How to feed one year old baby

Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 2-Year-Old

Ages & Stages

With your two-year-old's blossoming language and social skills, they're ready to become an active mealtime participant. They should no longer be drinking from a bottle, and can eat the same food as the rest of the family. Their diet should now include three healthy meals a day, plus one or two snacks.

Here are some tips to help your little one develop healthy, safe eating habits and get the nutrition their growing bodies need.

Mealtime tips for toddlers

Try not to fixate on amounts of food they are eating.
Avoid making mealtimes a battle.
Pay attention to adopting healthy eating habits—including sitting as a family at mealtime.
Focus on making healthy food choices as a family.

Unsafe foods for toddlers: choking risks

At two years old, your child should be able to use a spoon, drink from a cup with just one hand, and feed themselves a wide variety of finger foods. However, they are still learning to chew and swallow efficiently and may gulp food down when in a hurry to get on with playing. For that reason, the risk of choking at this age is high.

Avoid these foods, which could be swallowed whole and block the windpipe:

Hot dogs (unless cut in quarters lengthwise before being sliced)
Chunks of peanut butter (Peanut butter may be spread thinly on bread or a cracker, but never give chunks of peanut butter to a toddler.)
Nuts—especially peanuts
Raw cherries with pits
Round, hard candies—including jelly beans
Gum
Whole grapes
Marshmallows
Raw carrots, celery, green beans
Popcorn
Seeds—such as processed pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (cut them in quarters)
Large chunks of any food such as meat, potatoes, or raw vegetables and fruits

The best foods for toddlers include:

Protein foods like meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and soy
Dairy such as milk, yogurt, cheese or calcium-fortified soymilk
Fruits and vegetables
Grains such as whole wheat bread and oatmeal

It is normal for toddlers to choose from a limited number of foods, reject foods entirely, and then change their preferences over time. Never force your child to eat something they do not want to eat. The best approach is to let your child to choose from 2 to 3 healthy options, and continue to offer new foods as their tastes change.

Offering a variety of foods and leaving the choices up to your child will eventually allow them to eat a balanced diet on their own. Toddlers also like to feed themselves. So, whenever possible, offer your child finger foods instead of cooked ones that require a fork or spoon to eat.

Supplements for some children

Vitamin supplements are rarely necessary for toddlers who eat a varied diet, with a few exceptions.

Vitamin D. Infants under 12 months of age require 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D per day and older children and adolescents require 600 IU per day. This amount of vitamin D can prevent rickets—a condition characterized by the softening and weakening of bones. If your child is not regularly exposed to sunlight or is consuming enough vitamin D in their diet, talk to your pediatrician about a vitamin D supplement. See Vitamin D for Babies, Children & Adolescents for more information and a list of vitamin D-enriched foods.

Iron. Supplemental iron may be needed if your child eats very little meat, iron-fortified cereal, or vegetables rich in iron. Large quantities of milk (more than 32 ounces [960 mL] per day) also may interfere with the proper absorption of iron, increasing the risk of iron deficiency anemia.

Calcium. Your child should drink 16 ounces (480 mL) of low-fat or nonfat milk each day. This will provide most of the calcium they need for bone growth and still not interfere with their appetite for other foods—particularly those that provide iron.

Note: Children stay on whole milk until they are two years of age—unless there is a reason to switch a baby to low-fat milk sooner. Whole milk contains approximately 4% milk fat. It may help to gradually switch your child from whole milk to a lower-fat milk. Therefore, many pediatricians recommend that children get reduced fat (2%) milk for a few weeks before switching them to low fat (1%) or no fat (skim) milk.

More information

Sample Menu for a Two-Year-Old
Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 3-Year-Old
Selecting Snacks for Toddlers
I Need a Treat: How to Tame Your Child's Sweet Tooth
Diagnosis and Prevention of Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants and Young Children (0-3 Years of Age) (AAP Clinical Report)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Selecting Healthy Snacks for Toddlers

Ages & Stages

Toddlers use a lot of energy to grow and play, and their little stomachs can't hold enough food to keep them from getting hungry between meals. Many young children need both a morning and an afternoon snack. These should be timed so they will still be hungry for lunch and dinner.

Snacks should include a balance of healthy foods. Children often come to think of a "snack" as a time to eat highly processed foods. You can help avoid this trap by serving a variety of freshly prepared foods to your children—even at snack time.

Healthy snack options for toddlers

Fresh fruits

Apples, bananas, peaches, nectarines, pears (thinly sliced for safety)
Cherries, grapes, plums (sliced or smushed and pitted)
Orange or grapefruit sections (cut into pieces)
Strawberries

Dried fruits

Apples, apricots, peaches, pears (cut up)
Dates, prunes (pitted, cut up)
Raisins or cranberries

Vegetables

Carrots, green beans (well cooked, diced)
Steamed cauliflower, broccoli
Yams or sweet potatoes (cooked and diced)
Peas (mashed for safety; a child can inhale whole peas)
Steamed, pureed spinach or greens
Avocado slices or small cubes

Dairy products

Cheese (grated or diced)
Cottage cheese
Yogurt, fresh or frozen
Milk, including non-dairy milk alternatives

Breads and cereals

Whole wheat bread
Whole grain tortilla, pita, or bagels cut into small pieces
Crackers (graham, whole grain)
Whole grain dry cereals

Lean proteins

Fish (canned tuna, salmon, sardines, whitefish)
Peanut butter or other nut butters (smooth, spread thinly on whole grain bread or crackers)
Edamame beans or chickpeas (steamed or mashed) or hummus spreads
Cooked tofu cubes or tofu dip
Hard boiled eggs

Snacks toddlers should avoid

Big chunks of any food are dangerous for children under than age 4 and pose serious choking hazards. For this reason, raw veggies and some fruits such as carrots, apples, whole cherry tomatoes, whole green beans, and celery should be cut into small pieces and/or cooked to minimize the choking risk. Nuts, peanuts, popcorn, and large amounts of sticky foods like peanut butter are also choking hazards. See Unsafe Foods for Toddlers for more examples.

Heavily processed foods should also be avoided; they tend to be low in nutritional value and high in salt and added sugar.

More information

Sample Menu for a Two-Year-Old
Choosing Healthy Snacks for Kids
Avoiding Food Traps
Preschoolers' Diets Shouldn't Be Fat-Free: Here's Why
Airplane Choo Choo: A Feeding Guide for Children (National Dairy Council)

How to feed a child in 1 year? Balanced baby nutrition: sample diet

Proper nutrition of a child in a year is an important condition for harmonious growth and development. In addition, a properly composed diet helps to strengthen the immune system. Receiving new products, the baby gradually gets acquainted with the diet. Pediatricians advise paying attention to the child's diet, its proper balancing.

Nuances of nutrition

The diet of a child in 1 year is subject to the following principles: nine0003

should be complete, meet all the needs of the body, provide vitamins, micro- and macroelements;
diversity. As many combined foods as possible should be present in the diet daily;
all food must be chopped.

Specialized foods must be included in order to properly balance the diet. They should be designed according to the needs of the child's body in a year. If you have any doubts or questions regarding the nutrition of your baby, you can seek advice from our doctors. They will remotely select an individual diet, tell you about all the nuances of the nutrition of one-year-old babies. nine0003

The diet must not be violated

The most advantageous is the diet according to the schedule. An individual nutrition program contributes to the rapid accustoming of the child to the daily routine. Even intervals between meals will not let the baby get hungry. According to the WHO, a child's diet at 1 year old should include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an afternoon snack.

Meal plan for the day:

nine0024

Name

Description

9.00 - breakfast

If the child gets up early, in this case it is permissible to feed an hour earlier. All other meals are shifted by an hour

nine0002 12.30 - lunch

Before dinner, it is recommended to take a walk, which will increase the appetite. For long walks, a snack is allowed two hours before the main meal.

16.30 - afternoon snack

The amount of food is small. Eating easy

nine0002 19.00 - dinner

Dinner is served on the table two hours before bedtime.

Important! When cooking, it is necessary to refuse fried, fatty and fried foods. The first meat broths merge. Salt and sugar are added in a minimal amount.

Which products to prefer

WHO recommends including the following foods in the children's menu: nine0003

dairy products. Children under the age of one year do not give milk in its pure form. It is replaced with breast milk or mixtures. Kefir and yogurt are introduced gradually. Their fat content should not exceed 3.2 percent. Sour cream and cheeses are allowed to be given no more than twice a week;
cereals. Porridge for a one-year-old child is given only for children. Adult coarse cereals are poorly digested in the baby's body. Allowed: oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, corn, rice porridge; nine0010
vegetables fruits. By the age of 1, the child is familiar with apples, pears, bananas, prunes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, potatoes. After a year, kiwi, beets, peas, apricots, beans are introduced into the diet. Legumes are given twice a week. The rest of the vegetables and fruits are allowed for use every day;
meat fish. Hake, pollock, cod are given twice a week, low-fat meat varieties - daily;
oil. Butter and vegetable oils are added to ready meals. If the child already chews well enough, it is permissible to smear butter on bread. vegetable oils are chosen only unrefined; nine0010
eggs. Up to a year it is allowed to introduce quail eggs, after a year they give chicken no more than three times a week.

Example from practice: One-year-old Pasha's mother made the following menu for him for the day, which she plans to feed him until he is 1.5 years old: For breakfast, porridge/vegetable dishes, cottage cheese 200 g, drink 100 ml. Lunch consists of salad - 30 g, soup - 50 g, second meat course - 50 g, vegetables / cereals - 70 g, compote - 100 ml. For an afternoon snack, mom offers ryazhenka or kefir - 150 ml, cookies, crackers - 15 g, juice, fruits - 100 g. For dinner, cereals / cottage cheese / vegetables are served - 180 g, fermented milk products - 100 ml, fruits - 50 g. nine0003

Further, the weight of the products will gradually increase with the age of Pasha. Mom made up the optimal variant of the diet together with specialists.

Prohibited products for children from the year

The list of products not recommended for baby food includes:

any kind of sausages, sausages;
fried food;
smoked meats;
exotic vegetables, fruits; nine0010
caramel, chewing gum;
products containing flavor enhancers, dyes; flavors.

Children are limited in food with a lot of cholesterol, nuts. The latter can cause an allergic reaction. It is not advisable to give mushrooms, as they overload the child's digestive tract. For all questions, you can contact our doctors at any time of the day. They will remotely adjust the diet and help balance it. nine0003

Norm of food per day for a one-year-old child

The total daily calorie content should not be less than or more than 1300 Kcal. However, these figures are relative, as each child is individual. Someone develops quickly, and someone vice versa. And such children may need a supplement in the diet.

For breakfast, babies should consume at least 300 ml, for lunch - 420 ml, for an afternoon snack - 180 ml, for dinner - 300 ml. nine0003

Dr. Komarovsky advises to purchase only seasonal products. In his opinion, they will be able to provide the maximum benefit for the growing body of the child.

One year old baby menu for every day

Experienced doctors recommend feeding the baby up to 6 times a day. There should be 4 main meals.

Breakfast

In the morning, it is preferable to give milk porridge. Milk is diluted with water before use. Proportions for cereals: 200 ml of milk per 2 tablespoons of cereals. Twice a week it is permissible to serve an omelet from 1 egg. Prepare an omelette for a couple. You can add dill. It stimulates digestion. Wash down with compote, weak tea. nine0003

Snack

Yogurts and fruit purees are allowed here. They stimulate the production of gastric juice, digestion. A healthy snack is a baked apple with cookies. Fruit purees from jars, children's drinking yogurts are suitable.

Lunch

Lunch is the main meal. It can be only the first or second course, or maybe all together. Soups are cooked thick, rich, satisfying. Broths are prepared on boneless pulp. The first is drained, and vegetables are added to the second broth. Let's add some oil. The second offers cereals on the water, vegetables, salads, meat or fish. Spices, roasts are excluded. nine0003

Snack

For a small snack, cottage cheese casseroles, milk porridges, cheesecakes, cookies with compote, milk are suitable. Cow's milk is administered with caution. Start with small amounts, diluted with water. Observe the reaction, as cow's milk is considered an allergen.

Dinner

Dinner is scheduled five hours after the afternoon snack. Vegetable puree, porridge, stew with meat or fish are served. It is allowed to add a little oil to the stew. nine0003

When breastfeeding, the second dinner is allowed in the form of mother's milk. Children who are used to eating at night are gradually weaned from night feedings.

What to consider when formulating a diet

The nutrition of a one-year-old child should be in compliance with the regimen. You can also create a kind of ritual that will look like a joint table setting, decoration with bright napkins, original food serving.

nine0002 If for some reason the child refuses to eat this or that product, he is not completely excluded from the diet. It is recommended to add it in small quantities, mixing with the main dish.

If the baby refuses to eat, it is recommended to shift the time. Perhaps the child did not have time to get hungry. Or you can go for a walk and work up an appetite.

All meals are served in order. Don't put everything on the table at once. In this case, the baby will be confused, will try to try everything at once. nine0003

It is necessary to introduce new products with caution, in turn, starting with small portions. At the same time, the reaction of a small organism to innovations is closely monitored. In case of allergic reactions, the product is completely excluded.

Sweets in the form of confectionery, sweets, chocolate are not offered to kids. Small amounts of honey, syrups, jams, dried fruits, cookies are allowed.

FAQ

nine0002 What must be present in the menu of a child at 1 year old?

The diet must be present: meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, bread, butter. Fish and eggs are given up to three times a week.

What are the most common mistakes parents make when preparing meals?

The most common mistake is a monotonous diet, consisting of the same products. It is important to try to feed your baby a variety of foods. This will allow him not only to get acquainted with new products, but also to replenish the stocks of necessary substances. nine0003

Is it permissible to include solid food in the diet if the teeth erupted a little?

Solid foods help form healthy eating habits. In addition, it is useful for teething. Hard pieces help form the correct bite.

Should I put my baby to sleep after eating?

After eating, the baby is drawn to sleep. However, putting him to bed right away is not right. If the child walked a lot, spent a lot of energy, in this case, yes, it is allowed to sleep after eating. In all other cases, after eating it is better to play. nine0003

What to do if a child refuses to eat with everyone at the age of one?

You can't force feed a child. It is important to form a strong habit with him that all meals with the family at a certain time. If for some reason he refuses to eat, then until the next feeding he remains hungry. Good habits are formed from childhood.

Expert opinion

The diet of a child in one year should be balanced and varied. Do not try to feed your baby the same food. In this case, he will not get the necessary vitamins, macro- and microelements that are important for development and growth. When feeding, it is advisable to observe a strict regime, accustoming the baby to order. Do not forget about harmful foods that are completely excluded from the diet.

We publish only verified information nine0003

Article author

Pruzhinin Mark Yulievich pediatrician

Experience 30 years

Consultations 1572

Articles 105

An experienced pediatrician with extensive experience and clinical experience in various medical organizations in the field of general pediatrics, resuscitation-anesthesiology and neuroinfection. Works with leading experts, attends international and Russian conferences.

How to feed a child at 1 year old? Balanced baby nutrition: sample diet

Nuances of nutrition

The diet of a child in 1 year is subject to the following principles:

should be complete, meet all the needs of the body, provide vitamins, micro- and macroelements;
diversity. As many combined foods as possible should be present in the diet daily;
all food must be chopped.

The diet must not be violated

Meal plan for the day:

nine0024

Name

Description

9.00 - breakfast

If the child gets up early, in this case it is permissible to feed an hour earlier. All other meals are shifted by an hour

nine0002 12.

30 - lunch

Before dinner, it is recommended to take a walk, which will increase the appetite. For long walks, a snack is allowed two hours before the main meal.

16.30 - afternoon snack

The amount of food is small. Eating easy

nine0002 19.00 - dinner

Dinner is served on the table two hours before bedtime.

Important! When cooking, it is necessary to refuse fried, fatty and fried foods. The first meat broths merge. Salt and sugar are added in a minimal amount.

Which products to prefer

WHO recommends including the following foods in the children's menu: nine0003

dairy products. Children under the age of one year do not give milk in its pure form. It is replaced with breast milk or mixtures. Kefir and yogurt are introduced gradually. Their fat content should not exceed 3. 2 percent. Sour cream and cheeses are allowed to be given no more than twice a week;
cereals. Porridge for a one-year-old child is given only for children. Adult coarse cereals are poorly digested in the baby's body. Allowed: oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, corn, rice porridge; nine0010
vegetables fruits. By the age of 1, the child is familiar with apples, pears, bananas, prunes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, potatoes. After a year, kiwi, beets, peas, apricots, beans are introduced into the diet. Legumes are given twice a week. The rest of the vegetables and fruits are allowed for use every day;
meat fish. Hake, pollock, cod are given twice a week, low-fat meat varieties - daily;
oil. Butter and vegetable oils are added to ready meals. If the child already chews well enough, it is permissible to smear butter on bread. vegetable oils are chosen only unrefined; nine0010
eggs. Up to a year it is allowed to introduce quail eggs, after a year they give chicken no more than three times a week.

Further, the weight of the products will gradually increase with the age of Pasha. Mom made up the optimal variant of the diet together with specialists.

Prohibited products for children from the year

The list of products not recommended for baby food includes:

any kind of sausages, sausages;
fried food;
smoked meats;
exotic vegetables, fruits; nine0010
caramel, chewing gum;
products containing flavor enhancers, dyes; flavors.

Norm of food per day for a one-year-old child

For breakfast, babies should consume at least 300 ml, for lunch - 420 ml, for an afternoon snack - 180 ml, for dinner - 300 ml. nine0003

Dr. Komarovsky advises to purchase only seasonal products. In his opinion, they will be able to provide the maximum benefit for the growing body of the child.

One year old baby menu for every day

Experienced doctors recommend feeding the baby up to 6 times a day. There should be 4 main meals.

Breakfast

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

Dinner is scheduled five hours after the afternoon snack. Vegetable puree, porridge, stew with meat or fish are served. It is allowed to add a little oil to the stew. nine0003

When breastfeeding, the second dinner is allowed in the form of mother's milk. Children who are used to eating at night are gradually weaned from night feedings.

What to consider when formulating a diet

nine0002 If for some reason the child refuses to eat this or that product, he is not completely excluded from the diet. It is recommended to add it in small quantities, mixing with the main dish.

If the baby refuses to eat, it is recommended to shift the time. Perhaps the child did not have time to get hungry. Or you can go for a walk and work up an appetite.

All meals are served in order. Don't put everything on the table at once. In this case, the baby will be confused, will try to try everything at once. nine0003

Sweets in the form of confectionery, sweets, chocolate are not offered to kids. Small amounts of honey, syrups, jams, dried fruits, cookies are allowed.