What to feed the kids

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Small children can be notoriously picky about what they will eat. It takes patience and perseverance to get them to accept new foods in their diet. A good example set by Mum and Dad can go a long way towards helping. Provided you can get them to eat anything even remotely resembling healthy food, here are some guidelines.

For 1 – 2 year olds
Meat/fish/chicken/beans: 1/2 to 1 Tblsp finely chopped with gravy or sauce OR 1 egg: 2-4 x per day.
Fruits: 1/2 a small apple or pear or a small plum (peeled please): 2-4 x per day.
Veg: 1 Tblsp soft or mashed carrot, courgette, pumpkin, broccoli etc: 3-5 x per day.
Grains/cereals: 1/2 - 1 slice of bread, or 1 Tblsp mashed potato/rice/porridge: 4-6 x per day.
Dairy: 2 Tblsp yoghurt or custard or 3 dices of cheese: 2-4 x per day plus 500ml full fat milk or formula per day.
Added fat and sugar: avoid at this age.

Increase these quantities gradually until by 2 years of age your child is eating:

Meat/fish/chicken/beans: 1 1/2 Tblsp chopped meat, 1 fish finger, sausage or egg: 2-4 x per day.
Fruits: 1 small apple or pear, or slice melon, or 4 strawberries: 2-4 x per day.
Veg: 1-2 Tblsp carrot, courgette, pumpkin, broccoli, a small chopped salad etc: 3-5 x per day.
Grains/cereals: 1 large slice of bread, or 1-2 Tblsp mashed potato/rice/porridge: 4-6 x per day.
Dairy: 3 Tblsp yoghurt or custard or 4 dices of cheese: 2-4 x per day plus 750ml full fat or low fat milk per day.
Fat and sugar: 1 plain biscuit or 1 small slice of plain cake: 1-2 x per day.

Once your toddler is 3, he will need:

Meat/fish/chicken/beans: 2-3 Tblsp chopped meat, or 1-2 fish fingers or sausages, or 1 egg: 2-4 x per day.
Fruits: 1 small apple, banana, pear, slice melon, or 6 grapes: 2-4 x per day.
Veg: 2-3 Tblsp carrot, courgette, pumpkin, broccoli, a small chopped salad etc: 3-5 x per day.
Grains/cereals: 1-2 large slices of bread, or 2-3 Tblsp mashed potato/rice/porridge: 4-6 x per day.
Dairy: 4 Tblsp yoghurt or custard or 1 small matchbox of cheese: 2-4 x per day plus 750ml full fat or low fat milk per day.
Fat and sugar: 1 plain biscuit or 1 small slice of plain cake: 1-2 x per day.

And, for the under-5s, the number of daily portions required are:

Meat/fish/chickens/beans: 2-4 portions
Fruits: 2-4 portions
Vegetables: 3-5 portions
Grains/cereals/potatoes: 4-6 portions
Dairy: 2-4 portions (excluding milk for drinking) plus 500 - 750ml depending on age
Food containing fat/sugar: 1-2 portions

Portion size gradually increases with age.

Don’t be surprised if your pre-schooler eats all the broccoli in sight one day and flat out refuses it for weeks afterwards. Some children are picky about texture, others flavour, and some are even fussy about colour! Just keep offering small quantities of new or rejected foods – and be seen to eat these foods yourself. Coercion and bribery are counter-productive.
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