Healthy eating habits and healthy snacks
A healthy and balanced diet consists of foods from various food groups. Try to eat something from each group for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Children first learn from family members about food and nutrition. This usually happens indirectly through individual family members' attitudes and behavior towards dietary concerns and through foods that are frequently on the table. Parents set an example and can therefore influence their children's diet both positively and negatively. Toddlers also need a lot of energy during the growth phase and therefore a wide range of additional nutrients.
The amounts that toddlers eat vary from child to child. Some eat more or less than average and still develop normally. The amount also varies from day to day and from meal to meal. The stomach is still small, which limits the amount of food that children can eat at one time. For this reason, a diet with nutrient-rich foods and small but frequent meals is very important. In general, portion sizes are getting bigger and bigger in line with growth. Basically, you can use the following amount: three meals and two to three snacks a day.
food groups
- bread, cereals, rice, pasta, couscous, potatoes
Serve with every meal and as a snack in between meals. Offer a mix of white and whole grain breads and cereals. - fruits and vegetables
Serve with every meal and as a snack. Offer around five servings a day.- Set a good example by eating fruits and vegetables yourself. Involve your child in choosing varieties.
- Arrange vegetables and fruits beautifully on a plate. Serve fruits and vegetables of different colors, cut them into pieces for a change, or serve them on a specially beautiful plate.
- milk, cheese and yogurt
About three servings a day. Full fat varieties are best for toddlers.- Milk for toddlers (also known as children's milk, junior milk or growth milk) is special milk with balanced nutrients that was developed for children from the first year of life.
- Meat, fish, eggs and vegetarian alternatives such as legumes and lentils
About two servings a day. It is useful to eat fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna) once or twice a week.
Choose low-salt and unsweetened foods in particular. Maintain regular family dinners, a healthy eating culture, and healthy snacking.
Healthy snacks
Here are a few examples of healthy snacks that are easy to prepare:
- whole grain muesli or porridge with milk
You can also prepare these dishes with nutrient-rich baby or junior milk. This makes it easier for you to optimally meet your child's daily nutritional requirements. - Fresh fruit
Have a bowl of fresh fruit handy. You can also offer your little one apple slices, orange wedges, half a banana, a small bowl of grapes, or a handful of mixed berries. - fruit shakes
Add half a banana, a quarter cup of milk and a handful of berries to your blender — your delicious, nutrient-rich shake is ready. You can also add yogurt and use frozen fruit. - veggies
Keep vegetables such as peas and baby carrots handy in the refrigerator at all times. Cherry tomatoes are also a good choice. Fresh vegetables such as cooked, sliced carrots or green beans and steamed broccoli or cauliflower are nutrient-rich treats. Or prepare a crunchy snack — bake vegetable chips from carrots, beetroots, or sweet potatoes. - smoothies
Milk or yoghurt-based fruit smoothies, or yoghurt with soft, fresh fruit. - Dips
Let your child experiment with their favorite foods. It should mix them and dip them into different dips, explore and just have fun doing it. For example, pita bread with one or two tablespoons of humus or spinach dip. Strawberries and apple slices, for example, go perfectly with creamy yoghurt. - ricotta
Serve cottage cheese in a small bowl with sliced, fresh fruit, or mix peas and carrots into it. - Popsicles
Make your own popsicles. To do this, mix milk or yogurt with some fruit and put it in the freezer. - cheeses
Small cubes of cheese with whole grain crackers. - muffins
A small wholegrain muffin with fresh fruit. - crackers
Brush whole grain crackers, rice crackers, or thin toast with nut or seed butter or a crushed avocado.
liquids
Water is the cornerstone of all our bodily functions. It is the most abundant substance in the body. On average, water makes up 60 percent of our body weight.
Children can drink normal water throughout the day to meet their daily hydration needs. But they also absorb water when they drink other drinks, such as milk and 100 percent fruit juice. Around 20 percent of their daily water intake comes from foods with a high moisture/water content, such as juicy fruits and vegetables or soups.
International recommendations for fluid intake vary widely. The European recommendation is 1100 — 1300 ml of liquid (water + drinks + liquid from food) per day for children between one and three years of age.
As with all of us, children's daily fluid requirements increase in warm or hot weather, or when your child is more physically active than usual. If your child's urine is nearly colorless, the hydration level is likely sufficient. If the urine is yellowish, your child needs to drink a little more to meet their daily needs.
- For kids of all ages, water (no calories, no nutrients) and milk are the best choices.
- Milk provides important nutrients such as protein and calcium. Calcium is significantly involved in healthy bone formation. Young children are in the midst of this critical growth phase and are therefore particularly dependent on calcium up to the age of around 20 years. Only then is maximum bone density achieved.
- You can also serve your child a special baby milk (growth milk, junior milk) that is rich in important nutrients, including calcium.
- Avoid sweetened drinks. Sugary soft drinks and fruit juices provide unnecessary calories. They lead to tooth decay, weight problems, and obesity. Children who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of developing serious health problems. Childhood obesity can continue into adulthood.
- Fruit juice (without added sugar) is suitable in small quantities as it contains nutrients such as vitamin C.
