What foods for toddlers?

Summary The toddler years (12–36 months) are a period of changing nutritional requirements and food intake. As a time of considerable growth and development, they are crucial not only to the health of the toddler, but also to his or her later health. Toddlers need a relatively energy-dense diet to meet their needs for growth and activity, but also adequate micronutrients to guard against iron deficiency, rickets and growth faltering. Healthy eating habits in toddlerhood can be the basis for lifelong healthy eating, including the prevention of obesity, diabetes and dental caries. Parents and carers need clear and consistent advice, and healthcare professionals need access to evidence-based information and best practice in order to support them. It goes without saying that ‘healthy eating’ is a good thing. But just what do we mean by this term? The food we eat serves a number of functions, and these differ at different stages of life. Healthy eating for the newborn means the mother's breastmilk. It provides all the energy and nutrients that the baby needs for the first 6 months – to maintain basal metabolism, to meet energy needs for growth and activity, and to replenish and expand its nutrient stores. Early infancy is a period of rapid growth of the body (the newborn doubles its weight in 3 months) and many of its organ systems (particularly the brain), and there comes a time when rising energy and nutrient demands cannot be met by breastmilk alone. Complementary (weaning) foods are needed and, by one year, most babies will be taking an increasing amount of their diet as ‘solids’, which will encompass a widening range of foods and drinks, taken by cup, by spoon, by hand, in mixtures, combinations and alone. The word ‘toddler’ broadly covers the second and third years, when the baby gets onto its feet, begins to achieve independence, and starts mixing with other children in nursery or play school. This is a period of growth, development and maturation, which is critical not just for the toddler's health, but also because it is part of a continuum that can influence health in later life (Weaver 2001). It is also a period of anxiety and concern (tantrums, sleeplessness, accidents, teething, potty training), and for many parents, particularly with their first child, it is a steep learning curve. The nutritional needs of the toddler change during this time, as it learns to handle different foods, develops a fondness or otherwise for new tastes, and establishes a multi-faceted relationship with what it eats. The feeding of a toddler therefore involves more than just meeting the nutritional needs of its body alone