Nutrition Guide: Toddler

This unique Nutrition Guide was developed from more than a decade of research, including the groundbreaking Feeding Infants and Toddler Study (FITS) conducted in 2002. It’s also the result of studying the eating habits and developmental needs of babies and toddlers and evaluating that research with nutrition and feeding experts. Unlike any other resource, the Nutrition Guide offers nutrition and feeding guidance, products, and healthy menus all tailored to your child’s development.

Print out the Nutrition Guide for easy nutritional reference specific to your child's stage of development.

* Average estimated intake. Your Toddler's needs may be greater or less than these stated; always follow your child's hunger and fullness cues

**One toddler serving is equivalent to ¼ cup of fruit

Common nutrition needs and gaps

Toddlers have reputations of being picky eaters. But it's important to know that your toddler's tummy is smaller than yours, so he needs smaller amounts of nutrient-rich foods to keep him going throughout the day.

The variety of your toddler's diet may also be decreasing at this time, but it's important to offer a variety of healthy foods. Beware of foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients—such as chips, cookies, and sugary drinks—that don't leave much room for more nutritious choices. So save them for an occasional, but certainly not everyday, treat.

Here are some other toddler nutrition concerns from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) in 2002:

• Fruits and vegetables. Nearly 25% of babies and toddlers age 9 to 24 months don't eat any fruits or vegetables on a given day. And french fries are the most commonly consumed vegetable for toddlers 15 to 24 months. Make it a goal to feed your toddler ¾ cup of vegetables a day. Fruit and vegetable servings can be from fresh, frozen, or canned foods. You can also serve Gerber® purees in toddler favorite foods to add variety. Stir ¼ cup Gerber® fruit into plain yogurt or ¼ cup Gerber® vegetables into rice.
• Fiber. Fiber is important for digestive health, but research found that all toddlers don't get the recommended amount of fiber. Giving your toddler more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help her meet her fiber needs.
• Vitamin E. At this stage, 58% of toddlers have vitamin E intakes below the recommended level. Good sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils (canola, corn, soybean), avocado, some leafy green vegetables (spinach, broccoli) and GRADUATES® Smart SipsTM.
• Potassium. Children at this milestone may be missing out on potassium, an electrolyte that helps muscles work properly. In fact, toddlers aren't getting the recommended amount. And toddlers with the highest potassium levels are still only getting about 90% of the recommended amount. Good sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, yogurt, bananas, spinach, and other fruits and vegetables. Increase potassium intake at snack time by offering fruits or vegetables.

• Fat. Healthy fats are important for growth and brain development. But studies show that 50% of toddlers don't get enough omega-3 essential fatty acids, 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 mg omega-3 essential fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid) per serving. Or try GRADUATES® Smart SipsTM beverages with 140mg of Omega 3 fat (alpha linolenic acid) per 8.25 fl oz serving.

  Note that low fat foods, such as reduced-fat yogurt and low fat milk, generally shouldn't be introduced until after age 2. But recent guidance indicates that this advice may be changing, and low-fat dairy may be recommended at an earlier age. Please talk with your pediatrician to see what's right for your child.

• Sodium. Babies as young as 7 to 8 months are being introduced to salty snacks such as chips. By the time your child is a toddler, there may be room for an occasional treat. But there really isn't room for these foods daily, because they don't offer the needed nutrition for the calories. All of the foods in your toddler's healthy meal plan should be selected from a variety of foods that provide needed nutrients: peeled, mashed or chopped fruits or vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, and chopped/ground meats or mashed beans.

Healthy menus

Our nutrition experts want to make meal planning easier on you! They've developed healthy menus to help ensure that your toddler gets the nutrition he needs to grow healthy and strong.

Toddler menus

Learn more about products for this developmental stage.

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