5 Easy Steps To A Nutrition Chart For Your Toddler

How often do you find yourself wondering whether your child is getting all the essential nutrients or not? After all, their physical and mental development is heavily dependent on the nourishment they are getting. To ensure that, you can make a thorough nutritional chart for your toddler and follow it as closely as possible. Here are five easy steps for creating a nutritional chart for your little one.

1. Include Frequent Meals/Snacks

The essential thing to remember is that preschool marks a developmental phase in the life of a child. That is when they are growing. Their metabolism is fast, and their stomach is small. That leads to them being hungry more often. So, it is essential to give them frequent meals and snacks in between. That can include boiled potatoes, a bowl of fruits, a slice of buttered bread, ½ cup vegetable pulao, pasta or cereals, etc.

2. Include All Food Groups

Irrespective of how healthy they may be, you should not stick to just one or two food groups. Instead, you should include all food groups such as grain foods, fruits, vegetables and legumes, dairy, and meat/poultry/nuts. A good tip would be to spread them across the course of various meals.

3. Go for Smaller Portions

Eating small portions frequently allows the body’s metabolism to run smoothly. That, in turn, goes a long way in the management of weight.^1,2.

4. Care for Mental and Physical Development

Pre-schoolers go through rapid physical (height, weight, muscle, and bones, etc.) as well as mental (skills regarding learning and thinking, social skills, etc.) development. Studies have shown that by 6 years of age the brain attains 90% of its adult size 3. 60% of the height and 30% of weight gain also takes place by this time^. Therefore, you must include foods that cater to their body in every possible way. Include a balance of high protein foods like cottage cheese and non-veg for physical development and foods that help in brain development like dry fruits, eggs, etc.

In addition to that, you can add Junior Horlicks to your child’s diet. Junior Horlicks contains nutrients like Choline, Iron, Iodine, etc., which are known to support brain development, as well as calcium, Vitamin D, vitamin K & Protein which are known to support physical growth and development. It also contains nutrients such as Vit E, A, selenium & copper to support healthy immune function.

5. Don’t Force New Foods

It is important to keep a menu that regularly rotates through its offerings. While you should encourage new foods, it should be done by offering very small amounts and not by forcing it on their palate.

It may be tough to meet the nutritional needs just through a regular diet and even more so in the case of little children who are mostly finicky about eating.

Meal Type	Dish
Breakfast	Bread Slice/Sandwich
	A Banana And A Handful Of Berries
	Milk With Junior Horlicks2,3
Morning Snack	Plain, Vanilla Or Fruit Yogurt
Lunch	Rice And Bean Soup
	100% Whole Wheat Unsalted Crackers
	Carrot And Cucumber With Healthy Salad Dressing For Dipping
Afternoon Snack	Apple Slices Thinly Spread With Peanut Butter
	Crackers
Dinner	Whole Wheat Pasta With Tomato And Vegetable Pasta Sauce
	Milk With Junior Horlicks 1,2