Toddler Nutrition: What should you feed your 1–3-year-old?

Toddlers use a lot of energy walking, running, and playing. However, they still have small tummies, so they need to eat small meals and snacks frequently. Toddlers need 3 healthy meals and 2-3 snacks throughout the day. Make every bite count when feeding your toddler and choose nutrient rich food for them to grow. Toddlers need important nutrients to build their brain and body. For successful feeding follow these tips.

Offer food full of nutrition from all the food groups.

• Offer a wide selection of fruit and vegetables with different colors, textures, and flavors at meals and snacks. This can help them learn to accept and like a variety of foods. Colorful fruit and vegetables have many nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, and potassium, just to name a few.
• Choose more whole grain bread, pasta, rice, cereals, crackers at meals. Whole grains have more nutrition and fiber to help with constipation.  Learn more about easing your child’s constipation here:
• Try different protein everyday such as meat, chicken, eggs, nut spreads, beans/lentils, peas, tofu, or seafood.
  • These foods are high in iron which helps with your toddler's brain development.
• Vary the dairy. Offer milk, yogurt, and cheese every day. Dairy has calcium and vitamin D which help grow and strengthen bones. Toddlers only need about 16 oz of milk every day. Drinking too much milk can lead to low Iron.
  • What if my child cannot tolerate milk? Try Lactaid or soy milk. Most other milk alternatives like almond, oat, coconut, and rice milk are low in calories, protein, and nutrition. If your child is allergic to milk discuss with the Doctor.

Follow Our Toddler Feeding Guide

• Toddlers 2 years and older can use MyPlate Plan serving suggestions.
• Build balanced snacks with 2 or more food groups
• Use a cup, not bottle. Bottle use leads to skipping meals, not eating enough solid food, tooth cavities, and childhood obesity.
  • Try a cup with a hard spout, straw, 360 or open cup.
    • Weaning off the Bottle OCHD PDF (Spanish)
  • Choose the right beverages in the cup. Water and milk are the best choices. Limit 100% juice to 4oz or less.
    • Learn more about beverage recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
    • Watch this video about beverage choices.
• Let your toddler feed themselves. Toddlers are learning their independence and want to “do” things on their own. So let them.
  • Offer toddler spoons and forks that are not sharp and easy for them to hold at mealtimes.
  • Let your child decide how much they want to eat- never force food or use food as a reward or punishment.
  • Learn about roles of parents and children at meals times.
  • Won't eat food offered? It might take many times offered before a child is ready to try a new food.
    • Offer a familiar, well-liked food with the new food.
    • Only put a small tablespoon of new food on the plate.
    • Let your child pick a new food to try at the store and help prepare it.
    • Look here for more ideas on picky eating.
    • Watch this video on Picky eating.
• Worried about a mess? Use newspaper or plastic (splat) mats on floor under chair for easy clean up.

Create a safe fun feeding environment.

• Wash your child’s hands/ face before and after eating.
  • This helps wash away germs and possible lead they may have been exposed to. Learn more about lead prevention.
• Limited distractions—turn off electronics/TV and make mealtime a pleasant experience.
• Have your child sit and eat with the family. Model good behavior. Toddlers are at risk of choking if they are eating while walking /running around.
  • Avoid choking hazards—do not serve small round marble size, sticky, or hard foods that are difficult to chew. Some examples are:
    • Popcorn
    • Grapes
    • Hard candy
    • Whole nuts/seeds
    • Peanut butter on a spoon
    • Marshmallows
    • Hot dogs

Additional Resources for Feeding Your Toddler

• US Department of Agriculture: My Plate Toddlers Nutrition
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Infant and Toddler Nutrition
• American Academy Pediatrics: Toddler Nutrition
• Global Health Institute: Duke University
• Healthy Drinks Healthy Kids: Learn more about keeping kids sipping healthy with the right drinks, in the right amounts, at the right ages—from birth through age five.
• Recipe Ideas
  • USDA MyPlate
  • USDA Nutrition.gov
  • Healthy Children.org