Two years baby food

Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 2-Year-Old

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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)

Last Updated: 9/6/2022

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity (Copyright © 2022)

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.

Healthy Foods for 2 Year Old Child Along with Recipes

Food habits change rapidly as your infant grows. Within the first two years, your baby will have begun teething, moved on to solid foods, and more or less integrated with family mealtimes. Here is a food chart, as well as some recipes on how to integrate healthy eating habits in your child and include good, wholesome and nutritious food in his diet.

How Does Your Toddler’s Meal Time Change?

Your child will have begun eating solid foods as he starts teething. Kids this age are impatient and even fussy around mealtimes. At one and a half years (18 months), toddlers usually manage to handle a spoon to feed themselves. By 24 months, your child will have joined the grown-ups table as a regular!

Some Useful Steps to Form Good Eating Habits in Your Child

A toddler’s eating habits and tastes are only being established as he first starts eating solid foods. This is the time when parents should strive to build a healthy eating habit.

Delay your child’s introduction to fast food and sweetened aerated drinks, and help build a preference for fresh, wholesome food.
Stick to strict meal timings. Establishing a routine will lead to your child developing a fixed mealtime by getting hungry at the right time.
Do not feed your child heavy snacks or lots of liquid rights before mealtime.
Each meal should last for 20 minutes and no longer.

Food for a 2-Year-Old Baby

While a balanced diet is essential for us, children need a boost of nourishment that helps them grow.

1. Dairy Products

Milk, yoghurt, and paneer are all rich in calcium. Calcium helps build strong bones. In case your child is lactose intolerant, he may need to take calcium from other sources like nuts and pulses to make up for a gap in the calcium intake.

2. Chicken

Chicken and other non-vegetarian foods contain good quantities of easily absorbable iron and protein. Iron helps power haemoglobin in the blood and prevents anaemia. Iron found in vegetarian food is harder for the body to absorb and, hence, your child will need to consume at least twice as much of it to get the required amount.

3. Fish

Fish is a good source of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). EFAs help builds immunity and strengthens the cardiovascular system. Vegetarians will need proper substitution of EFA sources, as it is not produced in the body and can only be gained externally.

4. Healthy Oils

Flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans, and other nuts and their oil contain reasonable amounts of EFAs and minerals.

5. Carrots

Carrots are famous as a rich source of Vitamin A. Spinach, kale, and other vegetables also contain high levels of Vitamin A. It is essential to include foods rich in different vitamins in your child’s diet. Vitamin A helps in boosting eyesight and immunity.

6. Citrus Fruits

Lemons and oranges are renowned for their Vitamin C content. Deficiency of Vitamin C can lead to serious diseases like scurvy. Vitamin C helps in strengthening gums and blood vessels and recovering from bruises. Guavas, mangos, bananas, tomatoes, and spinach also contain Vitamin C.

7. Sunshine

Although this isn’t technically a food, it is something the body absorbs. Hence, it is included in this list, considering the integral role it plays in growth. The element we gain from sunshine is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for a child to achieve his maximum growth potential. Foods that contain Vitamin D are fish and dairy products.

8. Bananas

Magnesium and potassium, are essential elements for cardiac health, and muscle condition, and are found in bananas. Incorporate this beneficial fruit into cereals and other foods to make it a staple.

Food Chart/Schedule for 2-Year-Old Baby

	Breakfast	Mid Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Sunday	Poha/Upma with vegetables/ sprouts/ peanuts and milk/ curd	Cup of milk and fruits	Curry made with any pulses or rice and dahi	Paneer cutlet with milk	Aloo matar with missi roti
Monday	Dosa or Moong dal cheela with added vegetables and curd	Seasonal Fruits	Mixed vegetables curry with chapatti	Fruit milkshake	Chapatti with fried soya chunks
Tuesday	Egg roll in roti or egg rice	Vegetable soup / fruits	Veg biryani with cucumber sticks	Boiled corn or boiled peanuts + fruit	Vegetable khichdi with curd
Wednesday	Idli and sambar	Almonds/ raisins	Aloo paratha with dahi	Fruits	Boiled chicken with rice
Thursday	Ragi porridge with chopped nuts	Fruit	Chana dal khichdi with curd	Upma with curd/ milk	Vegetable soup with 2 cutlets (veg or non-veg)
Friday	Oats cooked in milk	Fruit smoothie or custard	Chole curry with chapattis	Oats khichdi	Sambar with rice
Saturday	Vegetable paratha	Fruits and nuts	Paneer pulao	Omlette or cheese-chapati roll	Vegetable pulao with dahi

Homemade Food Recipes for 2-Year-Old Baby

Here are some select recipes from the food chart that may not be too familiar to you.

1.

Moong Dal Cheela

A power-packed start to your day!

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon roasted cumin
Salt to taste
¼ cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Finely chopped green chillis
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
Butter

How to Prepare:

Soak the moong dal in water overnight.
Drain the water and grind with adequate water to form a thick paste – similar to dosa batter.
Add spices to the batter and mix well.
Add the seasoning and a pinch of hing, and mix again.
Allow the batter to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Heat butter in a non-stick pan and spread the batter like you would a dosa.

2. Coconut

Chutney

A traditional accompaniment to dosas and idlis!

Ingredients:

½ cup fresh grated coconut
2 tablespoons fried yellow gram
½ teaspoon cumin
2 green chillis
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon mustard
1 dried red chilli
¾ teaspoon urad dal
Hing
Curry leaves

How to Prepare:

Blend all the ingredients, except the seasoning, together.
Add water and salt (to taste) while blending.
In a few drops of oil heated in a pan, saute the seasonings.
Add the blended chutney to the seasoning and turn off the heat. Serve with idli or dosa.

3.

Chana Dal Khichdi

A simple recipe that uses very little seasoning and embraces the natural flavour of chana.

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
1 pinch of asafoetida
½ cup of rice
½ cup chana dal
Oil
Water
Salt

How to Prepare:

Soak the rice for 30 minutes prior to preparation.
The chana dal should be soaked for 4-5 hours, prior to preparation. (If time does not permit, you may soak it in hot water for about 30 minutes)
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pressure cooker and add the seasoning.
Add the rinsed chana dal with salt to taste and stir.
Add 1 cup of water and cook under pressure for 6 minutes or 2 whistles.
After it has cooled down, add the rice and cook for 1 or 2 whistles.

4.

Paneer Cutlet

Paneer provides a boost of protein and calcium to the common vegetable cutlet and gives a uniquely soft texture to the cutlet too.

Ingredients:

2 pinches of turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
200gms paneer
150gms potato
100gms carrot
1/3 cups peas
Paste: 1 green chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1-inch slice of ginger
3 tablespoons rice flour
3 tablespoons rava
3 tablespoons oil

How to Prepare:

Cut the green chilli, garlic and ginger, and grind to a paste.
Peel and cut the vegetables and cook for up to 4 whistles in a pressure cooker, with 2 cups of water.
Drain the water when cooled and transfer the cooked vegetables to a mixing bowl.
Mash the vegetables, add the paste and seasoning, and mix well.
Add the paneer (Paneer should be crumbled or grated).
Add 3 tablespoons of rice flour and salt to taste, and mix again.
Take small portions of the mixture and shape into patties.
Coat with rava and fry in a shallow pan until both sides are golden brown. Serve with ketchup or chutney.

5. Soya Chunks Fry

A healthy and tasty dish that is simple to make. It goes great with both chapattis and rice!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soya chunks
2 onions, shredded
2 green chillis, slit
1 big piece of ginger cut into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 Tsp garam masala
1/2 Tsp chaat masala
½ tsp red chilli powder
2 tomato, finely chopped
Coriander leaves
2 tablespoons oil

How to Prepare:

Immerse the soya in hot water for about 20 minutes.
In a pan, saute the onions in oil.
Once the onions are golden-brown, add the garlic and ginger.
Add the green chillis and then the tomatoes.
As the mixture cooks, add the seasoning and mix well. Turn off the flame.
Now, drain the soya chunks (You may need to squeeze them with the help of a sieve to drain them well).
Add the soya chunks to the mixture and begin cooking again.
Add salt to taste and mix the contents of the pan thoroughly so that the soya chunks are well coated with the masala (You can also add a bit of lemon juice to this, for a hint of tanginess).
Cook in a pan till the soya chunks are browned.
Turn off the flame and garnish with plenty of finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve warm.

Feeding Tips

While providing healthy food for 2-year-old baby do not fixate on the amounts eaten. This will change from child to child and between different days and mealtimes.
A 2-year-old toddler’s food requirement does not have to include artificial supplements.
Indian baby food recipes for a 2-year-old can be spicy. If your child is fussy about this, you can experiment with reducing the amount of seasoning, especially red chilli powder.
Give your child notice before every mealtime. This gets him thinking about food and builds up an appetite.
Have the food ready and plated for mealtime when your child arrives.
Do not punish or reward your child’s eating habits, as it can create a problematic attitude towards food and harm your child’s relationship with food.
Don’t allow your toddler to watch T.V. during mealtime, as he needs to focus on the food. Talk to him instead and include him in conversations with all the family members.

Disclaimer:

Look out for allergies. Your child could be allergic to certain nuts, grains or dairy products. Make sure you avoid these food items and consult your doctor about the allergies.
When introducing your toddler to new foods, you should ensure that you introduce new food one at a time as this will make it easier for you to check for allergies and help you understand your child’s preferences.
If your child is suffering from diarrhoea, don’t stop feeding him. Consult a doctor and feed him foods that are nutritious and can control the diarrhoea.
Don’t force-feed your toddler. Toddlers can be fussy with food, be patient and know when he has eaten enough.

Eating nutritious food that is fresh and doesn’t contain preservatives is seen by many as something that takes too much effort, but with the right motivation, it can be a habit and not a chore! Include different fresh fruits in your child’s diets, so his tastes vary and he is less likely to become fussy over time.

Previous Year: 1 Year Old Baby Food Chart

Ingredients | Bibikol - Baby food based on goat milk

ORGANIC.

WHOLE. USEFUL As you know, the nature of a child's nutrition in the nine months that he is in the womb, and the first couple of years of life, programs and forms the state of health for the rest of his life. What the baby eats during this period of development is no less important than genetic prerequisites.

It is unlikely that anyone will argue that the "gold standard" of nutrition in infancy is breast milk. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and, if possible, continued breastfeeding with complementary foods until two years of age. However, sometimes this is not possible for objective medical or social reasons. Then the pediatrician transfers the child to mixed or artificial feeding. And here the problem immediately arises - how to choose the most suitable breast milk substitute.

Infant formula should be as close as possible to it not only in its chemical composition, but also in the presence of important functional components.

Recently, one of the most promising areas in the creation of food products for young children is the use of whole goat milk. Throughout the history of mankind, it has been highly valued for its special dietary and even medicinal properties. This is confirmed by numerous studies conducted both in our country and abroad.

It is known that the milk of different breeds of goats, moreover, living in different climatic conditions, is very different in composition. That is why, for example, the company "BIBIKOL" - a leader in the production of baby food based on whole goat milk - turned its attention to New Zealand with its mild climate and a network of farms practicing organic farming and animal husbandry. A special breed of New Zealand goats has the opportunity to eat fresh grass all year round, which, of course, has a positive effect on the properties of milk. In addition, the genetic trait of these goats is that their milk contains low levels of the highly allergenic milk protein alpha-S1-casein. The protein of this goat milk has a high biological value.

BIBIKOL has organized on-site production of adapted NANNY mixtures in New Zealand. From the milking process to the packaging of the finished mixture, no more than eight hours pass. Thanks to a special technology, NANNY manages to preserve the unique nutritional and functional components of natural whole goat milk and bring the mixtures as close as possible to breast milk. NANNIE formulas retain milk fat, so there is no need to add palm oil as a source of palmitic acid.

As a source of beneficial ω-3- and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, NANNIE is supplemented with marine fish oil and a blend of high quality vegetable oils.
The carbohydrate component in the "NANNIE" mixture is represented by milk sugar - lactose, which provides energy for the rapidly growing body of the child and improves the absorption of calcium. The NANNIE 1.2 mixture contains a complex of vegetable prebiotics Orafti®Synergy1, which has a pronounced positive effect on the functioning of the child's intestines, comparable to the effect of breast milk.

In addition to dry mixes, "BIBIKOL" produces "BIBIKASHI" with organic cereals and fruit and vegetable purees with cottage cheese, also based on goat's milk, and "AMALTEYA" powdered milk for pregnant and lactating women.

"BIBIKOL" is generally an active promoter of the idea of "organic farming", when synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, synthetic feed additives and hormones, genetically modified organisms and nanotechnologies are not used to grow vegetables and fruits. Because the company's specialists are confident in the positive impact of organic farming products on the health of children, including those with allergies.

The company has a special scientific department, which employs doctors and candidates of medical sciences, experienced lecturers and teachers. Since the use of whole goat milk in food products for children and pregnant women is still quite new, there is not only a lot of research to be done, but also explanatory work to be done. Both among pediatricians and among parents. For example, since 2000, the "School of Moms BIBIKOL" has been operating.

Harmfulness of baby food in jars

Jars with ready-made puree surprise not only with high demand, but also with an assortment. Fruit, berry, vegetable, with meat, cereals, cream - under each brand there are dozens of items. In a previous publication, we talked in detail about 5 reasons for the popularity of baby puree in jars, and today we will consider the likely harm that such food can cause to a child's body.

Nutritionists, pediatricians and parents disagree on this issue. There are three strong arguments against portioned canned food.

Taste different from homemade food.

Difficulty in weaning a child from a homogeneous consistency.

Unpredictable quality.

How does baby food taste in jars?

Even if a characteristic pop is heard when opening the container, parents are still obliged to taste the food that they offer their child. Many are surprised at how strange the content is. It is clear that most purees do not contain salt, sugar, flavoring additives. But they often turn out to be not just bland, but unnatural, too different from those that mothers cook on their own.

The reason for this is the merciless grinding and intense heat treatment that precedes vacuum packaging. However, it is very difficult to transfer a child from such refined food to a common family table. What will be the taste specificity of food in the first months of complementary foods will determine future preferences and the ability to organize healthy baby food at school age.

The child is too lazy to chew

Baby purees under different brands also differ in consistency. For example, it is convenient to scoop up meat and fish with a spoon, but some even at room temperature remain monolithic, as if fastened with starch. It is not easy to mix such a substance with potatoes or green vegetables. You just have to cut it into pieces with a spoon. But in any case, the food in jars is crushed as much as possible and is a homogeneous mass.

It is good when feeding a baby up to one year old. But later, when enough teeth have erupted, the food should become coarser. Reasonable exercise is very important for the health of the gums and teeth. Ready-made vegetable puree in jars is easier for everyone: parents save time on cooking, and children save energy on chewing. As a result, it turns out that upon reaching the age of two, some kids refuse salads, normal soups, vegetable stews. They still demand to puree dishes, recognizing only the usual consistency.

Adults have many problems. There is not enough time and energy for endless persuasion, you won’t leave your beloved child hungry either, no tricks (decorating dishes, disguise) help. Whims at the table are dangerous. Even if the baby gives in under parental pressure, he has a great chance of choking, swallowing tears along with food.

Another difficulty is that a "homogeneous" diet will be limited. If you pass buckwheat with meat or baked potatoes with chicken through a blender, at the output we get a very viscous, thick mass - completely unappetizing. The habit of normal food sometimes comes only with admission to kindergarten.

You can switch from canned puree to homemade puree from 8-9 months. At first, mix, say, a “canned” zucchini with boiled, grated on a fine grater. Then increase your portion by decreasing the canned portion. This will take about a week. Then, according to the same principle, we grind part of the product on a medium-sized grater, closer to a year - on a large one, or simply knead it with a fork.

Is baby food subject to high quality control?

They say that buckwheat is the only crop that has not yet been disfigured by genetic modification. Vegetables abound in various additives for rapid growth and disease resistance, and livestock that will become meat are laced with antibiotics and hormones.