7 Feeding Tips For Three-Year-Olds

After three years, children’s eating and nutrition habits begin to change. It is important to know how to design a quality diet to avoid deficiencies and problems in their development.

Adequate nutrition in the early years of children’s life is crucial for the optimal development of children’s physical and mental capacities. For this reason, it is normal to have doubts about how their diet should be planned when they are 3 years old.

During the first year of life of children, breastfeeding is recommended, as long as possible and as the child wants. In addition, therefore, it is necessary to introduce other foods in the baby’s diet, as the nutritional requirements increase over the years.

How should calories be distributed? What should the restrictions be? We know that many parents often ask themselves these questions. While knowing that it is important not to improvise, in this article we want to share with you the best feeding tips for 3 year olds.

What should you know about feeding 3 year olds?

One of the food changes for 3 year olds is that they start to eat 4 meals a day. Indeed, this recommendation can begin to be implemented from the age of 2, or when the pediatrician recommends it.

As the child begins to enter a developmental phase with more activity, caloric needs increase. However, knowing how to distribute calorie intake is essential, as the eating habits acquired at this age are a guide for years to come.

Nutritional requirements for 3-year-olds

• Calories: 1,300-1,400 Kcal / day
• Proteins: 30-40 g / day
• Carbohydrates: 130-180 g / day
• Fat: 45-55 g / day

Daily calorie intake for each dish

• Breakfast: 25%
• Lunch: 30%
• Snack: 15%
• Dinner: 30%

Another aspect to pay attention to is the eating behaviors that children acquire. At this age, it is usual to be temperamental and monotonous with a preference for certain foods. It is important to ensure a balanced diet to avoid nutritional deficiencies.

The best feeding tips for 3-year-olds

The diet for 3-year-olds begins to change dramatically. Since they already have the ability to bite and chew, at this point you can incorporate different foods. Below we share with you some general information about their diet that can be taken into account.

1. Give them a daily breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal in all stages of life. For this reason, our first feeding tip for 3 year olds is to prepare a full and balanced breakfast every day.

• Consuming whole grains, fruits and dairy products is ideal for this meal.

2. Limit the consumption of processed products

Good eating habits start to be taught early on. Therefore, it is essential to avoid as much as possible the consumption of precooked, canned, or any type of processed and refined foods.

• You should exclude food from fast food outlets, sausages, and industrial baked goods.

3. Don’t force meals

If children refuse to eat, they shouldn’t be forced to. However, it is the parents who decide on the variety and quality of the foods they include in their diet. It’s not about forcing them to eat, but about preventing whims.

4. Avoid nuts

Almonds, hazelnuts and also any variety of nuts can be harmful in the diet of children aged 3 years. Although they are foods rich in essential nutrients, they are dangerous because they can cause choking.

5. Make them eat more often

Children need to eat often to meet their needs. The problem is that many parents calm their desire to eat with snacks that do not provide good nutritional values.

• It is important to choose nutritious and also healthy foods in lieu of those salty or overly sweet snacks.

6. Avoid sugary drinks

All varieties of sugary drinks appeal to young children. If they are bad for us, then they are even worse for them. By being aware of how harmful they can be to their health, they should be avoided in the diet.

• This type of drink should not be consumed for any reason. Whenever you want a different alternative, it is best to offer them natural juices.

7. Don’t reward them with food

One of the biggest mistakes in feeding young children is using food as a reward. Pay attention ! This can lead to bad behavior which will later lead to bad habits. After good behavior, avoid rewards like candy or sweets.

• Words of encouragement or sharing a game are also good ways to congratulate them.

To finish…

As parents, it is essential to ensure balanced and complete nutrition from the earliest stages of life. Choosing good quality foods and making the optimal combination helps ensure the daily calorie intake required by children.