For the age groups of child from two to six years, you should know the best diet for your kid. For healthy growth of child the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has changed the Pyramid in 2005. As a parent you should aware about toddler’s food pyramid to develop healthy eating habits in your kid for lifetime. You should also understand essential need of daily nutritional for your kid. Five colors food pyramid is divided in five major food group such as grain group, fruits group, vegetables group, milk group and meat group. After age of two years, you should reduce milk if your baby is used to bottle feed only. You should offer your kid three meals and two nutritious snacks daily, reduce milk and other dairy product and increase use of healthy food habits. You should also avoid food such as sweet desserts, fast food, soft drinks, oily food, fruit-flavored drinks, spicy food, chips or candy, etc. Such food disturbs your child’s eating habits and affects his digestive system.
You can keep your toddler healthy by make him habituated to eat a variety of foods, balancing his diet according to his physical activities and digestive capacity, add more healthy food in his meal such as vegetables, fruits and grain products. You can improve your child’s health by offering him low fat diet with saturated fat, cholesterol free, medium amount of salt and sugar. Calcium, iron and protein rich food keep your toddler physically active and mentally strong.
Food Pyramid for Toddler
You can give your toddler a variety of food. You should serve a balanced diet to your kid that includes all food groups every day. Use pyramid food color in meal is known as well-balanced diet.
Orange: Grains
Green: Vegetables
Red: Fruits
Blue: Milk
Purple: Meat
Healthy Food Groups of Pyramid
Your toddler needs a variety of healthy food daily as they do not prefer same food every day. As a mother you should serve different food with rich vitamins and minerals to your child to keep his diet interest and maintain his health.
Orange Color or Grain Group: Maintain Energy Level
You can serve whole wheat pasta, cereal and cooked rice, which is good source of grain and contain compound carbohydrates to maintain energy level of your child for a longtime. You can serve 4-5 ounce grain each day for child of age group from four to eight years. Nine to thirteen years boy need 6 ounce while girl need 5 ounce grain per day.
Green Color or Vegetable Group: Improve Immune System and Digestive System
Green color in food pyramid indicates need of vegetables in daily diet. Green vegetables are helpful for people of all age. You can offer various combinations of vegetables for preparing salad or subji according to liking taste of your kids. You can give raw or chopped vegetables or green leafy vegetables to your kids.
You can give one and half cup of vegetables to your kid between four to eight year age group. For children of age group from nine to thirteen years, you can serve two cups of vegetables to girl and two and half cup to boy every day.
Vegetables are good for your children because it helps in improve your child’s immune system as it is rich source of Vitamin C. In addition, vegetables are excellent source of fiber that helps in improving digestive system of your child.
Red Color or Fruit Group: Keep Your Eye and Skin Healthy
In food pyramid guide red color shows use of fruits in your child’s daily diet. Fruits are essential for your child to improve his immune system. Fruits contain good source of Vitamin A, which is essential to keep skin and eye healthy. You can offer combinations of fruits to your child such as apple, orange, blueberries, etc. Sweet and juicy fruits are essential part of your child’s diet plan. You can give one and one/ half cup of fruit to your child every day.
Blue Color or Milk Group: Keep Your Bone and Teeth Strong
Blue color is one of the important food groups in toddler’s food pyramid indicates milk group, which is essential for keeping your child’s healthy. Milk is essential for your child to keep his bones and teeth stronger enough. You can serve milk and milk product to your child in his daily diet such as low-far cheese, yogurt, orange juice with calcium-fortified, etc. can help in providing sufficient amount of calcium to your child. You can give two cups of milk for child for age group from four to eight years and for nine to thirteen year old child you can give three cups of milk or same amount of calcium rich food daily.
Purple Color or Meat Group: Boost your Energy Level
An important source of iron can be available from meat that helps your child to increase his energy level. You can give turkey or skinless chicken in your child’s meal. If you are belonging to non-vegetarian family you can offer beans or nuts as it is also a good source of iron. You can give 3-4 ounce for age group of four to eight years child and 5 ounce for nine to thirteen year old child per day.
Follow food pyramid guide for toddler and give healthy food habit to your child. It is very essential to develop healthy food habit from child age to keep his body healthy with rich source of vitamins, minerals, irons, proteins and calcium. Have a colorful diet for healthy growth of your toddler.