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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – At toddlerhood, growth slows down and personality revs up. The combination can result in a stubborn munchkin with a much smaller appetite. This alarms many new parents who have been dealing with a hungry infant up to now. Though a smaller appetite and stubborn behavior is a fact for most toddlers, there is some truth to the poor eating myth.
In a study of more than 3,000 infants and toddlers some alarming facts emerged about what young children are actually eating. The transition to table food sets the stage for eating patterns that will continue as a child grows. The study showed a number of diet deficits.
Over 20% of toddlers surveyed ate no vegetables on any given day. By 14 months French fries were the most commonly eaten vegetable. Over 20% of toddlers also ate no fruits daily. Most toddlers surveyed drank over 9 ounces of juice and 10% of the sample drank more than 14 ounces each day. Even if it is 100% juice and not a fruit drink, this is a very concentrated source of energy (calories) that will crowd out more healthy food. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 4 to 6 ounces of juice a day for children through the age of 6.
The fiber intake of all toddlers was very low. Only 1% of children met the recommendation for fiber intake. This makes sense if few fruits and vegetables are eaten and little whole grain food is offered. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest adding 5 to a child’s age (+7 for a 2 year old) to get an estimate of how many grams of fiber per day a child should eat. For 1 to 3 year old children this is about 8 to 10 grams a day.
The study also showed that for some toddlers soda, fruit drinks and sweets replaced milk. Over 25% ate presweetened cereal. Chicken and turkey were the number one meat choices served, but hotdogs, sausages and deli meats came in second.
Bottom line: as toddlers got older they ate more calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods. When given the opportunity, many picked sweets and sweetened drinks, shifting their tastes away from natural food flavors.
What can be done to solve some of these poor eating patterns? Let’s begin by setting up some lines of responsibility. As the parent, you are responsible for providing the type of food your child should eat. The toddler is responsible for eating and deciding how much to eat. This is obviously easier said than done.
Forget what you see on the supermarket shelves and concentrate on good food choices. You could never walk down the baby food aisle and your child would still be well fed. In some cases, he might be fed better.
Children need to be exposed to foods many times before eating. It can take up to 8 to 15 exposures before acceptance. Parents usually give up after 3 to 5 “I don’t want it.” pleas from a toddler. Offer new foods one at a time, offer them frequently and don’t expect your child to eat something you won’t.
Switch to whole grain breads. You don’t need to buy 12-grain chewy varieties. Select soft 100% whole wheat or white whole wheat. Both have sweet nutty flavors that the whole family can enjoy. This simple change immediately boosts fiber intake. Select sweets like graham crackers, raisins and unsweetened or lightly sweetened fruit sauces. Eat fruit. Many toddlers love blueberries, strawberries, bananas and orange sections. When they have teeth, gnawing on a small apple or pear is fun. Most will dive into watermelon with relish. Toddlers who have been primed on overly sweet snacks will take time to adjust to these newer more subtle sweet flavors.
If your home was previously stocked with too many sweets, just don’t buy them any longer. You are in charge. At first there will be protests but in time change will occur. Let them top a healthier cereal, like plain cornflakes or Cheerios, with a scoop of the sweetened cereal they love. Or, use the sweetened cereal in place of candy. All ready-to-eat cereals, even those highly sweetened, are based in a grain (sometimes a whole grain), low in fat, and fortified with vitamins and minerals. When stacked up against cookies or a candy bar, sweetened cereal is a better choice. Use it as a dessert or an on-the-go snack instead of a breakfast choice.
Instead of sweet drinks choose water. Make the water readily available. Fill a lidded cup and place it on the highchair tray or in a convenient place in the kitchen so your toddler can reach it and take a sip whenever they wish.
To add more veggies to your toddler’s diet, access this free resource “A Very Veggie World” (www.averyveggieworld.com) developed by Clare Crespo for Country Crock margarine offering 25 fun and creative recipes.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: Click Here
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: TheNutritionExperts
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