Healthy meals for kids :2-Year-Olds
You very well may find yourself running head to head with your 2-year-old at the table, but you have plenty of options and steps to take to make mealtime a blast for your youngster and nutritionally balanced to boot.
Throughout this year of your child’s life, you’ll find that she’ll become more and more opinionated about what she’ll eat. She may want only mac and cheese every meal of the day, every day of the week, and she may become hopelessly devoted to peanut butter and crackers. Don’t jump on the phone to call Dr. Phil, though — the pickiness and preference for the same foods over and over are normal. To guide you in your efforts to feed your child the best foods (without losing your sanity!), in this website, we give you the rundown on what’s most important to keep in mind when preparing nutritious meals for a balanced diet, how to cook for your 2-year-old to keep him happy yet healthy, and how to get your little one involved so mealtimes are bonding times as well. To get you started, we give you plenty of tempting recipes that help you and yours get over this nutritional hump.
The Great Balancing Act: Mealtimes versus Your Sanity
Because you’re likely to have your hands full with your 2-year-old child, you may find it difficult to focus on the types of foods you serve your tot as well as the amounts you feed him — you may end up in situations where you’re tempted to slide a box of cookies his way, just to keep him happy and fed. But fret you shouldn’t — this section tells you all you need to know about feeding your 2-year-old so you know what to expect and how to entice your growing child with the right amounts of healthy foods, all the while maintaining your sanity.
Welcome to the land of small meals and snacks
Small meals and snacks are likely becoming the norm for your 2-year-old — your toddler prefers several small meals a day at this point, as she’s not quite ready for the three-meal-a-day plan. In fact, eating three smaller meals a day and nutritious snacks in-between is healthiest for adults as well, but we tend to eat three larger meals in order to manage our time and lives better. Your toddler, however, eats when he’s hungry, which tends to be every few hours.
During this stage of life, you should continue offering three balanced meals per day with balanced, healthy snacks in-between. Keep in mind that young children play hard, so they burn a lot of energy and may suddenly seem to be starving to death. This is why balanced meals with healthy snacks are so important.
Figuring out mealtime foods and portion sizes
One of the questions that parents often face with children who are 2 years old is “How much do I give my child in a typical meal?” Your child doesn’t need as much as you may think, but it’s important to give the right amount.
Giving too little food may cause your child to finish mealtime with a tummy that’s not quite full, which means she’ll be ready for another mini-meal in an hour or two. Too much, and your child may become overwhelmed with the amount of food on her plate and then won’t want to eat at all. We had this issue with our youngest daughter. If her plate was too full, even with foods that she liked, she tended not to eat well. A full plate is overwhelming to some kids, so keep this point in mind as you make your child’s plate.
Food portions
Remembering how much food to provide your toddler at mealtime is as easy as following the “1⁄3 cup rule,” which is also recommended by the USDA’s MyPyramid for Kids. Generally, 1⁄3 cup of any dish is enough to satisfy your child’s hunger and his nutritional requirements. If he child wants more, you can always give him an additional portion after he’s eaten his initial serving — keep in mind, though, that seconds should usually be half of 1⁄3 cup, because most of the time your youngster’s tummy will be almost full after the initial serving.
Don’t get in the habit of giving your child too much food or he’ll get in the habit of eating everything. Naturally, this behavior can lead to obesity. At this stage in the game, portion control becomes important.
Beverage portions
In addition to keeping track of the quantity and types of food you’re giving your child, you also need to monitor drinking habits. Because your child is so active, she’s likely to act like a camel at this age, meaning she’ll tank up on liquid before or during the meal, especially if you serve juice or some other drink your child likes. The end result: Your child fills up on liquid instead of eating food, which means her nutritional needs won’t be met, and she’ll also be hungry again sooner.
To avoid filling up on liquid before mealtime, limit your child’s drinks to water the hour before a meal — she’s less likely to overfill on water than on sugary (and tasty!) juice. Don’t worry about how much water you give — your child can’t drink too much water!
Ensuring nutritional balance
Like growing children of any age, 2-year-olds have some specific nutritional needs, but you’ll also find that a well-balanced diet for a 2-year-old is much the same as a well-balanced diet for adults. Strike a balance between protein, grains, vegetables, and dairy. If you’re wondering what your child needs per day in terms of servings, keep these handy points in mind:
- Grains: 4 to 6 servings of bread, cereals, or starches, such as 1⁄2 cup brown rice, cereal, or a slice of whole-wheat bread. Remember, stick more to whole-wheat products for the best nutritional value.
- Vegetables and fruits: Four to six 1⁄2-cup servings per day. Include a variety of different fruits and veggies.
- Milk or other dairy products: Four 4-to-6-ounce servings; for example, one serving may be a glass of milk or perhaps a 1⁄2 cup of yogurt. At age 2, it’s a good idea to go ahead and move your child to lower fat milk, such as 2 percent.
- Meat and beans: Two 1⁄2-to-1-ounce servings; for example, one serving may be a 1-ounce serving of fish or chicken breast. Your child can have red meat, and you don’t have to over worry about what types of meat you give. However, fish and chicken breast are good choices.
- Fats or oils: 1 to 3 teaspoons per day. This extra category is recommended by the USDA, yet you’re not going to feed your child a teaspoon of oil. if you feed your child a balanced diet because the oil needs will be met within the diet. Just remember that oils, such as olive oils, are a healthy part of the diet and your child will get the oil content
Healthy meals for kids :2-Year-Olds
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