4 toddler-feeding tips
To better understand toddlers’ eating habits, Gerber sponsored The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS). Knowing what toddlers were really eating taught us how to better guide their food choices. Keep these in mind:
- Choose foods wisely
As your toddler transitions off breastmilk or formula, nutrition gaps become more common. It’s important to choose lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and dairy foods–all of these contribute important nutrients needed for healthy growth and development.
- Snack smart
Toddlers typically get 25% of calories from snacks, so it’s important to make every bite count. Leave foods high in calories and low in nutrients (chips, cookies, and sugary drinks) to an occasional treat. Instead serve your toddler fruits and vegetables such as GRADUATES Fruit and Vegetable Dices.
- Drink responsibly
Beverages are important for hydration, but too many can make your toddler too full to eat nutritious foods. Limit milk to about 2 cups per day. If your toddler doesn’t like the taste of milk, try GERBER® GOOD START® Gentle PLUS™ 2 formula instead. Also offer water and up to 4 to 6 fluid ounces of 100% fruit juice for one fruit serving.1 Avoid sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages. Try GRADUATES® FRUIT SPLASHERS® purified water with real fruit juice that has 40% less sugar than the leading 100% fruit juice.2
- Serve healthy fats
Healthy fats are important for growth and brain development. Studies show that 1/3 of toddlers don’t get enough alpha linolenic omega-3 essential fatty acid, and many don’t get enough of the antioxidant vitamin E found in fats. Try preparing foods with 1 tablespoon soy or canola oil, and avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats. You can also serve GRADUATES® LIL’ STICKS™ meat or poultry sticks with 70 milligrams omega-3 essential fatty acids per serving.
1 One of your toddler’s servings of fruits and vegetables can come from 4 ounces of 100% juice. Other servings should be from whole, peeled fruit that’s mashed or pureed.
2 GRADUATES® FRUIT SPLASHERS® beverage has 15 grams of sugar per 8-fluid-ounce serving compared to 27 grams of sugar per 8-fluid-ounce serving of 100% apple juice.
