Healthy Meals and Energy-Boosting Snacks for Toddlers – Get a Copy of First Meals Food Diary

Toddlers are on the go all the time, whether they’re crawling or taking their first uneasy steps, so it’s important to keep their energy levels up and provide them with healthy meals and energy-boosting snacks.

Your child’s increased independence means that they may become reluctant to sit at the table, so you will need to adapt to their changing needs. This is also a time when your toddler will have much more interaction with other children—at a day care or playgroups, for example—and is likely to pick up germs. Healthy, nutrient-packed foods can make all the difference in keeping illnesses at bay and boosting your little one’s immunity.

Here are some great tips to get you started:

Energy-Boosting Foods
Meals and snacks that give your active toddler a steady stream of energy are more vital. Carbohydrates that release sugars slowly into the bloodstream are best. The best sources are rice, potatoes, pasta, and whole grain cereals. They provide long lasting energy and avoid sudden highs and lows in blood sugar, which can cause mood swings and poor concentration.

Healthy Snacks
Your toddler’s tummy is little, so don’t overload their plate at mealtimes and offer “top-off” snacks when they’re hungry again. Dried and fresh fruit, bread sticks, cheese, lean meats, boiled eggs, raw vegetables, yogurt, seeds, toast with peanut butter, hummus, rice cakes, and mini muffins are all healthy options and will keep your baby’s energy levels up between meals.

Drinks
While it’s best to give your child water, a little diluted orange juice at mealtimes will help with iron absorption. Always dilute fruit juice – three parts water to one part juice – and only give juice at mealtimes. Sweet drinks at bedtime, once the teeth are brushed, are not a good idea since there is not enough saliva in the mouth to wash away harmful acid.

Feeding a Sick Child
Fluid intake is the main priority over food, so make sure you offer your child drinks at frequent intervals. A good way to give more fluids is to make fresh fruit popsicles for your child to suck on. See recipe for Strawberry-Cranberry Popsicles below.

Foods to Fight Illness
• Garlic – contains allicin, which is a natural antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal agent

• Vitamin C-rich foods boost the body’s level of Vitamin C

- good sources include kiwi fruit, citrus fruits, sweet peppers, dark green leafy vegetables, and strawberries

• Apples – contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps relieve constipation

• Bananas – packed with slow-release sugars for sustained energy

Nutrients to Prevent Illness
• Vitamin A – prevents infection of eyes, nose, throat, and lungs

- found in liver, oily fish, milk, cheese, butter, and egg yolks

• Beta-carotene – boosts the immune system against colds and flu

- found in carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and apricots

• Essential fatty-acids – supports brain function and the immune system

- found in salmon and other oily fish

• Iron – needed to prevent iron-deficient anemia

- found in red meats, liver, dried fruits, and iron-enriched cereals

Strawberry-Cranberry Popsicles
The strawberry is packed with Vitamin C! If your strawberries are very ripe, then you may need slightly less sugar.

You’ll need:

1 lb strawberries, quartered (about 4 cups)
1 ¼ cups cranberry juice
½ cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Blend the strawberries, cranberry juice, and sugar together in a blender until smooth. Strain to remove any seeds, then spoon or pour into popsicle molds and freeze

Tell us about some of the ways you boost your child's energy or some of your favorite healthy meals in the comment field below. Gather will randomly select one member to receive a copy of the First Meals Food Diary . Comments must be posted by October 21st to be considered for the drawing.

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