Tips for Surviving Toddler Growth Spurts
By Celeste Stewart
From the first tentative sips of milk to a full blown feeding frenzy, your child’s appetite will invariably rise and fall. Some days, your toddler may shun just about everything you feed him while other days he’s an eating machine. While many baby books focus on growth spurts in infants, toddlers continue to grow rapidly. And this means eating, and lots of it. How do you survive growth spurts and ensure that your child gets the nutrition she needs? nutrition expert for Food Network Toby Amidor says, to take advantage of it!
Toddler Growth Spurts
Toddler growth spurts aren’t nearly as dramatic as those in infants. Babies generally triple their birth weight and grow about ten inches in length by their first birthday while children tend to gain about four to five pounds and grow about two and a half inches each year between the ages of two and five.
How do you know your toddler is going through a growth spurt? Your child will be hungry all the time! But what should you feed your child? What foods will stop the non-stop eating?
Introducing Healthier Foods
Since your toddler is hungry during growth spurts, he’s less likely to be overly picky. This makes now an excellent time to introduce new – and healthier – foods. Toby Amidor, nutrition expert for Food Network, elaborates, “During growth spurts a child’s appetite is usually good and so parents should take this advantage to feed their child a well-balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, dairy and protein-rich foods.
According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, for children younger than two, 50 percent of calories should come from fat and toddlers ages one through three need 500 milligrams of calcium each day. With those guidelines in mind, whole milk and cheese are excellent choices – as long as your child can handle dairy foods.
Amidor says, “Some nutrients that help with growth and development that can be problematic in children include calcium which can be found in dairy foods (like milk, yogurt, and cheese). If a child has a dairy allergy, alternate calcium sources are available in fortified juices and cereals, leafy green vegetables (like spinach, kale and broccoli) and tofu (made with calcium sulfate). Iron is another important nutrient that is essential during growth and it can be found in meat, poultry and fish. Alternate iron sources include leafy greens, beans and eggs.
Amidor goes on to say, “Children undergoing a growth spurt need extra calories from foods that contain lots of important nutrients they need. This is why it is important that they eat every 3-4 hours having three meals and three snacks. Adding fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help both meet the demands of the nutritional needs during growth spurts and help tide the child over to the next meal. The addition of a moderate amount of healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, or a touch of olive oil will also help make them feel full.”
When asked if “grazing” is okay, Amidor says, “I have found that children who graze do not do as well during their meals (which many times leaves the parent frustrated). A young child has high nutritional needs and this is why it is essential to feed them every few hours. They should never go more than 5 hours without eating. It is important for a parent to schedule the meals and snacks close enough so that they do not become overly hungry.”
Toby Amidor’s Sample Schedule/Meal Plan:
- Breakfast at 7:00 am: 1 scrambled egg, 1 slice of toast with a tablespoon of jam, ½ cup strawberries
- Morning snack at 10:00 or 10:30 am: yogurt topped with blueberries
- Lunch at 12:30 or 1:00 pm: peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread with 1 cup of milk
- Afternoon snack at 3:30 or 4:00 pm: sliced veggies (cucumbers, carrots, celery) dipped in ranch dressing (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- Dinner at 6:30 or 7:00 pm: chicken, rice and a side of steamed broccoli and 1 slice of avocado
- Evening snack at 7:30 pm or before bed: whole wheat crackers with cheese
Amidor says, “This way the child is learning how to eat in a healthy manner that should be carried out throughout his or her life (as a child reaches adulthood, usually the snacks may decrease to 1-2 per day). Once a child is left hungry (and does not graze) they will eat better at each meal.”
Toddler growth spurts are much easier to handle when you think of them as opportunities to introduce healthier foods instead of as feeding frenzies. Stock up on healthy foods and take advantage of your child’s larger than normal appetite.
Source:
March 2010 Interview with Toby Amidor of Food Network’s HealthyEats.com
