With your two-year-old's blossoming language and social skills, they're ready to become an active mealtime participant. They should no longer be drinking from a bottle, and can eat the same food as the rest of the family. Their diet should now include three healthy meals a day, plus one or two snacks.
Here are some tips to help your little one develop healthy, safe eating habits and get the nutrition their growing bodies need.
Mealtime tips for toddlers
Try not to fixate on amounts of food they are eating.
Avoid making mealtimes a battle.
Pay attention to adopting healthy eating habits—including sitting as a family at mealtime.
Focus on making healthy food choices as a family.
Unsafe foods for toddlers: choking risks
At two years old, your child should be able to use a spoon, drink from a cup with just one hand, and feed themselves a wide variety of finger foods. However, they are still learning to chew and swallow efficiently and may gulp food down when in a hurry to get on with playing. For that reason, the risk of choking at this age is high.
Avoid these foods, which could be swallowed whole and block the windpipe:
Hot dogs (unless cut in quarters lengthwise before being sliced)
Chunks of peanut butter (Peanut butter may be spread thinly on bread or a cracker, but never give chunks of peanut butter to a toddler.)
Nuts—especially peanuts
Raw cherries with pits
Round, hard candies—including jelly beans
Gum
Whole grapes
Marshmallows
Raw carrots, celery, green beans
Popcorn
Seeds—such as processed pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (cut them in quarters)
Large chunks of any food such as meat, potatoes, or raw vegetables and fruits
Healthy eating basics & selective eaters
The best foods for toddlers include:
Protein foods like meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and soy
Dairy such as milk, yogurt, cheese or calcium-fortified soymilk
Fruits and vegetables
Grains such as whole wheat bread and oatmeal
It is normal for toddlers to choose from a limited number of foods, reject foods entirely, and then change their preferences over time. Never force your child to eat something they do not want to eat. The best approach is to let your child to choose from 2 to 3 healthy options, and continue to offer new foods as their tastes change.
Offering a variety of foods and leaving the choices up to your child will eventually allow them to eat a balanced diet on their own. Toddlers also like to feed themselves. So, whenever possible, offer your child finger foods instead of cooked ones that require a fork or spoon to eat.
Supplements for some children
Vitamin supplements are rarely necessary for toddlers who eat a varied diet, with a few exceptions.
Vitamin D. Infants under 12 months of age require 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D per day and older children and adolescents require 600 IU per day. This amount of vitamin D can prevent rickets—a condition characterized by the softening and weakening of bones. If your child is not regularly exposed to sunlight or is consuming enough vitamin D in their diet, talk to your pediatrician about a vitamin D supplement. See for more information and a list of vitamin D-enriched foods.
Iron. Supplemental iron may be needed if your child eats very little meat, iron-fortified cereal, or vegetables rich in iron. Large quantities of milk (more than 32 ounces [960 mL] per day) also may interfere with the proper absorption of iron, increasing the risk of iron deficiency anemia.
Calcium. Your child should drink 16 ounces (480 mL) of low-fat or nonfat milk each day. This will provide most of the calcium they need for bone growth and still not interfere with their appetite for other foods—particularly those that provide iron.
Note: Children stay on whole milk until they are two years of age—unless there is a reason to switch a baby to low-fat milk sooner. Whole milk contains approximately 4% milk fat. It may help to gradually switch your child from whole milk to a lower-fat milk. Therefore, many pediatricians recommend that children get reduced fat (2%) milk for a few weeks before switching them to low fat (1%) or no fat (skim) milk.
More information
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circ*mstances.
FAQs
Suggested daily serves are 1 serve of fruit; 2½ serves of vegies; 1½ serves of dairy; 4 serves of grains; and 1 serve of lean meats, eggs, nut or seed pastes (like peanut butter, almond butter or tahini), or legumes. Toddlers need 4 cups (1 L) of fluid a day and extra on hot or humid days.
What are the daily nutritional requirements for a 2 year old? ›
Suggested daily serves are 1 serve of fruit; 2½ serves of vegies; 1½ serves of dairy; 4 serves of grains; and 1 serve of lean meats, eggs, nut or seed pastes (like peanut butter, almond butter or tahini), or legumes. Toddlers need 4 cups (1 L) of fluid a day and extra on hot or humid days.
What is the best way to feed a 2 year old? ›
Serve the same foods as the family eats. Remember that toddlers need small meals and regular snacks. Don't worry too much – a toddler's appetite and food intake can vary daily. Offer small serves and give more if needed.
How do I make sure my toddler gets enough nutrition? ›
Try these tips to help them during this time:
- Your child may not want to try new foods. ...
- Your child may not eat the exact amounts suggested every day. ...
- Offer foods from all five food groups each day. ...
- Serve foods in small portions at meal and snack times.
- Toddlers can fill up on drinks. ...
- Let your child help make meals.
Energy
| Food Group | Daily Serving |
|---|
| Grains | About 3 ounces of grains per day, ideally whole grains |
| Proteins | 2 ounces of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or legumes |
| Fruits | 1 cup of fresh, frozen, canned, and/or dried fruits, or 100 percent fruit juice |
| Vegetables | 1 cup of raw and/or cooked vegetables |
1 more rowYour child should also have legumes (like chickpeas, lentils or peas) – or nuts (make sure they're crushed, ground or a smooth nut butter), and orange or green vegetables and fruits every day. Add a little oil or fat to their food for energy. Be sure your child's snacks are healthy, such as fresh fruit.
What is a good feeding schedule for a 2 year old? ›
2 year olds should eat roughly every two to three hours. Offering food at set intervals throughout the day helps them regulate their hunger. It also helps ensure they eat enough throughout the day.
Is there anything a 2 year old should not eat? ›
Toddlers have little tummies, so serve foods that are packed with the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong. Avoid sweets and empty calories. Don't give your child sugar-sweetened drinks, such as soda, juice drinks, sports drinks, and flavored milks.
How much should a 2 year old weigh? ›
2-year-old weight and height
Average weight for a 24-month-old is 26.5 pounds for girls and 27.5 pounds for boys, according to the World Health Organization. How tall is the average 2-year-old? Average height for a 24-month-old baby is 33.5 inches for girls and 34.8 inches for boys.
What are the feeding skills of a 2 year old? ›
24 months (2 years)
Will swallow well from a cup losing no liquid with good lip seal around the cup. Will swallow food well without losing food with good lip seal and control. Will move jaw in round movements as well as side to side during chewing. Will scoop food with spoon with some loss.
Protein For Kids: More Important Than You May Think
Because it's so important, we have to repeat: this nutrient is needed for proper growth and development. The following foods are excellent protein sources for kids: Dairy products, beans, nuts, eggs, fish, poultry, and meat.
How do I know if my 2 year old is eating enough? ›
Toddlers should be eating between a quarter to a half-sized serving portion of what an adult eats at each meal. Some red flags of malnourishment include weight loss, fatigue, and persistent constipation. Contact your pediatrician or a pediatric nutritionist if you're concerned about your toddler's eating habits.
What does a 2 year old need? ›
Your toddler's basic needs are the same as yours – food, sleep, clothing, shelter, and health – they just need more help getting these met, of course! For your child to be able to devote energy to learning and growing, they need to be well fed.
How many foods should a 2 year old eat? ›
Their diet should now include three healthy meals a day, plus one or two snacks. Here are some tips to help your little one develop healthy, safe eating habits and get the nutrition their growing bodies need. Try not to fixate on amounts of food they are eating. Avoid making mealtimes a battle.
What portion size should a 2 year old eat? ›
What is an average serving size for a toddler? It can be helpful to think of a portion being as much as your toddler could hold in their fist for carbohydrate dense foods. Protein and fruit portions the size of the palm of their hand. Vegetable portions as much as their two fistfuls could hold.
What is the average food intake for a 2 year old? ›
It's not always easy to tell if your little one is eating enough. Keep in mind that a typical toddler serving size is about a quarter to half of an adult serving size. On average, toddlers need anywhere from 700 to 1,300 calories per day, depending on their size and activity level.
What is the daily calorie intake for a 2 year old? ›
For a child between 2 and 3 years of age, the recommended daily caloric intake is 1000 to 1400 kcal/day; this requirement increases with the age of the child. Children during a growth spurt, require higher amounts of calories to maintain the body as well as to grow.
What is normal intake for 2 year old? ›
A general guide for feeding your toddler
Each day, a child between ages 1 and 3 years needs about 40 calories for every inch of height. This means that a toddler who measures 32 inches in height, for example, should be taking in an average of about 1,300 calories a day.
