Feeding a toddler - Infant nutrition with HiPP Organic #weanteam

Over the past year as we have worked with HiPP Organic as part of their #weanteam, Jelly Bean has gone from a little baby experiencing his first tastes to a busy toddler who munches on family meals with ease. From a little one who had just started crawling to an active walking toddler who races around on little adventures.

Now that he has graduated from the Wean Team (so disappointed that we couldn’t make the awesome party) and mastered weaning, we are now concentrating on how to feed a toddler so that he is fed healthy, nutritious food to keep him happy and healthy with lots of energy for his busy adventures.

To support the Wean Team as we move forward and our little ones become toddlers HiPP Organic’s nutritionist Helen Gardiner has shared some advice and tips about infant nutrition -

* Food refusal is a normal part of toddler development - if you are worried take a look at HiPP’s guide to feeding a fussy toddler

* The toddler diet needs to provide relatively more energy and be more nutrient dense than an adult’s

* Remember whilst toddler’s are growing fast and have lots of organ and brain development happening their stomachs are still relatively small. The average toddler needs to eat roughly 95 kcal per g of body weight - you can find out more information about toddler portion sizes here

* Provide small and frequent healthy meals and snacks (3 meals and 2-3 nutritious snacks per day) and adequate hydration

* Avoid giving too many salty and sugary foods (and drinks)

* Give a daily vitamin supplement with vitamins A, C and D - take a look here to find out which vitamin supplements are best for your toddler

* Make mealtimes fun and enjoyable, praising them when they eat well for encouragement

As Jelly Bean gets older, getting bigger and stronger all the time, we will continue to provide him with a range of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks. We will encourage and praise him when he eats well and most of all make mealtimes fun.