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Older toddlers are often erratic eaters. They love food one day and dislike it the next. The meal they refused at home is eaten happily away from home. This can frustrate and baffle most parents, but it’s a common eating pattern for a healthy and active older toddler. Very few children pass through these years without creating some worry and concern about eating.
Toddlers need a variety of foods daily for good health. Lower fat dairy products can be included for toddlers two years or older. Restricted diets are not recommended for toddlers as they may limit the energy and nutrients needed for growth and development.
Appetite and hunger can vary considerably
Toddlers have changeable appetites. Growth spurts and changing activity levels during the day can result in a large appetite for a while, followed by small and picky eating soon after. The evening meal may cause the most concern, when children may be tired or not hungry.
Some common reasons for irregular food intake include:
- Filling up on drinks – in particular, sweet drinks or milk
- Not being very active on that day
- Being either too tired to eat or not preferring the food served at that meal
- Frequent snacking – this can curb the appetite for set meals, although it generally isn’t a problem if the snacks are nutritious.
Food refusal
Most children are able to balance food intake with activity if they are not forced to eat. You can help by providing a variety of healthy and nourishing foods from which your child can choose. Children should be served the same foods as the family, with a variety of textures and flavours for balanced nutrition.
When a food is refused, the child may not be objecting to the actual food but is testing to see the effect they have on people around them. By assuming the food is to blame, some parents can get caught up in a frustrating game. Some helpful tips to deal with food refusal include:
- Try to stay calm.
- Don’t force your child to eat.
- Allow your child some likes and dislikes.
- Offer new foods with familiar ones.
- Provide a small spoon or fork and a comfortable chair.
- Turn off the television – chat at mealtimes instead.
- Start with a small serve and give more if hungry.
- If a meal is refused, let your child sit quietly for a few minutes before leaving the table.
- Be a role model for your child. If you eat well, they may copy you.
Have fun with food
You can use food activities with older toddlers to help them become familiar with foods and learn simple ideas about nutrition. Letting children get involved in basic food preparation – like making a cake, sandwich or salad – teaches them about healthy foods. Other learning opportunities include:
- Exploration of shapes, colours and how foods grow
- Development of skills like pouring, stirring and cutting
- Learning simple hygiene, like washing hands before touching food or eating
- Sharing food with other people.
Healthy snacks
Snacks between meals play an important part in the energy intake of young children, so keep these as healthy, nutritious and as interesting as possible. Suggestions include:
- Fresh and dried fruits
- Crackers with cheese or hummus
- Yoghurt (this can be frozen in hot weather in place of icecream)
- Raisin bread, fruit loaf or toasted muffins
- Plain biscuits, scones or buns
- Dip and biscuits or vegetable sticks such as capsicum – hard vegetables should be grated or steamed for children under three years of age to reduce the risk of choking.
Healthy drinks
For some children who are busy playing and exploring, drinks may replace food or snacks. When appetites are small, this can result in poor nutrition and affect the child’s growth. Milk and dairy foods are an important part of a child’s diet, although about three drinks of milk per day is all that’s needed to meet calcium requirements. Water should be offered at other times. Sweet drinks such as juice and cordials aren’t recommended for a healthy diet.
Child care and food
Child care provides an environment for children to eat with others and experience new foods and tastes they may not have at home. If main meals are provided at lunch, less may be needed at the evening meal, but this will vary for each child.
You can learn about your child’s eating habits from the staff as well as giving them important information about your concerns or problems at home. Working together with childcare staff can positively reinforce healthy nutritional messages and eating in your child.
Tips for feeding older toddlers
Suggestions include:
- Offer a variety of foods daily.
- Enjoy eating as a family.
- Don’t force your child to eat when tired or not hungry.
- Offer water instead of juice or cordial.
- Offer healthy snacks between meals.
- Get your child involved in simple meal preparation.
- Accept some food refusal without worry.
- Be a role model for your child and eat a healthy diet.
Where to get help
- Your doctor
- An Accredited Practising Dietitian, contact the Dietitians Association of Australia
- Maternal and Child Health nurse
- Maternal and Child Health Line (24 hours) Tel. 132 229
- Parentline (24 hours) Tel. 132 289
Things to remember
- Most older toddlers are able to balance food intake with activity if they are not forced to eat.
- Children should be served the same foods as the family, with a variety of textures and flavours for balanced nutrition.
- Snacks between meals play an important part in the energy intake of young children, so keep these as healthy, nutritious and as interesting as possible.
You might also be interested in:
Child nutrition - juices and sweet drinks.
Childcare and healthy eating.
Children's diet - fruit and vegetables.
Eating tips for children (1) - babies.
Eating tips for children (2) - young toddlers.
Eating tips for children (4) - preschoolers.
Eating tips for children (5) - primary school.
Eating tips for teenagers.
Healthy eating for kids.
Healthy eating tips.
Toddlers and fussy eating.
Toddlers and mealtime manners.
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