Chasing Babies... Growing in Grace: A 2 Year Old Look at Nutrition and Serving Sizes

Thursday, December 11, 2008

A 2 Year Old Look at Nutrition and Serving Sizes

Now that Tornado is 2, I find myself wondering what, if any, changes I need to make in his diet. We've taken some time to look at nutrition for young toddlers (though not as much as I intended), but what about now? I found the following at Wholesome Toddler Food. Check out their site... it's full of info!

What is Considered a Serving Size for a Toddler?

A good rule for serving sizes for toddlers is the following::

1 tablespoon per year of age or

1/4 of an adult serving per year of age!

At the next meal, use these measurements exactly and see for yourself how little food a Toddler should actually be eating. We bet you will be quite surprised!

How Much Should I Try to Have my Toddler Eat per Day?

When planning and serving meals to your toddler, try to have him/or her consume the following on a daily basis

2 to 3 cups of calcium - milk (or yogurt, cheese or other calcium rich foods).

4 servings of fruits and vegetables. (Serving size: one tablespoon per year of age.) One serving should be high in vitamin C and another in vitamin A.

4 servings of grains - bread and cereal. One should be an iron-fortified baby cereal. A serving is about 1/4 to 1/3 an adult portion (1/4 slice toast, 1/4 cup pasta).

2 servings of proteins - meat, beans, eggs, tofu, or peanut butter. A good serving of protein should be served at every meal. One serving equals 1/2 ounce. Courtesy of Parent'sPlace Nutritionist Q&A.

Hope this is helpful! Now I guess we're doing 2 tablespoons for each serving! :)

Labels: In the Kitchen, Nutrition for Toddlers

6 Comments:

At December 12, 2008 at 3:25 PM , lafondsi said...: Wow, thanks for the great info. My daughter eats well, but sometimes I worry she's not eating enough. According to this I think we are doing just fine!
At December 12, 2008 at 11:12 PM , Laura said...: Thanks! This was so helpful!
At December 15, 2008 at 9:04 AM , Dawn said...: Oh my...the boys eat more than that!!! According to their growth, they're not even close to overweight (even looking at them you'd know that). But they eat quite a bit -- a lunch can include a whole pbj, goldfish, half a banana, and milk...pretty much what I eat! And half the time, Judah asks for more.

Can you imagine what my food bill will be in 10 years???
At December 30, 2011 at 4:54 PM , Kristin said...: This is really helpful! Thank you!
At July 18, 2012 at 12:32 PM , Anonymous said...: You named your kid Tornado?
At July 18, 2012 at 7:56 PM , ~Babychaser~ said...: So glad everyone found use here.

Anonymous, My kids names are private... I've chosen nick names for them here on my blog. I was picking nick names when my oldest was a toddler and my mom had just visited and mentioned that he was like a little tornado moving through a room wherever he went. Now my current toddler deserves the name more, but I've left it the way it is. :)

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Chasing Babies... Growing in Grace

Thursday, December 11, 2008

A 2 Year Old Look at Nutrition and Serving Sizes

6 Comments:

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