Mealtimes are the most engaging part of a toddler’s day at Preschool or Daycare. Promoting children’s health is an important aspect of good quality childcare. It’s important that children are offered nutritious meals also they enjoy positive mealtime experiences.
Top Preschools and Daycares across India are following the National health guidelines with specially designed meal times. Experts and nutritionists Plan a diet chart for kids for instilling healthy eating habits in toddlers at early age. Food allergies, special diets and dental health is taken into account while planning weekly meals. Parents are pre informed a week in advance and suggestions are always welcome.
Observance from the National Health Survey
· Most Toddlers Are Picky Eaters
· Junk Food is a Trap
· Right-sized portions avoids early obesity
· Sugary juice intakes affect dental health at young age
· Kids see & learn, so be a role model
Top preschools and Crèche suggests best ways to follow for healthy and positive eating at home:
- Make mealtime a family time – If the whole family eats together, meal time can be clubbed with some games followed by food kids get into a habit of self-feeding, healthy eating & enjoying the food. The best way to encourage eating a regular adult food is to eat together.
- Respect their choices – Respect the choice of kid if they dislike a particular thing & offer what they like.
- Don’t rush, encourage them to eat slowly – Rushing them to finish their meal is not only bad for digestion, but also in a way that kids would never associate food with fun if they are rushed into just finishing the food.
- Involve kids – Involve them in shopping of groceries & produce, involve them in deciding the weekly menu, involve them in cooking. The more they feel in-charge, the better they would enjoy the food.
- Discourage clubbing meals with screen time – Distraction feeding or eating in front of screen is always a bad idea. With the screen on or gadgets in hand, they will never be able to concentrate on food.
- Be mindful of potion size & ingredients – Pre-planning will help you to decide the potion sized so that food is never too less or too much for one meal. It is always advised to plan meals in advance. The meal plans should be made keeping in mind what all you want to include in daily meals to make the diet balanced & how to spread that out throughout the day & week.
Suggestions for a nutritious meal plan options for your toddler at home;
- Breakfast: Wheat porridge, idli and sambar, oats (soaked overnight then boiled till soft), ragi porridge, upma, bread and eggs.
- Snack: Fruits, dry fruits, buttermilk, fruit based milkshakes (try avoiding sugar),
- Lunch: Roti, Rice, Palak paneer, Dal, Vegetable curries (low spice), rajma, lobia, grams, greens, and salads.
- Dinner: Pongal, Rice, Dal, Appam, Stew, Vegetable rice, Boiled vegetables, Curd rice.
Keep away from processed and ready to eat meals and try swapping junk foods with
- Traditional recipes to follow at home
- Homemade non fried Burgers
- Fresh fruit salads
- Vegetable idlis
- Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Brownie
- Homemade pancakes
Adults are responsible for offering safe and nutritious foods in appropriate amounts. Children can then decide what foods they will eat. This allows children learn to respond to their body’s signals of hunger and fullness.
Making mealtimes positive, relaxed and social, Toddlers learn sharing, sitting and interacting whilst eating, Developing appropriate table manners, Encouraging children to stay at the table and talk or provide quiet activities for children who may finish eating more quickly than others.
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