Feeding a toddler

Toddler is a child of age 12 months to 36 months. As the child completes  1 year his eating habits change. As the child starts crawling and walking he becomes busy exploring his world. Growth pattern changes after  1 year .While the baby tripled his birth weight in the first year, he will gain only 1.5 kg to 3 kg in the second year. 1)Breastfeed as often as the child wants till complete 2 years. 2) After your child is 1 year old, milk either buffaloes or cows, should be given to the toddler about 1-3 times with the introduction of foods made for the family in terms of taste as well as consistency. If the child is averse to taking milk, then milk preparations such as curds, paneer, cheese and custards can be given. 3) Introduction of fruits like bananas, apples, and pears is important as they contain the necessary vitamins and minerals. If the child prefers fresh fruit juices, avoid artificial sweetening with sugar. Canned fruits and juices are not advisable as they contain excess sugar and preservatives. 4) Offer food from the family pot 5) The child should be given all types of vegetables, preferably the green, red and yellow ones. They should never be overcooked and the vegetables can be mashed and given with chappatis or rice 6) Give at least 1 1/2 katori serving at a time of mashed roti/rice/ bread mixed in thick dal or khichri with added ghee or oil 7) Add cooked vegetables in the servings 8) Mashed roti/rice/bread/biscuit mixed in sweetened undiluted milk, or sevian, dalia, halwa or kheer prepared in milk or any cereal porridge cooked in milk 9) Mashed boiled/ fried potatoes 10) Certain high protein foods like pulses, dals and grains should also be added in the diet. Sprouted grains and moong are very nutritious. 11) Egg is very nutritious and 1 whole egg per day can be given to kids.  12) In a non-vegetarian family mashed chicken or fish can be given to kids with roti or rice. 13) There should be 5 servings per day 14) Offer banana, biscuit, cheeku, mango or papaya as snacks in between the servings  15) Avoid giving chocolates, cold drinks, coffee and snacky food to the child as they contain chemicals and caffeine which are harmful to the child. Besides these kinds of filler foods ruins the child's appetite for nutritious food. 16) By the time the toddler is 18 months old, allow him to participate in family meals and make him aware of basic food behavior and the use of a fork and spoon.  17) Try to give attractive plates, cups and spoons to your child.This is because the toddlers do not have much interest in their food, as they are too busy exploring their own world.   18) Good hygiene and proper food handling should be practiced to prevent children from infections and malnutrition.  19) Simple hygiene practices include: (i) washing hands before food preparation and eating, (ii) serving freshly cooked foods (cooked food should not be kept for more than 2-3 hr), (iii) using clean utensils, (iv) covering food properly, and (v) avoiding use of feeding bottles. 20) The toddler becomes a picky eater and very often just pushes food away. They will eat only when they are hungry. 21) Feeding the infants and children should be an active, engaging and interactive affair. 22) Often the food is left in front of the child to eat. This approach is not appropriate.  23) Parents should actively engage with the child in feeding, making the child sit in the lap and feeding him affectionately in small portions with spoon or with small morsels. 24) The older child is coaxed and encouraged to finish the desired amount of food. 25) Remember: Sit by the side of child and help him to finish the serving; wash your child's hands with soap and water every time before feeding 26) For kids above 2 years offer family meal 3 times a day and give nutritious snacks like banana, mango, papaya , biscuits in between the meals.