving for toddlers |
| Fats and Oils | Low-fat mayonnaise Soft margarineLight salad dressingVegetable oils | 1 tablespoon1 tablespoon1 tablespoon1 tablespoon | One serving for toddlers |
Including these nutritious foods in your toddler’s diet will balance your diet and prevent the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Consult your pediatrician to create a custom diet for your little one.
We hope you found our post on balanced diet chart for toddlers useful? Do you have any suggestions? Tell us below.
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