Basics of Toddler Nutrition

When we look at food and the functions that food fulfills in our lives, we can sort of separate this into two equally important categories. The first category is nutrition. So food provides us with nutrition. It’s, it’s fuel, right? You’ve heard the saying, food is fuel and it fuels our bodies. Of course, it helps us to grow and maintain our bodies. So, this one is really important part of the equation.

But on the other side, we have the social functions of food. From the smallest families to extended social networks. Food is a way of communicating. It’s a way of showing care for one another. It’s a way of celebrating together. It’s also a way of passing on our family’s history and our traditions.

When we cook, we get to decide what is going into our children’s bodies, with a strong interest in the health of the people who are going to be eating the food that we make. And we can make sure, that only reasonable amounts of fat, sugar, and salt go into the food that our children are eating.

According to nutrition standards, a daily healthy balanced diet must consist of 4 main food groups. Which are Grains, proteins, fruits & vegetables along with drinks.

 Children need a diet made up of foods from these 4 main food groups, in the right balance and in portion sizes just right for them according to their age. According to Wikipedia USDA guidelines and menu choices are as follows:

This was all about my research about child nutrition. In the long run, a diet of mostly home cooked foods, prepared by someone who cares about the people eating that food, will almost always be healthier for the whole family.