This 1-3 age group is very important to your baby; at this age, you must provide your babies with their needs of food to help them achieve their mental and physical milestones in a healthy way. You should always help them develop healthy dietary patterns.
At this stage, the baby’s appetite usually fluctuates significantly, so it is best to continue offering him with various types of food so he can try and discover new flavors and different food.
Parents usually get confused when it comes to the quality and quantity of food appropriate for their baby at this age. In this article, find out the most food groups and quantities necessary for your baby.
Keep in mind that the amount of food varies from baby to baby depending on their motor function, age, and size. In general, babies need between 1000-1400 calories per day.
Your baby’s daily diet must include the following groups:
- Starches (5 portions).
- Vegetables and fruit (5 portions)
- Milk and dairy products (3 portions)
- Proteins (2 portions)
In the following table, we will show you examples of food portions for each group, focusing on drinking enough amounts of water and diluted fruit juice
|
Food Group |
Example for the single portion |
|
Starches (5 portions) |
A slice of bread 2 rice cakes or oat bars 3 spoons of mashed potatoes 4 spoons of rice or pasta 5 spoons of breakfast cereal |
|
Vegetables and fruits (5 portions)
|
1 spoon of raisin Half a large banana 8 grape beads Half a medium apple 3 dates 2 spoons of peas 2 spoons of broccoli 3 cherry tomatoes 3 spoons of canned fruits 3 pieces of vegetables |
|
Milk and dairy products (3 portions)
|
100 ml of breast milk 125 ml yogurt (half a cup) 1 triangle cheese 4 spoons of rice pudding 2 spoons of cheese sauce A cup of milk |
|
Proteins |
3 spoons of chickpeas, lentils, or beans 2-4 spoons of minced meat 2 fish fingers One egg One spoon of peanut butter one-third of chicken ribs |
|
Healthy fats |
Half avocado One spoon of olive oil 8 raw nuts 30 g of fatty fish |
It is usually recommended to consult your doctor when it comes to giving supplements to your toddler as vitamins A, C, D.
For sweets like cakes, biscuits, ice-cream and chocolate (it is advised to avoid them as much as possible, though you must, they should not be more than twice a week)
Note
For fish, it is recommended to choose fish with less mercury like salmon, tilapia, shrimp, crab, and canned tuna, while cutting the share of fish containing high levels of mercury like swordfish, bluefin tuna, tilefish, shark, king mackerel, orange roughy, and chilean sea bass.
