One of the most vital stages in your child’s life is their time as a toddler. Children aged two to three years old are considered toddlers, a significant stage from being dependent infants to a child starting to gain independence. Most physical and psychological milestones happen at this age, so a proper diet is essential to sustain their growing bodies.
So, as a parent, you’d want the best for your child for them to grow as healthily as possible. If you’re a first-time parent, finding the best products that give off calories and other vitamins and minerals can be challenging. Thankfully, sites like myserenitykids.com can assist you in providing the best nutrition for your child.
So, how many calories does your child need? Well, you’re at the right place. We’ll answer this question in this article. So, read on to learn more.
How Many Calories Does A Growing Toddler Need?
You must consider the age, size, and physical activity to know how many calories your toddler needs to consume daily, and no fixed amount applies to every toddler. After their breastfeeding stage as an infant, as stated in Serenity Kids, it’s time to plan soft foods for them. Usually, the recommended amount is between 1,000 and 1,400 calories a day, and these should come from healthy sources and essential food groups such as bread, rice, and potatoes, among others.
Essential Nutrients Toddlers Need
To acquire the needed number of calories and allow your toddler to get the essential nutrients they need, you must carefully plan out their meals. This way, you can be sure they include the five essential nutrients calcium, iron, vitamins D, A, and C. These are essential for their growth and development. Toddlers should consume at least one of each of these nutrients daily.
- Calcium
Calcium helps the body build stronger bones, muscles, and teeth. The toddler age needs the most calcium since they are strengthening their bones and are starting to grow their first set of teeth. It is essential to include foods with calcium every day in their meals. It is recommended that toddlers consume 700mg of this nutrient per day.
The most common source of calcium is, of course, milk. Breastfeeding can successfully meet the amount of calcium a toddler needs. However, if breastfeeding is unavailable, you can opt for other options such as fortified milk, yogurt, cheese, cereals, bread, and legumes. If your child is not a fan of these foods, you can mix them with other foods, such as blending them into fruit smoothies, substituting water for milk for some meals, sprinkling cheese into foods, and other methods to allow them to consume the needed calcium.
- Iron
Iron plays a large part when building hemoglobin, an essential component in our red blood cells. At the same time, this nutrient improves muscle metabolism, nerve development, and cell functioning, which is vital in your toddler’s formative years.
You can acquire iron from foods such as lean meats, eggs, and tofu. Different kinds of seafood can also provide the sufficient iron they need, given that you ensure the child is not allergic to them. Another good source of this is leafy dark green vegetables, which can be tricky when offered to children. Daily, children need at least 7 milligrams of iron per day.
- Vitamin D
Another essential nutrient for your child is Vitamin D, which regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and keeps the bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. Medical experts suggest that toddlers get 600 IU of vitamin D each day, which can be acquired through healthy foods you can prepare for their meals.
These foods include fortified milk, fish oil, salmon, sardines, and egg yolk. You can prepare these as soft foods that can be easy to ingest by your toddler or mix them with other foods if they do not like to eat them as a standalone meal.
- Vitamin A
One of the most vital body parts that develop in a person’s childhood is their eyes, especially for toddlers. Vitamin A can provide excellent aid for this, as well as a healthy immune system and keeping their skin healthy. However, ensure your toddler will not get more than 2,000 IU daily.
You can find some sources of this nutrient in yellow-to orange vegetables, such as carrots, squash, and other foods, including spinach, sweet potatoes, and kale. You can make fun snacks with these foods if your toddler isn’t a fan of eating these for their next meals, such as vegetable mixes or candies.
- Vitamin C
Last on this list is the nutrient Vitamin C, which is known to repair and protect the healthy cells in a person’s body and shield them from infections, which is essential in a toddler’s development. Vitamin C also helps grow and develop ligaments and blood cells. It is recommended that toddlers get 15 mg of vitamin C per day.
Some sources you can add to your toddler’s meal are citrus fruits such as oranges and other fruits, including bananas, strawberries, tomatoes, and guava. The child can enjoy eating these fruits as snacks while getting a sufficient amount of vitamin C.
Conclusion
When planning your toddler’s next meal, be sure to allow them to get enough calories for the day through healthy food. These foods should contain essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin D, A, and C. Consider their preferences, and you can be creative when preparing them not to make their mealtime bland.
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