Toddler Nutrition

Toddler nutrition becomes a top priority when your child stops breast feeding. While a baby, all nutritional needs are provided by breast milk. As a toddler, good nutrition is provided by eating a healthy diet.

Guidelines for a healthy diet are publicly available in the MyPyramid Food Guidance System prepared by the by the US Department of Agriculture. A MyPyramid for Preschoolers is also available for children aged 2 to 5 years.

The MyPyramid is divided into six colored bands. These represent the five food groups and oils:

Orange is for Grains

Green is for Vegetables

Red is for Fruits

Yellow is for Oils

Blue is for Milk

Purple is for Meat and Beans

The toddler running up the steps in the pyramid is a reminder of the importance of daily physical activity. Although in the case of the toddlers I know, a lack of physical activity is not a problem. An afternoon with any of them wears me out. The MyPyramid site

provides a wealth of information on the various food groups, you can create a customized MyPyramid plan for your toddler, and obtain sample meal and snack plans to help you translate the MyPyramid plan into individual meals and snacks.

It's a great resource and a big help in ensuring you cover the bases on child nutrition.

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