Toddler Nutrition Mistakes Most Parents Make (And How to Fix Them)

I’m going to say it: feeding toddlers can be hard. As a mum to four kids, I’ve been through it my fair share of times. As a toddler parent, you will know that we pick our battles. Oftentimes, it’s less hassle to take the easiest route with your toddler’s eating, because at least they’re eating something, right? But on the other hand, literally nobody wants their toddler’s nutrition to suffer. 

You’ll find no judgement in this post. But if you’ve come here looking for ways to improve your toddler’s nutrition, you’re in the right place. 

I’ll give you some parent hacks that will help you cut down on the processed foods, pique their interest at mealtimes, and boost their nutrition. 

So here are some of the most common toddler nutrition mistakes most parents make, and how to fix them.

1. Mistake: Offering Too Many Snacks

We all love snacks, don’t we? And toddlers even more so! Since toddlers have smaller tummies and less interest in larger meals, snacks can be good for them — if they’re balanced and appropriately timed. But bear in mind that too many snacks will quash their appetite for a balanced family meal.

The Fix: 

• Keep snack times consistent. It depends on your toddler, but a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack is normally enough. Some toddlers like a snack before bed, too.
• Make snacks complete by combining protein and carbs with fibre (for example an apple with peanut butter, or hummus with wholegrain crackers).
• Drinks like milk and juice can fill little stomachs quickly, so only offer these with meals. Water should be your toddler’s main drink between meals.

2. Mistake: Only Serving Safe & Kid Foods

So your toddler only likes pasta and chicken nuggets? While there’s nothing wrong with these foods as part of a balanced diet, repeatedly serving only safe foods limits your toddler’s diet, and therefore their intake of a wide range of nutrients. It may even contribute to fussy eating since they’re not being introduced to anything new. Additionally, if you’re cooking separate meals for yourself and your toddler, the load of cooking so many different items soon starts to feel like a drain.

The Fix:

• A great way to introduce your toddler to new foods is to serve them alongside something that they trust and already enjoy. 
• Use a rotation method to serve grains, proteins, and different fruits and vegetables weekly.
• Make finding new foods on their plate familiar, even if your child doesn’t eat them yet. Remember the division of responsibility: you choose what to feed, and your child chooses whether they will eat it, and how much. 
• Skip separate menus and share a good old fashioned family meal together.

3. Mistake: Your Toddler Depends On Juice or Sweetened Milk for Nutrition

So many drinks marketed to toddlers aren’t healthy at all. Juice may seem like a good choice, but in fact it’s loaded with sugar and has little fibre compared with its whole fruit counterpart.

If your toddler prefers milk drinks, you should know that flavoured milks are often loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners that can cause changes in their appetite with little in the way of nutrition.

The Fix:

• Only serve water and unsweetened and unflavoured milk.
• Fruit juices contain a lot of sugar, so limit them to ½ cup per day, and dilute them with water.
• Instead of juice, try whole fruits for their fibre and vitamin content.

4. Mistake: Using Pressure Around Eating

Bribing and forcing toddlers to eat is never a good idea. In fact, it can backfire spectacularly when your toddler eats less and becomes more resistant over time. Take the pressure off both of you by going at their pace.

The Fix:

• Focus on family mealtimes and lead by example. If you’re enjoying your food, your toddler will follow the lead.
• Create a relaxed atmosphere around food — you could try minimising distractions, getting everybody seated at the table, and asking your toddler to help set the table, for example.
• Recognise that you trust their internal hunger cues by letting them control how much they eat. Start with a small portion and let them ask for more.

5. Mistake: You Don’t Include Iron-Rich Foods

Iron is so important for toddlers to help with their energy levels and brain development. But toddlers who drink a lot of milk can displace their iron intake. 

The Fix:

• Try to give your toddler iron-rich foods at every meal. Options include red meat, eggs, lentils, beans, eggs, tofu, and fortified cereals.
• Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C to help with iron absorption.
• Make sure your toddler drinks no more than 473-710ml milk per day, according to KidsHealth.

Along with vitamins A and C, did you know that the NHS recommends vitamins for toddlers age 2 containing vitamin D every day?

6. Mistake: Not Offering Enough Protein

Protein is vital for children’s growth, so remember to offer it at every meal if possible. 

The Fix:

• Aim to offer your toddler at least 2 portions of protein per day. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nut butters, beans, pulses, quinoa, and tofu are all good sources of protein. Remember to include 1 portion of oily fish per week.
• Include a mix of animal and vegetable-based proteins to keep their diet varied and interesting.
• See how your toddler reacts to different shapes and textures: think soft meatballs and fishcakes that are easy to eat. You can also prepare meat and cheese in different shapes to keep things fun.

Final Thoughts

I hope these tips help you to avoid some of the most common feeding mistakes that parents make. Nobody gets toddler feeding right 100% of the time — that just wouldn’t be possible. So remember that you’re doing a great job, and that small differences add up over time. Toddlers are amazing, yet unpredictable — you’re doing better than you think!

Author: Helen Little at Natural Beauty with Baby is mum to four little ones and blogs about parenting, skincare and beauty.

Guest Article.