Keep Your Toddler. Growing Healthy! I Can Keep My Toddler. Growing Healthy!

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1 I Can Keep My Toddler Growing Healthy! Pick one of these ideas or write down 1 or 2 things you would like to do in the next week or two. One day next week, instead of giving juice with his, I will give him water instead. When I go shopping for food next week, I will buy instead of as a snack for my toddler. Keep Your Toddler Growing Healthy! Milk and water are best. Your toddler does not need juice or other sugary drinks. pages 2-5 Next week, I will try one new vegetable with my toddler. One day next week, instead of watching TV, I will Be active with your toddler. Choose healthy foods and offer the right amount. Teach your child to like healthy foods from the start! pages 6-13 TV time is not active time. pages by Vanderbilt University, New York University School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and University of Miami. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission from the authors. For permission, copy right, and acknowledgements please see: Month Core- English

2 What liquids should I give my toddler? Give your toddler Do not give your toddler TV Time is Not Active Time When children watch TV they are not being active. Too much TV can can cause your child to gain too much weight and can lead to behavior problems. low fat or regular milk juices that are not 100% fruit juice soda Toddlers less than 2 years old should watch little or no TV. If they do, make sure it is a program like Sesame Street and for no more than 15 to 30 minutes. water sweet tea sports drinks If your child is in daycare, with grandma, or with a babysitter, make sure the same rules about TV are followed. Try not to give Be a good example - Limit your TV watching. TRY NOT TO use TV as a reward for your children. flavored milk energy drinks DO NOT put a TV in your child s room. 100% fruit juice (no more than 6 ounces in 1 day) Keep your toddler active TV time is not active time. 2 15

3 Active Time: For You and Your Toddler Give your toddler low fat or regular milk or water. Sugary drinks will fill up your toddler and he won t be hungry at mealtime! Most toddlers are very active. In fact, keeping up with your toddler can be a great way for you and your family to get the exercise you need! Try doing these activities with your toddler: Play Ball: When inside, use a soft, lightweight ball so nothing breaks! Dance: Put on your favorite music and dance together! Walk: Leave the stroller at home for short walks so she gets more exercise! low fat or regular milk water Ask your doctor if you should give your child low fat (1% or 2%) milk. Regular milk may cause some children to gain weight too quickly and may have extra fat that they do not need. How much milk should I give? No more than 2 or 3 cups (up to 24 ounces) of milk in 1 day. Too much milk can cause a low blood cell count (anemia). Water is the best drink for your toddler other than milk. You can give your toddler water any time he is thirsty! 14 3

4 It is best not to give any fruit juice. If you do give juice, give 100% juice. Do not give more than 6 ounces in one day. Picky Eaters Many toddlers are picky eaters. As long as you offer your toddler healthy foods regularly, he will eat as much as he needs. 100% fruit juice Toddlers DO NOT need juice. Your toddler will get all the nutrition he needs from milk and the solid foods he eats. The amount of sugar in juice is not good for toddlers. Even 100% juice has a lot of sugar. The sugar in juice can make toddlers gain too much weight. The sugar in juice is also bad for your toddler s teeth. The less juice your baby drinks, the better! You can add water to the juice but don t give more than 6 ounces of juice a day. Fighting about eating can make things worse. Do not force him to finish what s on his plate! Feeding tips for your toddler Let your toddler Be in charge of how much he eats. Get up when he is finished 10 minutes may be his limit! Have a usual place to eat not in front of the TV. Help your toddler Offer healthy foods that you make at home try not to give pre-made foods like frozen dinners. Try not to give fried foods, junk food, and fast food, like French fries. Don t promise your child desserts to get him to eat healthy foods like vegetables. This will make him think vegetables are bad! 4 13

5 Finger Foods for your Month Old Do not give your toddler drinks with added sugar. Give your toddler small pieces and small amounts of soft finger foods. Let your toddler feed himself! This can get messy put a plastic sheet or newspaper under his feeding chair to make clean-up easier. juices that are not 100% fruit juice pasta meatballs papaya 12 kiwi blueberries broccoli soda cauliflower sweet potato peach sweet tea sports drinks flavored milk energy drinks Drinks with a lot of sugar can make children gain too much weight. Drinks with sugar are bad for your toddler s teeth. When children start to drink juice or sugary drinks as toddlers, they grow up wanting only sugary things to drink. TIP: If your toddler is already drinking juice and sugary drinks you can help her learn to drink water instead. Add water to juice, a little more each day until she is mostly getting water. Then give her all water. 5

6 Feeding Your Toddler Your toddler enjoys eating with the whole family now. She likes to eat what everyone else is eating cooked just right for toddlers! Use your CHILD s hand to help you measure the right amount (serving size) to give of each food. How often should I feed my toddler? Toddlers should have 3 meals and 2 snacks each day family mealtimes are best! How much of each food should I give my toddler? A serving size for a toddler is 2 to 4 tablespoons of each food (up to a ¼ cup) about the size of your child s fist. 1 serving = ¼ cup = size of your child s fist 1 serving = ¼ cup = size of your child s fist Start with 1 tablespoon and let your toddler ask for more if she is hungry! 6 11

7 Breakfast 2% Milk 6 ounces What food should I give each day? It is important to give your toddler at least 5 servings of fruits or vegetables each day! Your toddler also needs: 3 to 4 servings of dairy, like milk or cheese 2 to 3 servings of protein, like meat or fish 4 to 6 servings of starch or grains, like whole wheat bread, noodles, or brown rice Egg 1 egg, cut up Toast ¼ cup, small bite-sized pieces Banana ¼ cup, cut up Lunch 2% Milk 6 ounces Soup with: Carrots and peas ¼ cup Potatoes ¼ cup Chicken ¼ cup You are the parent... YOU are in charge! Your toddler will let you know what she wants to eat or drink, but you need to make the decisions about what kinds of food are served. Buy only healthy foods for your toddler and your whole family. Choose healthy foods and offer the right amount. Teach your child to like healthy foods from the start! 10 7

8 Plan The Dinner Plate for your month old It s easy to do just split the plate into 3 parts, the largest part for vegetables. 1 4 starch vegetable or fruit 1 2 protein 1 4 This dinner plate has: 2 servings vegetables 1 serving rice & beans 1 serving fish Start with 1 tablespoon of each food and let your toddler ask for more! 7 inch plate 8 9