| At this age, babies are learning about the social aspects of eating. They are engaging and enjoy sitting down together. Appetites are better if this is a pleasant time. One year olds are great imitators and will usually try the foods their parents seem to enjoy. Therefore, what you eat is very important. Providing a well-balanced diet and eating one yourself will do much toward establishing good eating habits in your child.
Motor skills are improving at this age, and babies are becoming interested in feeding themselves. If they are given a spoon to use at mealtimes, they will do more and more of the job themselves as their manual dexterity improves. Just a little milk in the cup is sufficient, since one year olds tip the cup too soon at first. But being allowed to try is important at this age. Some mess is inevitable, especially since one year olds tend to check their food by feeling it.
1 to 3 year olds need an average of 1300 calories per day. Of course, some days are “good appetite” days and others are not. Tiredness, sore gums and minor illnesses all affect the appetite. One year olds should be eating at least some foods from all four basic food groups. Milk consumption is reduced to 2-3 cups a day. Weaning is a gradual process, and includes learning to drink from a cup and trying new tastes and textures.
At one year, we recommend switching from formula to vitamin D milk. It is felt that the extra fat from whole milk is needed for the infant’s development. At 2 years of age, 2% milk is recommended.
Encourage regular milk from a cup. If your child is very attached to the bottle, offer water in the bottle and other fluids in a cup. Your child will accept the change with time. Try to discontinue the use of the bottle shortly after 12 months.
It is recommended that 3 servings of dairy products be eaten daily. Your child will probably be taking 16-24 ounces of milk per day.
This is the time to start developing healthy eating habits. Nutrition experts agree that the majority of our diets should consist of fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals with less fats and sweets.
Children have a lot to learn during this time and progress may be slow. When certain items are consistently refused, it is usually best to substitute something else.
It has been found that activity levels have a great effect on appetite and on weight gains. Sedentary children may eat less than their peers and still become overweight. Encouraging physical exercise from an early age will prevent excessive weight gain. It has been shown that children who get regular exercise will be more likely to continue this good habit as adults.
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