Your Child’s Diet Changes At Age Two

A two-year-old should already be getting much of their nutrition from meats, fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, and other dairy products, especially milk. Do you want him to eat everything? So give as much food as possible.

This is the time to teach your child to eat everything. Do you want a child with good eating habits? So remember that you teach by example: your baby’s food consumption will be increasingly influenced by the dietary habits of your family and those around you.

At every age, a different diet

Providing a varied diet of foods will help ensure your child gets enough vitamins and minerals.

Remember that children do not grow as fast as babies do, so the nutritional needs related to their growth decrease during the second year of life and, although they continue to gain weight, they do not double in size as happens with babies.

flavor and proteins

At this age, explains Daniel Campos, a nutritionist, it is good to encourage the consumption of protein in your diet.

It is very likely that your child will mainly order carbohydrates such as pasta and rice, but you need to encourage the consumption of protein, as this helps to strengthen and develop the muscular system.

“Prepare food with creativity because children analyze the food a lot, and they just don’t eat what doesn’t look good,” advises the Venezuelan nutritionist. If you’re going to serve fish – food they often reject – you can prepare nuggets or fish cakes.

“This dish doesn’t need to be fried because, as we already know, fats are not healthy, you can cook the fish in the oven, which will give it a certain texture and a similar taste, or it will even be better than when you fried it ”, says the expert.

This idea goes for fish, chicken and red meat.

There is a recipe called meat dumplings. It looks like a hamburger, but with layers of meat. In the middle is stuffed with cheese.

The meat must be seasoned, besides being added two beaten eggs and ¾ cup of ground bread until it acquired consistency and, like the hamburger, it must be well united.

“You have to be very discerning when it comes to seasoning such as onion and garlic, as it is necessary to liquefy them. Try to hide them, but don’t forget to put them on, because each food provides nutrients for children and contributes to intestinal maturity”. – Daniel Campos, nutritionist –

Accompaniments in addition to rice or potatoes can be pumpkin and zucchini puree.

colored table

Salads need to be flashy, full of color ; you can include carrots or beets. When your child is two years old, colors get more attention.

You should also encourage the consumption of natural fruits. Be careful with citrus; do not exclude them, just provide them in moderate doses.

Remember that at two years of age the taste buds are still very sensitive. Campos recommends giving one or two different fruits a week because they are still getting to know different flavors.

Depending on your reaction, you can vary the fruit offered, as well as cut it into small pieces or beat them into juices.

Try playing with the colors of the fruits to catch your baby’s attention.

healthy tips

– Water can be offered between meals.

– It is not recommended to offer sweets or sweetened drinks, as they cause loss of appetite and contribute to the emergence of tooth decay.

– Avoid putting salt, sugar or strong spices in food.

– We do not recommend products containing caffeine (aerated drinks, coffee, tea or chocolate).

– A hyperactive or spoiled baby may be in need of attention rather than food.

– It is good if the bread is whole and/or rich in cereals.

– Cereals do not need to be very sweet or contain chocolate.