Food for Toddlers: Offer variety for a balanced diet

Take note of your toddler's eating patterns. The key to a balanced diet is variety. Different foods provide different nutrients (substances that are needed for growth and health). Your children should eat many different foods in order to get all of the nutrients they need. A varied diet will help them stay healthy and build strong bodies. Don't feed your children the same foods every day, but change what you make for breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Every day, your toddler should eat:

· Vegetables

· Fruits

· Whole grains (for example, whole-wheat bread, pasta, brown rice, or oatmeal)

· Proteins (for example, beans, fish, or lean meats)

· Dairy products



-- Copyright 2009. Excerpted from So Easy Toddler Food: Survival Tips and Simple Recipes for the Toddler Years, by Cheryl Tallman, www.FreshBaby.com