Normally, by the time a child is 12 months old, they can easily tolerate a variety of beverages and foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child receive breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula for the first year of life. However, because children develop at their own perfect rate, and because toddlers tend to be very finicky eaters, some are not consuming a diet with a great deal of variety by their first birthday. For this reason, many parents opt to continue to use a formula in place of cow’s milk for their child. They state that it gives them the assurance that their child will still consume a well-balanced, nutritionally-packed beverage even if the only other thing that they will eat is crackers.
At Nature's One®, we recommend our Baby's Only Organic® Toddler Formulas up to 3 years of age. Of course, this will depend upon your child's specific nutritional needs and their ability to consume a variety of nutritious foods.
Adding a few tablespoons of Baby's Only Organic® Toddler powdered formula to cereal is not a problem, especially if the child is drinking well. If this is done, be sure to give plenty of water during the day to ensure adequate hydration since the Baby's Only Organic® formula would be a concentrated source of protein, fats and carbohydrates and water is always important.
Nevertheless, it is vital to offer a toddler a variety of healthy foods. It is also necessary to be a good role model by consuming a variety of high quality, nutritious foods. As a child learns about new foods, tastes and textures, and sees his/her parents enjoy these foods, he/she will also adopt a healthy diet consisting of a variety of nutritious foods. The following is a chart which outlines general feeding suggestions for toddlers 2 to 3 years of age. For your child's specific needs, please consult with your child's healthcare professional.
Feeding Guide for Toddlers
|Food||Portion Size||Daily Amounts|
|Low-fat milk/dairy||1/2 C (4 oz)||2 1/2 C|
|Meat,fish,poultry||1-2 oz, 2-3 T||2-4 oz|
|Vegs (cooked,raw)||2-3 T cooked, few pieces raw||1 1/2 C|
|Fruit (raw,canned,juice)||1/2-1 small raw, 2-3 T canned, 3-4 oz juice||1 1/2 C|
|Grains (whole grain, enriched bread, cooked & dry cereals)||1/2 - 1 slice bread, 1/4-1/2 cooked cereal, 1/2-1 C dry cereal||3-5 oz, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 whole grains|
This chart was taken from American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition. Feeding the Child. In: Kleinman RE, Greer FR, eds. Pediatric Nutrition. 7th es. Elk Grove Village, IL.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2014: 153.
You may want to check out the following good resources for feeding toddlers: