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Key nutrients

Apples What Does My Toddler Need?

Your toddler is having three meals a day and food is partly replacing milk in their diets. It’s recommended that toddlers have at least 350 mls (2/3 pint) of milk each day. (see Which Milk for My Toddler 6.2.7)

Energy
Toddlers are growing and developing and need foods that are a good source of calories (energy). Advice for older children and adults to eat a low-fat diet doesn’t apply to children under 5 years of age. That’s why low-fat versions of foods are not suitable at this stage, eg.skimmed milk.

Protein
Lots of protein is needed for toddlers to grow as they should. The best sources of good quality protein are meat, fish, eggs, and cheese. Vegetable protein is not as complete, so if you don’t feed meat, care needs to be taken to combine vegetable foods to give the right blend of protein. See Special Diets.

Vitamins
Foods that are a good source of Vitamin C should be included. Vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Your health visitor or GP will advise you about vitamin supplements.

Minerals
Iron and Calcium are particularly important at this stage of your toddlers development. Iron is the most common nutrient lacking in toddlers diets so it’s a good idea to prevent any problems by giving iron-containing foods, or iron-enriched milk.(see Which Milk for my Toddler). Vitamin C containing drinks or food given at the same meal as iron-containing foods will help with the absorption of iron.

Here is a list of the essential vitamins and minerals, where you can find them and what they do.

Nutrient	Found in	Crucial for
Vitamin A	Carrots, sweet potato, eggs, milk, tomatoes.	Helps in maintaining healthy skin and hair Needed to maintain good vision Helps in the immune system
Vitamin D	Animal products like fish, eggs and meats as well as fruits, nuts, chocolate.	Required for the formation of healthy bones and teeth Helps with calcium absorption from food Helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.
Vitamin E	Spinach, kiwi, broccoli, sunflower oil	Protects body cells Important for the immune system.
Thaimin	Breads, cereals, grains	Helps the body to convert carbohydrate into energy Important for the nervous system Necessary for proper functioning of the heart
Riboflavin	Grains, milk, yogurt, eggs, broccoli, spinach.	Helps the body to efficiently use carbohydrate, protein and fat from the diet Essential for growth Promotes healthy skin and normal functioning of the eyes
Niacin	Meat, fish, cereals.	Helps the body to efficiently use energy supplies Maintains normal functioning of the nervous system and digestive tract
Pantothenic acid	Green vegetables, whole grains.	Helps the body to efficiently use carbohydrate, protein and fat from the diet
Vitamin B6	Cereals, potatoes, meat, fish, avocado.	Helps the body to efficiently use protein from the diet. Helps with normal brain function Aids in the formation of red blood cells
Folic acid	Fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, breads, spaghetti.	Important for producing new body tissue Important for healthy blood cells
Vitamin B12	Meat, dairy products, eggs,	Helps the body to efficiently use energy supplies Important for healthy blood cells Helps maintain the central nervous system
Vitamin C	Citrus fruit, potatoes (skin on), cabbage, tomato juice.	Helps the absorption of iron from foods Helps in the healing of wounds Important for producing new body tissue
Calcium	Dairy products, green leafy vegetables.	Builds and maintains strong bones and teeth Helps to regulate heartbeat Assists in blood clotting process
Iron	Red meat, spinach, green vegetables, chocolate.	Essential for healthy blood production and maintenance
Zinc	Red meat, poultry, beans, cereals.	Necessary for healthy growth, wound healing and proper functioning of the immune system Plays a role in taste and smell sensitivity