While children know how much they should eat, it’s the parents’ job to decide what they eat—and stick to it. Caring for toddlers is not easy, and many parents use food as a bargaining tool to mollify a demanding child or as a bribe in a dispute. This tactic usually results in a child who eats lots of candy, cookies, and soda in place of foods that have nutrients they need.
Thriving in the Second Year 57
Table 4.1Feeding Guidelines for Toddlers Aged One to Two FOOD GROUPTOTAL AMOUNT PER DAYSERVING SIZES AND FOOD SOURCES Milk and milk substitutes4 servings (same as 2 cups milk)•1⁄2cup whole, low-fat, skim, or chocolate milk, or 1⁄2cup calcium-fortified soy milk •1⁄2cup yogurt, 1 ounce cheese, 1⁄2cup custard or pudding, 1 slice cheese pizza, or 2 tablespoons powdered milk Meat, fish, poultry, peanut butter, 2 servings with total •1 ounce is 1 egg; 1 slice cheese; 1⁄2cup cooked dried beans, cooked or dried beans, and other 31⁄2ounces a daypeas, or lentils; 2 tablespoons peanut butter; 1 slice turkey or protein foodslean meat; 2 slices luncheon meat; 1 hot dog; 1 slice small cheese pizza; 1⁄4cup cottage cheese; 1⁄4cup drained tuna; 1⁄2cup tofu; or 1 soy burger patty •3 ounces is 1⁄2chicken breast or 1 leg or thigh, or 1 piece meat or fish the size and thickness of a deck of cards Grains: breads, cereals, rice, 4 to 6 servings•1 serving is 1 slice bread; 1⁄2bagel; 1⁄2English muffin; pasta, and other starches1 small biscuit, roll, or muffin; 6 crackers; 1⁄2hamburger bun; 1⁄2hot dog bun; 1⁄2cup cooked rice or pasta; 1⁄2cup cooked cereal; 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal •Suggestion: look for cereals with whole grains and whole-wheat versions of pasta and bread products Fruits2 servings•1 serving is 1⁄2 piece fresh fruit, or 1⁄4to 1⁄2cup canned fruit •Suggestions: oranges, berries, melons, apricots, nectarines, peaches, tangerines, banana slices Vegetables3 servings•1 serving is 1⁄2cup fresh or canned vegetables •Suggestions: tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, spinach, carrots, peas, beans, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli
It’s no wonder that many kids learn to love sweets and other junk food and to do whatever they can to get more of them. They may also learn to associate junk foods with a feeling of independence and power over their parents, and feel they are being punished when they eat healthful things. Kids can’t be expected to make good choices for themselves; parents have the responsibility to determine which foods are appropriate and which aren’t, even in the face of some heavy opposition.
As toddlers increasingly assert their independence, it may help to offer some limited choices so that the mealtime decisions seem a little more democratic. Offer-ing children a choice between two different healthful foods can be more produc-tive than simply staking arguments over healthful foods versus junk foods.
In planning meals and choosing snacks, strive for variety, just as you did with weaning foods. Offer a sampling of lots of different kinds of foods, but not just the leftovers from adult meals—make it a point to serve the kinds of foods you’d like to become part of your child’s regular diet. Take advantage of this window of time to make your child’s taste experiences an adventure rather than a rut.
Thriving in the Second Year 59
Handling the Joys and Jags of Toddlerhood
As babies become toddlers, many will experience food “jags” in which they suddenly favor one food exclusively over another. Parents often become alarmed, especially if they have been striving to provide a varied diet and now struggle to get their child to eat more than three or four favorite foods.
This is one of the mysterious and absolutely normal quirks of toddlerhood, and shouldn’t worry you too much. Keep up some gentle pressure to add other foods to your child’s diet;
strike a deal that he can have his favorites as long as he eats a few bites of other foods that you choose. Or try to find a compromise food that might have similar appeal but offer bet-ter nutrition. Encourage your child to try a few bites of a new food by putting just a spoonful or so on the tray.
Eventually, most toddlers lose these obsessions and relent to trying new things again.
Children who persist in picky eating may need to get a vitamin and mineral supplement if the foods they eat don’t cover all their nutritional bases. For instance, if meat is not among the select favorites, your child could be at risk for an iron and zinc deficiency—consider a daily supplement at an age-appropriate dose. Breakfast cereals that are fortified with vita-mins and minerals are also good—and usually acceptable—food choices for picky eaters.
Eat, Play, and Be Healthy 60
Obviously, as kids get older it becomes harder to control all the decisions about what they eat. But for now, your role is to give your child the best nutrition possi-ble, even if that means standing firm in the face of opposition. It also may mean taking an active role in determining what your child is served at any day-care ser-vices you use. Find out what kinds of foods they give to kids, and if it’s not accept-able, consider preparing your own foods or ask that changes be made.