Nutrition in Early Child Years (For Ages 1 to 3)
Children grow fast during the first five years. They need balanced diets to help them grow. This nutrition guide will help you plan healthy meals for your family.
How Can I Plan Healthy Menus?
Planning a healthy menu is easy when you use the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. Refer to the chart below to see how many servings your child needs from each food group. It is o.k. to give more servings from one of the groups. Be sure to give your child at least every day. 
Should My Child Eat Three Meals a Day?
Your child should eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks for a balanced diet. Children have lots of energy and need nutritious snacks to keep them going and growing.
Breakfast is a “smart start” for your child every day. It can be quick and healthy with at least one serving from the bread and cereal group, one from the milk and dairy group, and two from the fruit and vegetable group.
| Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta |
8 |
- child- size serving
- 1/2 cup ready-to-eat cereal
- 1/2 slice whole grain bread
- 1/2 cup rice, pasta, grits
- 1/2 cup cooked cereal
|
| Vegetables |
3 |
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen vegetbales, raw or cooked
|
| Fruit |
2 |
- 1 medium apple, orange, bannana
- 1/2 cup fresh fruit
- 1/2 cup fruit juice
|
| Milk and Dairy |
3 |
- child-size serving*
- 1/2 cup low-fat or whole milk
- 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, or frozen yogurt 1 oz. (slice) cheese
|
*Foods that are low in fat, including skim milk, are not recommended for children younger than 2 years.
**Nuts and peanut butter should not be given to children under 3 years.
Breakfast can even boost their brain power to succeed in school. Studies show that children who eat breakfast have better concentration, work faster, make fewer mistakes, are more creative, and even score higher on tests.
What Can I Do To Help My Child Eat New Foods?
Children usually know how much food they need, but are not always good at choosing balanced meals. Children slowly learn to feed themselves and eat new foods, but you must take time to teach them. Here are some tips for introducing new foods:
- Let children feed themselves using finger foods.
- Soft foods are better since children under age 5 don’t have all of their teeth.
- Cut food into small pieces until your child is 4 years old. Give him or her foods that are easy to pick up, like small pieces of meat, cheese, or fruit.
- When your child starts to use a spoon, place foods in plastic dishes with high sides.
- As your child learns to chew, begin to serve foods with new textures.
- A young child may not like hot or cold food. Serve foods at room temperature.
- Make your child’s meal fun to eat by serving naturally colorful foods.
- If your child refuses something the first time, offer it again at a different meal.
- Gradually introduce fiber by feeding your child a variety of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other grain products.
- Be sure to give your child enough fluids (especially water) to support a fiber rich diet.
How Much Fiber Does My Child Need?
The American Health Foundation recommends the following formula for finding a safe range of dietary fiber for children:
Child’s age + 5 = recommended daily grams of fiber
Example: For a 4-year-old child, Child’s age (4) + 5 = 9 grams of fiber per day
Teaching your child now to eat a balanced diet and make wise food choices will help him or her maintain a healthy diet as an adult.
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